Yard Update in August
/Dear Boatyard Community,
I am writing to you with some updates and current news.
Luke Jones has stepped down as yard manager and is reducing his time at the boatyard as he develops the remote access business that he has been running for some time now. Luke will be missed both personally and by the wider GCBY community. His attention to detail, humour and interaction with the customers have been instrumental in building up the business. Luke will still be around to help with the craning season and to provide continuity to the many finer points of GCBY.
Luke will be replaced by Sean Lynott. Sean is a native of Kent and has had a significant career in the crane industry for Laing O'Rourke. He has managed over 60 crane teams on high profile projects such as Hinkley Point and Battersea Power Station, to name a few. He is an appointed person in charge of first aid arrangements at the yard.
His depth of knowledge will enable us to continue to lift boats safely and effectively. In addition to his crane industry credentials, Sean has helped to run a traditional boat yard on the Medway and is the owner of two large classic boats. Sean is currently orientating and taking over day-to-day management. Sean and his wife Debbie are moving to the area and currently looking for an ever elusive house to buy. Please say hello to Sean if you visit the yard.
We have had a bit of a nightmare with our crane; this has resulted in us bringing in Macsalvors cranes on a temporary basis. Our ongoing work trying to repair the crane has been rather difficult with replacement of ageing electronic circuit boards. To mitigate this and to allow for the repair to take place, we are buying a new crane that will have increased lift capacity and reach. This crane should arrive shortly and enable us to continue offering safe and cost-effective lifting. It will also increase our lift capacity and allow us to lift larger boats.
In other news, the holiday lets conversion to the long barn and customs house is continuing apace. A new power system to the yard, toilets, launderette and sewage plant have been installed improving the infrastructure and will be ready soon for activation. The Britannia shed is being upgraded and the the floor is being replaced, and a new shed by the chandlery will replace the existing one. Justin Sinclair has finished his apprenticeship and is being trained as a crane driver in the Midlands; we are now starting the selection process for a new apprentice yard hand. David has been incredibly busy with our brokerage business and the team has sold an ever-growing number of boats. David has spent the past week assisting with Falmouth Week and driving the press boat.
We have been doing some filming with a TV crew which has been great fun and very exciting - watch this space for more soon!
On more GCBY admin matters:
Please start to think about your dates for crane out as we already have enquiries on the spring tide days.
Undercover storage space is now full - there is a waiting list, please contact the office to discuss.
Please remember to bring your own ladders. HSE requirements on working at height are increasingly stringent and we cannot loan our existing ladders to customers.
Please be mindful of parking as there are now extensive plant movements on the yard.
Please take rubbish home with you and keep the areas around your boats tidy and within your boat boundary.
Prices will remain the same until April next year.
Having worked with increasing numbers of customers that want their boat ready to go on the mooring and to be maintained during the season we will be offering new packages for next year to try and meet your needs.
Please note that as of 30th April 2022 we will require the space underneath customers boats to be cleared. Dinghies can be stored underneath and masts with permission. During this winter season all sails including furling genoas will need to be removed from boats. This reduces the risk to boats from high winds and the sails unravelling in the wind.
I wish you a wonderful remainder of the summer and look forward to seeing you in the autumn.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to get in touch.
Warmest wishes,
Mark Aichroth
Other News
New Date Added for Canoe & Paddle Board Trips
Immerse Outdoors have just added a new date in August for canoe and paddle board trips along the Helford River. View available dates on the website and keep an eye out for new dates added.
GCBY Boat Owner Wins 2nd Place at Falmouth Week
Simon Thomas, a boat owner and customer of GCBY, achieved 2nd overall in Falmouth Sailing Week Q Class for his boat Tiggy Winkle. She was crewed by two fathers, Simon Thomas and Hamish Crow, with their sons Barney, 13, and Finn, 14, and daughter Molly. Here's a recap from Simon:
We had a guest crew member each day; including Vee, a novice from Helford River SC, Bahi, a nuclear scientist from Falmouth, Henry, a Taunton sixth former and Tom Appelboam, a medical student that swapped with his Dad, Andy between starts on the Friday. Andy packed 5 Cornish pasties in a dry bag and windsurfed out at breakneck speed from Gyllyngvase beach to make the switch!
The results are attributable to Hamish, a fellow 707 owner in Cardiff who was a GB squad dinghy sailor under Jim Saltonstall back in the (1980s) day and a very successful yachtsman on a variety of boats- mainly Hunters and a Sigma 38.
We are especially grateful to the weather gods for consistently good wind and to Simon and Debbie Filmer for accommodating us at short notice at Helford River Camping and being their usual friendly selves.
GCBY Joins Plastic Free Helford River
We are pleased to have joined Plastic Free Helford River as a Plastic Free Ally. PFHR are a part of the Surfers Against Sewage Plastic Free Community Network, who are tackling avoidable single-use plastic, from the beaches all the way back to the brands and the businesses who create it.
As a Plastic Free Ally we will:
Work to remove at least 3 single use plastic items from uour day to day activities
Commit to including our stance on single use plastic in our communications
Raise awareness and support plastic free initiatives in the community.
More to come soon on this.