Change of Ownership at SouthDown

Southdown Quay has had a colourful and turbulent  industrial heritage. The area has been the site of chemical, soap and brick production.  In the 18^th century it was the site of the Kings Brewery until 1835. In the 19^th century sulphuric acid was manufactured at Cattewater from burning sulphur ore from Spain. The cinders were shipped to Southdown where Silver and Copper were extracted and the remaining iron ore shipped via other British ports to America.The old Southdown Brick Company finally closed in 1956 and some buildings and chimneys demolished in 1972. There have also been Explosive Compound Works and Gun Powder Production Works and there was a major fire in 1865 associated with these works.

More recent history has concerned the use of Southdown Quay as a Marina. That also has not been without its problems but after operating under a lease for several years, Shaun Huggins has now become the owner of Southdown Marina. He has invested and enhanced the Marina during this time and we wish him well in the future. 

For details of services provided see  www.southdownmarina.co.uk

Several months ago the MLMA Board approached the Environment Agency with a view to removing the steps on the slip adjacent to the sluice gates. The steps have always proved troublesome when using a car to launch or recover a boat and several members have commented on this. The Agency proposed an inviting offer asking the MLMA to contribute only 10% of the costs. As well as removing the steps they agreed to lay a non-slip surface adjacent to the railings.

In early November 2012 work commenced.Wooden blocks had to be removed with a chain saw and the existing concrete prepared for the new surface. A great deal of drilling and dust!

Many thanks to the Environment Agency who provided the major part of the funds and to David Shorten and the Agency workers for carrying out the work.

 The contribution from the MLMA has since been waived.

A letter of thanks has been sent on behalf of the MLMA and its members.

We are sad to report two cases of boat arson in recent months, both directed at craft owned by teenagers. Some malicious soul saw fit to set alight boats which gave a great of fun on the water. The first was in August at the Mill. Minor damage to a pontoon occurred and a new large wooden boat house was at risk.

On Saturday night  3rd November a small cabin boat was ignited near the beach area by the slip. Police have been informed and hopefully the culprit[s] will be caught.

This beautifully crafted ship rests on the Voyager Slipway

ready for launching on the 4th AUGUST 2012.

The original vessel was built by John Parkin at Cawsand in 1776.

This modern 5/6th scale replica is being built by

Marcus Rowden, Freya Hart, Chris Rees and colleagues

at the Voyager Boatyard near Millbrook.

For further details use the link

grayhoundluggersailing.com

Click to Enlarge

Jay Latona, a 14 year old Millbrook teenager was given an old boat last year and showing initiative and ingenuity and after a lot of hard work has transformed a near hulk into a serviceable if somewhat ‘Heath Robinson’ sailing craft. Using bits and pieces given by local people he and friends were able to make their maiden sailing voyage this week. A roller boom enabled Jay to fit a main to the size of the boat and the weather was kind.

But which boat? Jay’s own research and trailing the web myself confirms that the craft is a Salterne Sharky, a 16′ trailer sailor designed by Parkgates Marine Ltd,built by Waterside Plastics Ltd and sold by Salterns Yacht Agency of Chichester. Cost in 1971 £425.

LOA 16′: LWL 15′: Beam 6′: Draft 1’6″: Displacement 1080 lbs: Ballast 360 lbs.

The keel is a foot wide and there is a footwell inside the cabin which is inset within the keel. Jay feels that this can be used to house additional ballast.

A quote from a 2005 web blog ” Another similar boat built around the same time was the SHARKY which was to my mind the best of this class of designs. I have not seen one advertised in years which since they were built in fair quantity suggests that either their owners are very well satisfied with them or they have all gone to Davy Jones Locker.”

Here’s one into which Jay is breathing new life.

He has named the boat “LAKEY”

Well Done

The results of the Responder Donation Vote are now with the Board.

A request was made on the licence application form to return the voting slip signed so that every vote could be accounted for. Unfortunately 10 slips were returned unsigned so they were regarded as spoilt and not counted. The votes of  3 members who are Responders were not counted. A number of payment slips and thus votes had not been returned by the requested date.

Results:

£1000 donation           13 votes

£2000 donation           21 votes

£3000 donation             8 votes

This means that a donation of £2000 will be forwarded to the Responders.

The Board would like to thank all members who participated in this democratic procedure regardless of their vote.

From Southdown to a Millbrook Mooring is 2500 miles!  Yes Keith took the long way round to his mooring last year.

“Watershed”, a Westerley Konsort Duo spent the winter at Voyager and was launched in April 2011.

She arrived on her mooring in August, having turned left out of Plymouth Sound and going the long way round the top of Scotland.

Keith Bousfield [ our newest committee member] explained that he did not want his nice new coat of antifouling to get any Millbrook mud on it and thought the best way to avoid this was to keep afloat. It worked too, she was dried out on the Camel Estuary near Padstow after 15 weeks and was still clean with the mearest trace of weed and not a single barnacle! 12 weeks on a Millbrook mooring restored her to the usual condition although the barnacles were smaller than last year.

The weather in the north was “disappointing” but it was much the same everywhere so she might have spent much of the time on the mooring anyway, which would have been preferable to several Scottish anchorages in Force 9/10.

Highlight of the voyage? The sight of Rame Head as she approached her mooring at last.

Quite a feat.

Dear Member,

At the AGM of Millbrook Lake Mooring Association Ltd held on 14th December 2011 the membership present voted for the following motions by a clear majority.

A.  This meeting agrees in principle to a donation to the Responder Services in 2012

B.  This meeting agrees to consult the whole membership via a covering letter with the licence application form. Option to vote for £1000, £2000, or £3000 donation. To abide by majority decision.

The principle of such a donation was set out in the 2002 constitution of the Millbrook Lake Mooring Association and reiterated in the objectives of the MLMA Ltd when set up in 2005.

In presenting these motions to the AGM,the Board felt that the Association had sufficient funds at this time to contemplate such a gesture.

We ask therefore all licenced members to tick the appropriate box giving your view on the exact amount to be donated. Please return your slip signed [ so that each vote can be accounted for] with the licence application form.

The amount donated will thus be decided by the majority vote of all eligible members.

Thankyou for your participation. If you wish for further clarification please email chairman@mlma.co.uk

Yours sincerely

Charles Clements

Chairman

MLMA Ltd