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Dateline: 30-06-20

Metropolitan Police Sailing Club - Re-opening - 6th July 2020

Please find the following update from Gareth Granville, Vice Commodore of the MPSC. In addition to this, please feel free to contact the Club should you have any further questions or queries as we will remain as flexible as possible to meet your needs:-

Dear Member,

Please find the following update from Gareth Granville, Vice Commodore of the MPSC. In addition to this, please feel free to contact the Club should you have any further questions or queries as we will remain as flexible as possible to meet your needs:-

The government have now confirmed that from the 4th July there will be a further easing of corona virus restrictions.

I am happy to confirm that the club will reopen on Monday 6th July, initially this will be for charters only and is based on government guidelines allowing groups from two households to meet and to now stay overnight away from home.

We are following government guidelines to reduce the risk of Covid -19 on our yachts and offices. The health and well-being of our members and staff are paramount. The measures we intend to implement are based on current government guidelines and are designed to minimise the risk to our staff whilst ensuring members have an enjoyable time on the water.

You will notice a number of changes to the club, including changes to our reception and handover procedure to reduce the risk to both staff and members. To achieve this, we have implemented the following -

MPSC staff will:
• Wear masks when in contact with guests.
• Wear disposable gloves where considered necessary.
• Observe social distancing guidelines (2m apart).
• Observe regular hand washing and disinfection.

Boat cleaning process:
• A fogging machine has been purchased, this allows us to disinfect the interior after return of each charter and before staff enter the boat.
• Washing of all outside surfaces and disinfecting as necessary.
• Locking of yachts on completion of charter, assuring no access between cleaning and subsequent charter.
• Cleaning process to include Wets and lifejackets where used.

Check in and check out processes:
• Only one member of crew will be allowed in the office (procedures will be conducted outside wherever possible)
• Members will be asked to sanitise their hands
• The boat keys and MDL passes will be stored within the Wet Store ready for collection. 
• Wet store access code will be provided prior to charter.
• Handover. – In an attempt to reduce personal contact, the handover document has changed to include more detail and to assist with specific areas of the yacht. If members require additional advice on handover, they are first asked to contact staff on a phone number they will be provided with.
• If there is a requirement for staff to be present during handover then PPE and social distancing guidelines will be applied.
 

Onboard hygiene:
• Guests will be provided with local emergency numbers. These will be clearly indicated on the pre-charter documentation.
• Each yacht will be supplied with cleaning materials necessary to sanitise the key areas of the boat.
• Members will be asked to also provide their own cleaning and hygiene materials to reduce impact on Club and ongoing cleaning implications.
• All non-essential equipment i.e. crockery and cutlery will be removed from boats, cleaned and sanitised and stored in sealed boxes.
• Members will be requested to provide their own culinary equipment where possible, but this can be provided on request if necessary
Full details will be provided in the pre-charter documentation.

Mercury Marina Offices:
• Disinfected at the end of every working day
• Regular disinfecting of office surfaces throughout the day
• Contactless payment preferred
• Contact with our staff will be limited, and the reception and handover process will change, further information will be provided at time of booking process.

We hope that these steps will allow us to return to a safe sailing environment that will allow all of our Members to enjoy time out on the water and would also thank you for your ongoing support and patience throughout this difficult time.

Gareth Granville
Vice Commodore

Dateline: 31-03-20

Dear Member,

We want to reassure you that we are doing all we can within the current restrictions to ensure that the club is in the best place possible to be able to offer you charters and training once the restrictions are lifted and life starts to return to some normality.

Any bookings that are cancelled due to the restrictions can either be moved to a later date or a refund can be made. We would also encourage you to still make bookings via the website for later in the year so that you can look forward to getting out onto the water. This will be hugely beneficial for the club as well as yourselves.
 
Please see the below notice from the Harbour Master.
'On the River, essential activity continues (fishing food provision), safety related pile replacement (nearly complete), visiting pilot launches, the Police, Border Force, Hamble Lifeboat and my Patrol activity. I would not expect to see anyone else out.
My advice mirrors that of the Government. Stay at home. If people need to exercise, find another way than on water'
Further guidance from the Harbour Master will be issued shortly.

Thank you.

Keep safe!

Dateline: 25-03-20

The Metropolitan Police Sailing Club regrets to inform you of the passing of Helen Brown, our wonderful treasurer.

Helen was the clubs treasurer since 2012, and worked tirelessly in support of the club, directors and members.

Helen had volunteering in her heart, and clearly understood the benefits and challenges that it brings. In addition to the MPSC Helen undertook voluntary work for the Comets Sports and Social Club, Blue Light Symphony Orchestra and the Royal National Lifeboats Institute, where she would often be seen setting up stalls at fetes and fairs in support of Tower Lifeboat station.

Helen will be sadly missed and forever remembered within the club, and those organizations she was so clearly committed to helping and support.

Our thoughts are with Helen’s family and friends at this sad time.

As a way of remembrance and recognition of Helens commitment to the RNLI, the club will be making a donation in Helen’s memory, for those members who wish to donate please do so by following the link below:

http://rnli.org/support-us/give-money/donate-in-memory

Dateline: 23-03-20

The MPSC has been closely monitoring the current Covid-19 situation and today, in order to support the UK Government’s containment effort against COVID-19, the MPSC has made the decision to close the club until further notice. The club will advise you should there be a change in the current situation.

The health and well being of our employees and members is our top priority. The club has many members working across all the emergency and health services, all of which require the clubs full support during these difficult times.

The club will make contact with those members with current bookings over the coming days.

We would still encourage members to make charter and training bookings for later in the year. We do not require members to pay the usual deposit, a booking for either will be sufficient.

Thank you for your continued support and understanding in these uncertain times.

Dateline: 15-01-20

With the days just beginning to get a little longer its a good time to start thinking about the sailing season ahead and getting back out on to the water.
The website calendar has been updated for 2020 and we have just added PBL2 dates. Visit the website for all dates.
How about a Burns Night supper at the Little Ship Club? Full details below.


We still have some space for the RYA SRC VHF course
This one day course is being held at the Broadway Base Hamble
on Saturday 1st February £125 pp
The Short-Range Certificate (SRC) is the minimum qualification required by law for anyone using fixed or handheld marine radio equipment and once complete the qualification lasts a lifetime.
It is also a requirement for club members when chartering the Yachts and Rib.
A highly recommended course and essential for those who hold or are considering Day Skipper or L2 Powerboat Qualifications.
Visit the website or call the clubline to book.

RYA Powerboat Level 2 courses 2020

The RYA Powerboat Level Two Course is one of our most popular courses.
It provides excellent hands on, confidence building course whilst learning in the fun and safe environment of The Solent.
This two day entry course designed for the complete beginner to power boating. It also equally suits those new to boating as well as those who have been on the water for many years, perhaps in another discipline.
The course provides the skills and background knowledge needed to drive a powerboat and enables you the option to apply for the International Certificate of Competence from the RYA
Times and Location
May 14th - 15th
June 18th - 19th
September 24th - 25th
2 day course - 0800 to 1700
Crews will meet and finish at the Broadway base, Mercury Yacht Harbour, Hamble
What’s included: Mooring fees, fuel & wet weather gear
Cost: £280 pp

For more information or to book follow the link or visit the website
https://mpsc.london/rya-powerboat-courses/
 

Burns Night at the Little Ship Club
All members of the MPSC are invited


Burns Night - Friday 31st January 2020
Come and celebrate the life of the Scottish bard, Robert Burns, with drinkin', eatin' and dancin'. A poet, lyricist and humanitarian, Robert Burns is a widely celebrated figure and regarded as the national poet of Scotland with notable works such as 'Auld Lang Syne', 'Scots Wha Hae' and 'The Battle of Sherramuir'.
Tickets cost £39.00 and bookin' is now open.
Booking and further details

Dateline: 08-01-20

MPSC 2020 – Safety and Theory courses
An early opportunity to prepare for the seasons sailing!
Are you confident that when you go sailing you know how to….
Call for Help?
Administer First Aid whilst at Sea??
Know what to do if someone goes overboard???
Know what to expect if you need to abandon the boat??!

Hopefully you’ll never need these skills, but we are offering the following courses at the Broadway Base, for more details and to book visit our website www.mpsc.london or call the club line 07931 548947 or 07920 799270

1. SRC VHF Radio course 1 day – 1st February 2020 (£65 plus £60 RYA examination fee)
2. RYA Sea Survival course 1 day – 2nd February 2020 (£115)
3. RYA First Aid at sea 1 day – 28th February 2020 (£65)

In addition to these:
We are pleased to support the delivery of a series of one day speciality courses designed to provide additional insight into areas of skills that may help fill some knowledge gaps that are sometimes hard to cover. These courses will be held at the Met Police Sport and Leisure complex at Imber Court, Surrey KT8 0BT and will cost only £45 per person per course.

1. ‘Know the Ropes’ 1 day – 25th January 2020
2. Pilotage and Passage Planning 1 day – 8th February 2020
3. Meteorology 1 day – 22nd February 2020
4. Electronic Navigation Aids 1 day – 21st March 2020

Imber Court courses cannot be booked online, so please email or call the Club if you want to attend or require more detail. (Details of each workshop are shown below)
 

Know the Ropes - Knots and Mooring Workshop

Starting at 10am and will finish at 4pm.

The course is suitable for novices, Competent Crew & Skippers who want to become more proficient in Ropework. Also an invaluable chance to see how ropes assist in mooring, how to care for and tidy the ropes after use. Essential not only for skippers but for the crew to understand what happens and their role in mooring.

Day consists of:
• Types, qualities, uses and care of Rope.
• Some theory about the properties, where to use different rope, how to coil and store.
• When is a rope not a rope?
• A rope is only a rope when it does nothing. We’ll take a look around a boat at the different terms given to ropes when they have a specific job to do.
• Must Know Knots. Knots you must know, when and where to use them around a boat.
• It will be a relaxed format, with plenty of time to practice tying important knots commonly required to be used on boats.
• Mooring techniques. 
• Some theory on using springs to assist coming alongside and leaving a berth.
• Mediterranean Mooring.
• Mooring to a buoy.
• Using ropes cleats & winches, coming alongside and leaving a pontoon or quay.
• A general input on how to secure ropes to Cleats and Winches, with associated dangers and how to manage them.
• Anchoring. Why, Where and How.
• Why, Where and How to anchor, and what to do when you have.
• Splice a rope.
• Lastly, put an eye splice in three stranded rope to take away.
 
Nowhere will you get such a theoretical insight into the types of rope used onboard. How to look after your warps and Halyards is not only good seamanship, if you look after your ropes, they will look after you. A model pontoon and model boat is rigged up with cleats for you to try several mooring techniques safe in the knowledge that you won’t damage anything. Learn the art of Mediterranean mooring before your next charter. Then put an eye splice in a three stranded rope to take away and impress your friends.

Pilotage and Cross Channel Passage Planning Workshop.
Starting at 9am and will finish at 5pm.

The course is ideal for Day Skippers and Coastal Yachtmasters who wish to practice their Chartwork and navigation techniques. Working out tides can be confusing and costly if you get it wrong, so lets practice the theory. Then complete a detailed passage plan. We look at what the SOLAS V regulations require, how to abide by them and tips on how to keep you and your crew safe on a longer passage.

Day consists of:
• Pilotage.
• What is and What makes a good pilotage plan
• Buoyage
• Revision on Buoyage and Navigation marks
• Almanac and Chart Information
• A closer look at what information is contained in these publications and how that can help us plan a passage
• Tides
• Calculating Tidal Heights and Tidal Streams
• Pilotage Plan. 
• Draw up a Pilotage Plan for departure from a Solent port/Marina
• Pilotage plan for a Cross Channel destination port
• Plan a Cross Channel voyage using Paper and Electronic Charts
• Using the information and references from earlier, plan a Cross Channel passage
• Consider SOLAS V and Border controls
• RYA SafeTRX
• Weather Considerations
• Where to obtain weather reports and how to interpret them
• IRPCS.
• Consider the Skippers responsibilities to the IRPCS.
• Revision on Sound signals, Lights & Shapes and crossing commercial Shipping lanes.

Attendees should if available, bring a Plotter, Dividers, pencils etc, and an Almanac if you have one.

Although much time is spent during RYA courses to drill into candidates basic chartwork, IRPCS, weather, Electronic navigation, tides etc, nowhere does it all get pulled together in one day until now. This unique day has been developed to help make a solid model Passage Plan “From Berth to Berth”, which if practised on all your voyages, should keep you and your crew legal and safe.

Electronic Navigational Aids meets Traditional Methods Workshop. 
Starting at 10am and will finish at 5pm.

The course is ideal for Day Skippers and Coastal Yachtmasters who wish to learn more about Electronic navigational aids and how they interact with traditional methods of navigation. We will look at the terms used and how the electronics can be used alongside traditional navigation as they really are greater than the sum of the two halves.

Day consists of:
• What does Electronic Navigation mean exactly?
• Overview of this term
• RADAR
• AIS
• GPS
• Chart Plotters
• Echo Sounder
• Log readings
• The Law.
• So what does the law say.
• Using them together
• Mashing up traditional and Modern position fixing techniques
• Closer look at Using Chart Plotters.
• Terms used with Chart Plotters
• Waypoints
• Route Building – Plan a route on a live chart plotter
• How to check you are following a planned Route.
• Fixing position shortcuts using Waypoints
• Conclusions - Pro's & Cons.
• The good the bad and the ugly

Attendees should if available, bring an installed Electronic Chart Plotter on a Mobile App or Laptop. Dividers, ruler, pencil, drawing compass & note book.
In view of the RYA pulling the Electronic Navigation plotter element from the Day Skipper and Yachtmaster courses as of 2nd December 2019, the Masterclass may be the only shorebased formal training available to get hands on with a plotter, making this a unique day.

Meteorology and Weather prediction Workshop.
Starting at 10am and will finish at 5pm.

The course is ideal for Day Skippers and Coastal Yachtmasters or anyone who wants to gain more knowledge of the Weather we experience and be able to predict what will happen Imminantly, Soon or Later, to aid passage planning. Don’t rely solely on predictions from weather forecasts. Starting with a Global explanation as to why we get the weather we do and what effects this pattern, the day builds up to focusing on the weather around the UK and coastal waters on the South Coast.

Day consists of:
• Where does the weather come from.
• A global explanation as to why we get Weather
• Areas of High and Low Pressure
• Fronts
• Depressions
• Anti Cyclones
• Jet Streams
• A Typical Frontal System
• Why we get Fronts
• What weather to expect from them
• How to Draw up a Synoptic Chart from a Weather broadcast
• After listening to a weather forecast, you will produce a synoptic chart
• Use the chart to predict wind direction and speed, as well as cloud and precipitation.
• How weather can effect Passage Planning
• A short passage plan is drawn up from the Synoptic chart
• Fog – Restricted Visibility
• Where does Fog come from
• What a Skipper should be doing when they experience Fog on passage
• IRPCS requirements and revision of Sound signals
• Blind Navigation exercise
• Tactical use of wind
• Convergence and Divergence
• Crossing the English Channel with wind shifts
• Approaching land – typical wind shift
• Land & Sea Breezes
• Katabatic Wind
• What they are
• Where to expect them

Attendees should bring a Plotter, Dividers, pencils, ruler, rubber, note book, calculator and a Drawing compass
Meteorology is no longer covered in any detail on any of the RYA courses so this day provides so much background information to make sense of the current weather and what to expect. Also detailed information on how to stay safe in Restricted visibility and an exercise in Blind Navigation techniques.
 

Safe sailing for 2020!
 

Dateline: January, 2020

Bookings now being taken for 2020

New Course and Charter dates have been added to the calendar for 2020 and are now available to book via our website
www.mpsc.london

We have 3 practical courses that would make ideal presents for anyone that ventures out onto the water. Each of these one day courses are both informative and great fun but above all are vitally important to know when out on the water.
These courses could help save a life.

For more information and to book please visit our website
February
1st SRC VHF radio course at the Broadway, Base Hamble £65 + £60 exam fee pp Needed by anyone looking to charter a boat.
2nd RYA Sea Survival course Hamble £115 pp Probably one of the most fun courses you will ever do, but also one of the most useful to have done should thing go badly wrong also, a great course to do in a group.
28th RYA First Aid at Sea, Broadway Base, Hamble £65 pp Every one should do this course, you never know when you might need it.

Work Parties
we still need your help

A big thanks to all of you that have already given some time to help at the base over the last few weeks.
If you can spare a day or more over the Winter please let us know when you are available. We especially need help between now and the end of January to help with the boats.
If you have any decorating skills and could give a hand painting the new classroom please let us know your availability.

Thanks in advance form all at the MPS

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