Friendly water in the West Midlands

[Simonp]

I have for some years now been looking for friendly water in the West Midlands - mostly to test and use my boat. I was a member of the Midland Powerboat Club at Kingsbury for a few years but this Club appears very inactive apart from a few waterskiers and some commercial catamaran use. I never once went on the water apart from when the Club were attending. The Club unsuccessfully tried to form an alliance with them. Have also tried various waterski/jetski clubs who either have poor launch facilities or who largely regard me as some kind of imposter. Requests for me or the Club to attend mostly get ignored with numerous wasted phone calls/emails. Am of course prepared to pay for my time on the water.

All rather frustrating!

SimonP

[puddleduck]

I agree with you about Bodymoor (Kingsbury), a shame, we went as a club two or three times but I never felt very welcome there. daft rules regarding water shared with a sailing club and water skiiers. Simon, any idea what's the score with Chasewater? One of our members Dennis Swann went to a meeting ther last year with his junior powerboat racing guys, not sure if it's intended to ressurect racing or not. Used to be a very popular racing venue, but I believe there's only a water ski club there now.

dakota lives nearby too (Warwick) and he's keen to find local water. Perhaps you chaps could get together and visit Chasewater on behalf of the CMBA? Do let me know if you get a chance to pop in.

cheers

[welshhealey]

Hi Guys, regarding chasewater, I made the first cold approach at this venue some 2 years ago met the guy running the club there , took my lap top in showed pics of who we are and what we do, he was very intereted, got contact no.s handed them over to someone in the CMBA(who I cant remember)to follow it up .... no one (as far as I know) continued with this project (still got the pics I took up there on my phone ! ) pity really logisticaly one of the best possible places we could have with a good stretch of water with really superb facilties ! :thanks:

[welshhealey]

Ha Ha would you beleive it... just found a crumpled bit of paper in my laptop case for Chasewater contacts ! ; the Guy's name is Sean, web is http://www.chasewatersportscentre.co.uk email is lakeside@sportscentre.co.uk - lets hope these details are still active

*Edited by Mod. - Please avoid posting personal telephone numbers unless permission has been granted. Best to use the PM system - Thanks*

[Simonp]

It was me that tried to follow up at Chasewater - left endless phone calls as you do but never got anywhere although I do know they had just lost their best waterskier to a tragic plane crash at the time.

Seems I should give them another go. I guess we just want a casual boat meeting to start with and will see if I can actually arrange a date so we can get on the water - I think they have occasional open/fun days when I am sure we can be of interest!.

Thanks all for the response - I really do think we need to find much more open water for CMBA members to use their boats. Stewartby/Chertsey - not really enough and we need much more unlimited speed water. Oh how I miss Windermere!

SimonP

[Simonp]

Further quick update - am arranging to visit Sean at Chasewater on Sunday and will see where this takes us!

SimonP

[Alacrity]

I agree. What we also need desperately is more water & events further north. Apart from Loch Lomond (now that is north) there are no CMBA fast events further up than Stewartby - & that isn't even as far up as the Midlands. We have a lot of members in the north of the UK but rarely see them at any events, mainly I assume because of the travelling required. Were there to be more events further north a lot of us from down south would love to venture into the uncharted north of the country.

Come on fella's oop north get your thinking (flat) caps on!!

[Tremlett 15]

I agree. What we also need desperately is more water & events further north. Apart from Loch Lomond (now that is north) there are no CMBA fast events further up than Stewartby - We have a lot of members in the north of the UK but rarely see them at any events, mainly I assume because of the travelling required. Were there to be more events further north a lot of us from down south would love to venture into the uncharted north of the country.

I too agree, would help me tooooooooooooooo.

[welshhealey]

oops ! sorry bout putting no. on here I guess I got too excited about finding the contact details It's a good idea to have a "casual get together" we don't want to blow our chances on this superb stretch of water :cheers: The park is superb with cafe's toilets shower facilities and good camping facilities too .. there may be some hook up pitches if my memory serves me right, the lake is split in two one half for sailing craft and the other for powered. (still a good size though :thanks: )

[Rapier]

Personally I like the fact Chasewater is convenient for most, besides Alacrity and the rest of the soft southern jessies can be too much of a good thing sometimes and rough seas can be a downer in a Pearly Miss or HumBug (she's had a taste of choppy Southampton Water...)

Seriously though, appeal is huge for us as it's..

Accessible for all from M3, M25, M5, M4 and places foreign to me.
Freshwater
Ski orientated
Family orientated, i.e social
Accommodation nearby
Facilities, i.e. 30+ boats and avg 2 to 3 crew per boat needing food and refreshment, means good camping and till receipts.

Can think of tie-ins too, re. classic car / boat rallies, etc, etc; guess we need to find a perfect symbiosis (big word like marmelade..).