Newbie & Rivers

[DH1]

Hi,

My name is David, just registered on here as I recently acquired my first SIB.
It’s an Avon Rover 3.4, quite old but it’s in very good condition. I have also managed to find a very good Suzuki 9.9hp four stroke for taking the boat in the sea & am currently looking for a decent second hand Torqeedo or e propulsion outboard for the rivers.

I stumbled across Ribnet whilst looking for info on taking the SIB on rivers in the South East. I live in West Sussex & my partner lives in Send near Woking. I was hoping to take the boat on the River Wey near Ripley but it appears that you can only take unpowered dinghies on the Wey navigations. I have emailed the national trust to complain because from what I have read, you can take a regular boat on there with what engine you want but not an inflatable with an electric motor which is absurd.
In the meantime I’m exploring other places to go & have noticed there is a public slipway at Pulborough, next to a bridge there.
Could any members please offer advice as to whether I can launch a powered SIB there please, or give any other advice regarding launching & permits required in other nearby areas. Any advice would be gratefully received & I look forward to participating & passing on advice in the SIB/RIB community, thanks for reading, Dave.

[Ferryman]

Hi David, I just looked it up because it sounded wrong but it confirmed why I'm not a national trust member anymore - what a jobsworth set of regulations! With a 3.4m sib, I'd just ignore them and plead ignorance.

[DH1]

Hi Ferryman,

I will contest any reason they come back with.
It’s just plain bias not to allow a powered rob on the Wey.

[John Kennett]

Originally Posted by DH1

In the meantime I’m exploring other places to go & have noticed there is a public slipway at Pulborough, next to a bridge there.
Could any members please offer advice as to whether I can launch a powered SIB there please, or give any other advice regarding launching & permits required in other nearby areas.

You’ll be fine there, no permit required. It’s a very steep slip so take care. Also make sure that you don’t block access to the businesses on that side of the bridge while you’re launching. For reference HW at Pulborough is about 4 hours after HW Littlehampton.

[DH1]

Hi John,

Thanks, I’ve not got a trailer for the SIB, the fact that it doesn’t need one was the predominant reason I bought it. I drove down to Pulborough yesterday for a quick look and its not quite what I was expecting TBH. I think I could drop the boat components off and then drive over the bridge to park in the small car park on the other side.
It looks too tight for room to leave the car at the slipway for long, I guess it would be best to get down there very early in the morning to get a parking space in high season.
Luckily I have practiced putting the boat together and have got it down to about 5 mins to completely assemble & inflate it. Thank god for leaf blowers ! The first time I put it together was an absolute nightmare, took me about 3 hours to work it out ! The guy that sold it to me gave me a quick tutorial but it was all wrong. For anybody putting an Avon 3.4 Rover together, it’s essential you put the front floor panel in first ! I actually made a photo sequence for future reference if anybody ever needs it.

[Fenlander]

Hi DH1/David from another David.

Despite having a decent river just 15mins away we only use it now and again as it's a real second choice compared to the sea.

I agree some of the bylaws/rules/charges make little sense though.

For example on our local river a yearly licence for our 3.8m SIB with its 10hp is £362. Given that we'd only use it a few days a year on the river, never use locks and don't use moorings or the public slipways provided it's terrible value compared to just £60 more to have a 22ft cruiser that's on there all year round and making full use of all facilities.

However re The Wey you have to accept the National Trust own it and can call the shots. Good luck with any representation regarding a challenge to their rules. They are a lumbering organisation and any change, even if your enquiry was taken seriously, would involve committees and consultations that could stretch years/decades into the future.

With your locations I'd just be forgetting The Wey and heading to the Chichester area for some real fun.

[DH1]

Hi David,

Yes you are probably right but it all seems so bias against day visitors on our rivers.
I will just go on the Wey anyway for the odd day and suffer any consequences. I’m sure a proportion of my taxes help maintain the rivers and therefore I should have an entitlement, same as anybody else.
Once again it all comes down to money, the bigger the boat the bigger the entitlement.
Crazy & unfair that a bigger boat should actually pay less than an occasional day tripper.
Rules from the dark ages by the sound of it.
I already have a week booked in Swanage, staying right next to the harbour at the end of May. Also have a trip to Chichester arranged, might try and get in at Dell quay. I love the sea, my dad had a boat years back & we used to go out fishing from the slipway at Dymchurch. Having said that, I think it would be nice to have a quiet troll down a nice river and stop at a couple of pubs for a bite & a pint in the summer, every now and then.