In autumn the punters, the traditional flat-bottomed boats, come out of the water together. On one Saturday morning, with the whole club at once. And with coffee first.
It is one of the finest mornings of the year. At half past eight the coffee is ready in the clubhouse, which slowly fills with boots and work gloves. Anyone who wants their punter lifted out is there by then. After the coffee everyone heads outside and the boats are taken out together: one watches the lines, another sets up the cradles, a third steps in wherever needed. By the end of the morning the yard is full and the season is over.
The date changes from year to year
The Saturday it happens on varies: it depends on the weather, on the planning and on what else needs doing in the harbour. The board announces the date in the newsletter and puts it in the calendar. So keep an eye on it, and tell the harbour master that you are joining in.
And then it goes quiet
Once the boats are out, the harbour changes. The power is switched off at the pontoons and the wash house closes; anyone who needs electricity through the winter tells the harbour master. The clubhouse also closes outside the season. What remains is a harbour with fewer masts and more sky — and, on a clear morning, frost on the pontoons.
Winter storage: the rules
Winter storage runs from 1 November to 1 April, ashore or in the water. Apply in writing to the harbour master before 1 October, and pay in advance. Whether there is room in a given season is for the harbour master to say — ask in good time.
- Boats on shore must be back in the water by 1 April.
- Outside 1 November – 1 April, storage on shore is not permitted; anything left there is charged per metre per day.
- The rates are on prices for members; the rules in the harbour rules.
Do come even if you have nothing to lift out yourself: it is a morning on which you meet the whole club.
