Marina Life

MARINA LIFE Oct - Nov 06.

What a relief, the boating season is over and we can get back to normality, lazing around, putting the kettle on and debating which pub to go for lunch, yes we love the winter, who wouldn’t? The colder and wetter the better as far as we’re concerned as people tend to forget us on these halcyon days and therefore we’re not disturbed what a great time of the year. We can stand on the newly painted bridge admiring those beautiful sunsets reflected in the dreamily sluggish flow of the royal river. Ah, what bliss!

We had a good season this year, better than last although there seemed to be fewer boats on the river, very confusing but also very pleasing so we’re not dwelling on the point too much sitting here with our Havana cigars, gin and tonics whilst under a parasol in the Caribbean.  This has been the first season since the completion of the development when all properties have been inhabited and that the On The Thames restaurant has been functioning, extremely successfully judging by the additional activity it has generated. Given the fears over the car park we are all pleased that it has coped well and there have not been any situations arising there from, the facility has been seen to work to it’s potential, and to work very well.

As I mentioned earlier, the bridge railings have had a coat of paint, this is due to general wear and tear on the paint, one of the main reasons is that most days we have two lovely young lady joggers who use the railings as an exercise frame, even though they possibly add to the derogation of the paint we don’t have the heart to tell them so as we enjoy the sight, sorry, we enjoy their conversation, Matt, Richard and myself are thinking that we may join them. I have been surprised how many people sprint/ run/ jog/walk/crawl/collapse along the Thames Path through the marina, it is encouraging to watch but it does make me extremely exhausted seeing some of the pained expressions. As an ex School Boy County (Shropshire) Cross County runner, I should have some understanding, however I do wonder what enjoyment some are achieving, I trust that it’s a matter of ‘if it isn’t hurting, it isn’t working’. Whatever you do, don’t give up and if you feel that you’re in difficulties call in to the marina office for medical assistance, other than the males of the specie who should proceed directly to the doctors surgery in Wharf Lane.

It’s not only during the summer months that one can enjoy the river, over the winter months there is much to see, the sunsets on a clear day, the wild life and the surprising number of fish that can be sighted when the water is clear. We have been lucky this year with the amount of wild life that is about including the large number of young, all the cygnets have survived and are now gaining the white feathers, the coots seem to have also survived and there would appear to be an abundance of ducks. I think that I should possibly think of selling bread to feed them! I certainly will not be selling shotguns or ammunition that has been considered even though there is a higher profit margin, now there’s a thought!

Raft race day appears to have been a great success over at the Bounty, if only we could say the same about the marina’s lowly contribution. We decided that we would take the tug out armed with a water cannon (our salvage pump) and spray the rafters, purely to keep them cool it must be said. All went well with our ‘cooling’ operation even to the extent that Richard must have dislodged about four crewmembers from their respective rafts, obviously totally accidentally and without any malice or intent. Unfortunately all did not continue to plan as the hose we were using split and in the panic that followed the water explosion the pump had to be switched off in fear of filling the tug with river water. At the time of the hose failure there appeared to be a huge cheer of satisfaction from the massive crowed that had assembled on the bank, needless to say we retreated with heads bowed in defeat. Just watch out next year you rafters, we’ll sort you out then should you dare take to the river!

It should be mentioned that the Raft Race at the Bounty was a rip roaring success and raised in excess of £1,300.00 towards their charity, the Mama Amelia orphanage in South Africa. It cannot be understood by the likes of myself what this will provide for the orphans, I believe it will be like them winning the lottery, you only have to ask Sue and Dave at the Bounty (open weekends only until next April) what this actually means to them. I believe everyone should be proud of their contribution from Dave and Sue, the Bounty staff, the precipitants, the patrons and especially the wet T-shirt contestants – well done all.

With the river level low and as the drought seems to continue let us hope for a mild dry winter in the day and rain during the nights, we look forward to seeing all down at the marina

Peter Osborne

Marina Manager.

MARINA LIFE - Aug 06 - Sept 06.

The football world cup is over, possibly it was for England at the time the manager announced his team selection, the tennis has passed as have Ascot and Henley and we must look forward, Christmas will soon be here. I’m sorry it’s England’s performance that has depressed me – enough of that!

The good news is that the swans in the marina produced six signets and all have survived and are growing at what appears to be an alarming rate, see I’m not just the barer of depressing news.

Obviously it’s a very busy period for the Marina and the site is full of activity as you may expect. Matt, Richard and myself have great jobs and it’s not uncommon for us to receive comments along the lines of ‘I wish I had your job working outdoors in the sun, stress free, laid back and no pressure what a doddle I could do that’ etc, etc. I take these comments as a compliment to the staff here because it’s due to our efforts that we are perceived that way. The reality is different, how many businesses are open every day of the year, even between Christmas and New Year there is always someone here checking the boats etc, in the summer we are open from 08:00hrs to 18:00hrs and in the winter we close at 17:00hrs. There are times when we work outside of these hours at the request of a customer, also we only have 3 full time staff, you work it out.  Most people see us at weekends working on the service pontoon and usually it is when the sun is shining, we are still here when it’s raining and many people do not see that aspect, it’s not all a bed of roses.

Besides what people see we have other duties to perform, we have to deal with the boat owners including repairs, breakdowns and maintenance, the car park, the restaurant, the house owners and at the same time we have to ensure that the Marina owners are satisfied that the business is performing over the revenue budgets that are set, we are a commercial enterprise at the end of the day. Quite often we find ourselves in the middle of conflicting interests and it can be tricky trying to satisfy all the interested parties, there is the saying that ‘you can’t please everyone all the time’, we try our best. Would we swap our jobs with anyone, no I don’t think so!

We have had a high demand for Calor Gas this year from those of you with Gas BBQ’s, unfortunately there have been a few occasions when our large supply has not kept up with demand, I would like to point out that we have increased our stock to cater for this surging market. We stock the following bottles, 3.9kg, 6kg, 13kg, 19kg, 47,kg, 4.5kg, 7kg, 15,kg, Patio Gas and BBQ gas, we can also supply regulators and the rubber tubing. Is Bourne End the BBQ centre of the world? We would think it should be from what passes out of the marina!

We have only had a few notable events so far this summer. There was the day that Matt had need to use the tug, when the task was completed he put her back and then carried on with his other duties, some time later there was a telephone call from his sister Lucy, who happened to be at the Bounty (I really must try that pub one day), enquiring as to where he was and on receiving his reply then asked why he was not in the tug that was now floating towards the railway bridge. Matt looked down stream and realised Lucy was not joking and proceeded to dive in to the river in pursuit of said tug. The salvage operation was a success and Matt now understands the importance of tying boats up when not in use.

Richard had a close escape one weekend whilst servicing a boat that had come in for a sewage pumpout, luckily Richard was preparing the equipment whilst the owner opened the deck fitting where the sewage pump is inserted and as the deck fitting was opened it appeared to explode into a foot high fountain like formation and deposited the contents onto the owner. Fortunately Richard was out of range, the explosion was obviously due to excess pressure caused by a blocked tank breather. We know the name of the boat and in future when they visit for the same operation they will be made to anchor mid stream, open the deck fitting themselves and will only be allowed to berth half an hour after the exposition has subsided, we don’t want to take the chance. The boat owner was OK when I spoke to him, although I didn’t want to mention to him at the time but he must have had bad breath as something smelt pretty rotten, how do you tell people things like that?

The summer rolls on, the money rolls in, anyway enough about the tax man, other than I better get back to work and keep the cogs of the national economy turning.

Peter Osborne

Marina Manager.

MARINA LIFE - June 06 - July 06.

The four weeks of the World Cup that commences this June cannot go with out a mention, some points to note when considering a trip to the marina: -

1. Familiarise yourself with the dates of the tournament especially ‘Kick Off’ times when England are playing.
2. Please be advised that the Group matches last for 90 minuets with a ‘Half Time’ of 15 minuets, plus time added on at the end of each half, this could average out at 3 minuets per half.
3. In the Knockout stages of the tournament if the scores are level at ‘Full Time’ there will be 30 minuets ‘Extra Time’ with a 5 minuet interval half way though.
4. Should the scores be level after ‘Extra Time’ there will be a ‘Penalty Shootout’ to decide the winners, this can last for an undetermined period of time.

I mention the above basic facts as the marina will be open as usual from 08:00 hrs until 18:00 hrs all through this most prestigious of sporting contests, I hope every one will be considerate to the cause! We will not be ‘pulling’ the phone lines during games or have accidental temporary power failures to our pumps on certain days, service will be as usual. We look forward to greeting you all during this period, just as we always do!

The season has got off to a good start for us and we are enjoying increasing custom, this I hope is due to the quality of service that we offer, also I believe this is in part due to an increasing level of activity on the river. With the drought restrictions that are currently in place it has been pleasing to see some rain in the past month or so, I trust this will alleviate fears of the river drying up and becoming a camping site, this scenario would not be commiserate to increasing our fuel sales etc.

I would like to report that as I write this article the swan is still on the nest, we are waiting to see how many ‘swanletts’ are to be hatched.

Notwithstanding that we have a sign at the gangway to the service pontoon prohibiting public access to the pontoon itself people are still wandering on to have a look at the river and/or boats. There is a reason for this sign, besides the fact that the public are trespassing, that is because we have hoses and equipment on the pontoon that could cause a hazard resulting in an accident and although we are fully insured for our negligence, should we be found guilty of being so, we are not responsible for accidents concerning people who have no authority to be on the pontoon. The only persons allowed over the gang plank on to the pontoon are marina staff, moorers or boat crews on boats that we are servicing or who we have given permission to use the pontoon. I would ask on visits to the marina that you respect the fact that you are not allowed on the pontoon.

We are pleased to welcome a new Saturday boy this season, welcome Tom Osborne! Who says nepotism is dead? Well he is my eldest and I’m all for youngsters earning an honest wage on the grounds that it reduces, albeit slightly reduces, the number of times a parent is approached for cash. By having a part time position on a Saturday it enables the three of us to rotate days and weekends off, we work 11 days out of 14, including weekends and bank holidays, and by having the Saturday relief it means only one regular is on duty for that day and the rest slots into place. Tom is 16 and attends Cox Green school, I think this year we will find out how much more he does over and above attending the school, good luck with those exams Tom. Tom has started well and gets on with Richard and Matt which helps in the smooth running at weekends. So now you will know who the strange face around the marina will be on Saturdays.

We are experimenting with a charter boat this year, the “Rose O’Dea” is a traditional wooden open boat of some 100 years of age which has been professionally restored with the added protection of a canopy for rainy days. She is a day boat and not a cruiser, and is available on charter for a maximum of one day with a skipper, catering can be arranged should this be required. Should this be what you are looking for you should contact Hambleden Sales and Charter on 01491 578870 for availability and pricing, what a lovely way to spend a day on the river or to arrive in when visiting the restaurant or even to spend the afternoon following a pleasant lunch at the On The Thames here at the marina.

I hope that we see many happy faces over the next month or so coming to visit us, up the flag of St George and England! I also wish the other countries well, but by not so much, I trust you understand.

Peter Osborne

Marina Manager.

MARINA LIFE - Apr 06 - May 06.

This may not be my best article as whilst I’m writing this issue the crane is undergoing a stringent examination, lets hope the new coat of paint will put them off the scent! For those of you who don’t know what it feels like it’s a bit like being an expectant father in the delivery room – you don’t know the outcome other than it’s going to cost money, and I don’t mean buying a cigar and champagne.

You will be able to tell the outcome of the crane examination, if boats are out of the water it’s passed, if there are no boats out it’s failed. What a time to have a test just as we are becoming busier with the work on boats increasing – it must mean it’s spring! Not long to go until the season blossoms in to full bloom, we always look forward to this time of year just as in September we look forward to the winter.

It’s been a good winter for us as we have kept ourselves busy and all the facilities are now ready for the onslaught, the mooring agreements are in place, we’re full up again as usual. We have only lost a few moorers from last year so obviously only a handful of new boats have been accepted, this year we have an even higher percentage of local people with boats in the marina than before, this is something that we are pleased about as we can boast at being a local marina for local people.

During the winter we have only had a few visitors arriving by boat for fuel and such supplies as again this winter the Environment Agency has been carrying out extensive river and lock works which has meant the closure of locks, which in effect kills off navigation. The works enhance the safety on and about the river not only boaters but also cyclists and walkers, not forgetting the joggers some of whom exercise on the railings outside the office and those of the fairer sex often distract us from our duties. Matt and Richard are not complaining. The Environment Agency is spending record amounts on the river infrastructure for which the funding is provided from various sources including what some boaters believe to be excessive increases in river licenses. You require a river license just as you require a tax disc in your car. The tax is dependant on the size of your boat and in the majority of cases will be much more expensive than the car tax.

We nearly lost Richard over the winter, as you are aware he is highly skilled in the boat-handling department, or so we thought. He had a simple task to push a boat across the working area to a different mooring but failed dismally and began floating off down stream, once Matt had stopped laughing and had changed his underwear he proceeded to implement the salvage plan and brought him back to the marina with the tug. We often pick up people less boats, you’d be surprised how many drift downstream, it the first time we have done so with a member of marina staff onboard! Matt has yet to receive the salvage charges of lashings and lashings of beer. Pause for thought, if Matt had not seen him disappearing I wonder when we’d have missed him?

We have a pair of swans who have built a nest at a secret location in our area that we are keeping an eye on, having spoken to an expert on the local swans we have been advised that they are a new pair to this region and they have been causing a certain amount of friction with the locals. Swans have their own territory and when a new pair come in this obviously creates a show or power between the native swans and the ‘invaders’ this often leads to ‘swan wars’ that involves a lot of hissing, flapping of wings and chasing one another along the river. We will be watching the nest nearby and hope that we can report the birth of cygnets in a later issue.

The crane men have just called into the office, I can now breath a sigh of relief, the crane is OK but I need to carry out a weight calibration to check that all the weight gauges are correct, this is a standard procedure so all is well. To conduct this we call in a firm that will arrive with weights of a known quantum and we lift them over different radiuses and test when the warning bell rings. We can then determine if the if the weight meter is showing the correct weight at the correct radius, technical I know but someone has to be.

I would remind everyone that there is no public parking in the marina, we are able to cope with our commitments in this respect (restaurant and boat owners) but for those who occasionally park here and walk the dog or just themselves there is no room to do so. The bad news is the crane is fit and healthy so we could move cars and place them in river, apparently they don’t always start on these occasions, something to do with water in the carburettor as I am led to believe. Seriously, we will take action on unauthorised cars parked in the marina. Talking about cars, can anyone tell me what alterative signs we can put on the bridge to stop cars going over it and reversing back, as you know we currently have two big signs saying ‘Stop no entry’ but they are not working? Maybe we should approach the Campaign For Plain English for them to suggest a wording that would make this easier for motorists to understand? Answers on a postcard please.

I must go and celebrate the crane passing it’s health check, here’s to a good summer for us all.

Peter Osborne

Marina Manager

MARINA LIFE - Feb 06 - Mar 06.

You have no idea what it’s like trying to work down here, currently I’m trying to write this little offering but I believe I may have to make a call to the health and safety mob as it is worse than being in a medieval torture dungeon. No one, but no one should have to work in an environment such as this with exotic food smells wafting down the stairs from the restaurant! Unfortunately, we moved the sewage pump onto the service pontoon last year so we are unable to fight back with our own style of aromas. I hope I will be able to complete this article without having a food binge, I’ll do my best.

Well, here we are in the year 2006, 2005 was like a lighting flash, are years getting shorter? The Marina performed very well over the last 12 months being busier than previous years. During this period we had some adjustments to make whilst we became use to the new facilities so I’m looking to an even better year this time. Although we’ve had a good year we do need to keep the momentum going as obviously costs have increased. To illustrate this the costs of doing business have risen quite dramatically is some areas, our business rates have increased by over 10.00% and the rent that we pay to the Environment Agency for the pontoons has increased by some 200%. Imagine if we had these types of increases in our bills at home!

Being the slowest time of year on the river we have taken advantage and carried out routine maintenance around the marina. We have power washed the topsides of the pontoons it’s amazing how they get dirty, turn green and ‘hey presto’ we have a skating rink. It takes about 30 seconds to wash off one wooden slat, which sounds quick, but we must have a three million of them as it took over 2 weeks to complete the exercise only for those lovely little ducks to make a great effort to reinstate them to their previous dirty state with their droppings (there you go I don’t only have a go at dogs, which reminds me!). Over the year the pontoons move up and down with the wash of boats moving past on the river and so there is a lot of movement that encourages the nuts and bolts to work loose resulting in clanking noises as you walk along them. Matt and Richard have unscrewed the wooden slats to adjust the nuts underneath that not only link one pontoon to an other, but also that attach the floats to the pontoon. I understand that it is advantageous not to loose a float from the pontoon top, something to do with floating or sinking I believe. We should be safe for an other year.

“A new crane?” “We like your new crane” – the comments come pouring in, I hate to disappoint people but I’ll let you into a little secret, IT’S THE OLD ONE PAINTED, yes I can see how shocked some of you are. Matt and Richard have given the old girl a lick of paint, there is still additional painting to be done but we’ll wait for the better weather. It was suggested by the board of the company that we paint a fire design behind the wheels and a shark like mouth around the front, I do sometimes wonder what goes on in Board Meetings.

All our current moorers have been issued with an offer for a further 12 months contract to continue to moor with us from 1^st April. Whilst I’m writing this article I am unaware of any boats leaving, this is bad news for those on the waiting list. Virtually every day we are receiving enquiries from boat owners wishing to move here, the main reasons are that we are sited in a fantastic location with great facilities on one of the Thames’s loveliest reaches, if we had double the mooring capacity we could fill each and every space, however, this cannot and will not happen.

We have made our annual pilgrimage to the London Boat Show, I’m not sure why they call it London, from here it must be nearer Belgium than London well it seems that way, I pity commuters who live here and work in Docklands. As usual there were many boats there that are way above the budget of most people’s pocket but it’s nice to dream. I’m not sure Richard actually saw a boat as he seemed to only have eyes for the female sales staff, still a bucket of cold water and being told it was his round seem to bring him back to reality.

In December we had the Fire Brigade visit for a drill, they wished to take a crew and portable pump over the river to the Berkshire bank and spray water so that if there was a fire on that side they knew how to get there and how to deal with the drama. A week later there was a fire in the roof space of one of the houses, however, the Fire Brigade arrived in a Land Rover over Cockmarsh to extinguish the fire! I’m having a little difficulty understanding the logic here, however what is important is that they arrived and did a sterling job.

It’s time to get the head down and prepare for the new boating season, we seem to have had little rain this winter so I hope we have enough water over the Summer to maintain the river level so the boats don’t ground all the time. Matt, Richard and myself look forward to seeing many of you down here to enjoy the river and it’s environs.

Peter Osborne

Marina Manager.

MARINA LIFE - Dec 05 - Jan 06.

As I pen this article this morning the first signs of winter are apparent, there was frost on my car but I am persevering with my shorts that are still the order of the day at work, I feel boats and shorts go together but for how long I don’t know.

The marina is in good shape and we are currently putting boats ‘to bed’ for the winter and starting to undertake maintenance and repairs for those who need them after the season. I am not a mechanic, although I can recognise one, but boats have needs over the winter especially concerning the engineering and any water systems they may have on board, pump out toilets and fresh water systems in particular, the big killer can be frost. It is advisable to winterise your engine, this is achieved by putting antifreeze in the cooling water as with any car engine but boats have a secondary cooling system that takes water from the river that goes round the engine and you can see it coming out with the exhaust, this system has to be drained. There is a water tank and obviously pipes that carry the water to the taps or showers etc, these have to drained to ensure they do not freeze and then split – it’s all very technical you know! The alternative to this is to put a green house heater or two in the boat to maintain a temperature that is above freezing.

It was mentioned in the local press that I attended a Wooburn Parish Council meeting and was kindly given time to talk to the council concerning the fishing on the ‘green bit’, the open space in the marina. I am not a fisherman but in the nine or so months prior to handover to the council Matt, Richard and myself looked after it and cleaned it up, as we still do. In that time it had been frequently used for fishing by all age groups with no apparent problems, it was actually a source of entertainment for many of the ‘little people’ who visit with their parents. We did not have any trouble or one single complaint from the public, the only hassle we had in that time was the larger louts with the noise and rubbish they left behind, however, we did notice that there was less trouble there when, in fact, there was fishing taking place! My purpose in talking to the council was to inform them as to the above and that they consider a trial period for the fishing community and then consider the future regulations based on the trial. I do understand the councils concerns about an invasion of ‘professional’ fishing, fishing clubs and competitions and I would be the first to support them in prohibiting this aspect of the sport but I did urge them to reconsider allowing ‘recreational’ fishing. This is now to be debated at a future meeting.

Talking about public open space, the duck feeding area has been furnished with a bench for us ‘oldies’ to rest and watch while ducks are being fettered with bread and such like dietary requirements. For everyone’s safety we have installed a life ring as well, please remember that this is not a substitute for a frizbee, it is life preservation equipment.

Whilst Matt, Richard and myself are not traffic wardens we have noticed that we are getting vehicles parking in the Marina and then the occupants abandon the car to set off on a walk, or so we assume. I wish to remind people that our car park is private and any vehicle that is parked without authority is libel to be clamped, the release fee being £75.00 – you have be warned! If anyone has any doubts about parking in the marina I would ask them to contact the office.

I wondered what we can do with the dog problem, we have a dog bin for the dog bags but we still seem to be a magnet for the droppings, please if you walk your dog and it fouls the paths but you do not have a ‘bag’ in which to place the mess I have news for you – I have some! Please call and ask for them from the Marina Office

We need your help, or someone’s! Besides the dog mess it is the time of year when we suffer from the droppings of Sea Gulls on the boats at the upstream end of the marina, question is – how do we stop the gulls doing this. As you may know Matt and Richard aren’t the best looking guys in the world and they have done a good job scaring the birds off but they have been complaining that it gets a little cold at about 2 O’clock in the morning, besides, the birds are getting used to them now. Any serious, or not so serious, suggestions are most welcome, please.

I am pleased to announce that we now have a we site, yeh I knew you’d be impressed! www.bourneendmarinaltd.co.uk - this gives information about the marina and also has a contact page should anyone wish to contact us.

All of us here in the Marina would like to wish everyone a Happy Christmas and a very Prosperous New Year and would like to thank you all again for putting up with the noise, chaos and mess that you all endured during the redevelopment but hope you are as pleased with the result as we are here.

MARINA LIFE - Dec 05

Although the boating season ended some time ago there has not been time to relax down here at the marina. The season seems to have extended itself, I assume due to the favourable weather and therefore we suffered a higher work load than this time last year, this has resulted in Matt and Richard having to delay their annual hibernation timetable and possibly explains their ‘tired’ looks.

During September we accepted two Wye Valley pupils carry out their work experience with us, Kelly Emmett and Josh Taylor, I have to say that Matt and Richard learned a lot from them. It was a great two weeks as we actually had a lot of work on and they eagerly helped out with the craning, painting and coffee making, sorry Josh Kelly’s beverages were better than yours! During this time we noticed dead ducks, coots and a dead Heron in the water as well as unwell ones. Kelly and Josh spent some time ferrying the ill birds to the Vet’s, unfortunately some had to be put down, we believe that they were suffering from some form of poisoning, the source has not been identified but the danger passed in a matter of days, we can confirm that it was not Bird Flu.

We had a visit from 1^st Maidenhead Cubs where we showed them around the Marina, give them a river trip, demonstrated lifting a boat with the crane and finished off with a tug-of-war. The evening was enjoyed by all and should there be any Beaver or Cub groups short of leaders you could do no worse than contact Kelly, she was very good with them.

Currently we are into our winter programme, we ‘close down’ the boats for the winter to ensure that the machinery is protected from the frost and put anti-freeze in the cooling systems etc. Also we have started to lift boats to carry out antifouling and the like, boat owners who do not moor with us, they may moor at the bottom of their garden for example, will often request that we place their boats on trailers to take home for the winter. Also it’s the time of year when we start preparing the new mooring agreement for the next contractual year, which begins on the 1^st April.

The Environment Agency has also entered their winter schedule and again this year they are spending meaningful amounts of hard earned taxpayers money on the river. They have a programme of modernisation and safety works to locks, which obviously cannot be conducted during the summer months. Some of these works necessitate the closure of the locks, the longest closure that affects us is Bovney lock that is closed from 1^st November through to 31^st March 2006. The works to be carried out here involve bankside protection and a new Layby for traffic waiting at the lock whist in transit down stream towards Windsor.

We have now relocated the sewage pump from its temporary site by the bridge to the end of the service pontoon, in doing this we have eliminated the rather unsavoury aromas that occasionally but subtlety wafted around the site. Contrary to some backchat these aromas were not initiated by my staff or myself. We pride ourselves on our sewage pump out facility as we have a reputation for providing the best service of its kind on the river and this attracts a fair amount of business, if boats call by for this service they often purchase additional services whilst they are here. Some boats have the cassette toilets that you have to carry from the boat to empty down a sluice on the shore, the alterative to this system is to have a flush toilet, much as you have at home, this flushes the waste in to a sewage tank on board the boat, it is this tank that we pump out. No boats discharge sewage into the river, this is obviously against the law.

All the properties are now sold and the owners have settled in well, we have put up new road signs by the marina bridge, the road over this bridge is private and leads to locked gates, please do not take your cars over the bridge as you then have to reverse back having achieved absolutely nothing other than frustrating other people. For those of you who seem to have difficulties in understanding the words ‘Stop no Entry’, this means that you must stop your vehicle, you are not allowed to proceed any further. I thank you for respecting other people’s privacy.

Having sampled the delights of the On The Thames restaurant in the marina I can recommend making a visit to sample the fine cuisine, the dinner was excellent and the service was seamless. This led to a warm and positively friendly atmosphere, I will certainly be paying future visits. On entering the restaurant you are greeted most warmly by Jess at front of house who looks after you and show you to your table. I found the food of a very high standard and I now understand that the Chef, Hywel, taught Gordon Ramsey all he knows whist Gordon had the privilege of working with him over a number of years. The whole operation is managed and overseen by the proprietor, Richard, who has a wealth of experience in top restaurants.

It just leaves Matt, Richard and myself to wish everyone a very merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year, we look forward to seeing you whist visiting the Marina, by the way we still have ice creams, yes even in the winter.

Peter Osborne

Marina Manager

MARINA LIFE Oct - Nov 05

Whatever happened to the summer? Last week it was the beginning of the boating season and this week it’s the end, could someone please tell me what happened in between?

Although it has not been the best of summers this year, weather wise, I am pleased to report that the marina has experienced an up turn in activity on our sales to the river. We are on course to reach new heights in the sales of our services, fuel, sewage pump out, calor gas, etc, this has a lot to do with the high quality point of sales that we now offer the boats by way of the new service pontoon, combined with the general good nature, efficiency and politeness of Matt, Richard and Sarah, our Saturday girl. The combination of these factors has resulted in customers returning time and again. Sarah had the distinction of being the only one of us who was covered in effluent this year whilst pumping out the toilets on a boat, I understand it takes great skill to achieve a blow back using our pump out system, still, she was able to advise the boat owner on his diet I assume.

Many of you may wonder what we do in the winter months given that boat usage is very low if not non-existent out of season, well we still have much to do, after all the Bounty is shut on weekdays after September so we have to decide where to go for a beer. During these months, besides choosing which pub to go to, we have maintenance work to carry out on our customers boats, whether they be marina based or otherwise, such work being painting, varnishing, fibreglass repairs fendering replacements, engineering and the like. Also, we switch into a maintenance mode, this entails checking the pontoons for damage or ware and tear, ensuring that our mechanical equipment is in good working order and also checking that our administration is fully updated.

Our business year is April to March and our mooring contracts mirror these 12 months, we therefore have to prepare the new contracts and replace the boats that have decided to move on to pastures new, we start organising this in December. What you find is that some owners only stay a year or two at any one marina as they like to sample other reaches of the river, also you always have some owners who sell their boats as they leave boating all together. There is always movement on this front and we have to ensure we have a replacement to fill a mooring when a boat departs. To be honest you have to be a bit of a juggler to maximise the mooring revenue by fitting in all the boats, we consider the boats length, the size of the mooring, any disabilities the owner may have, the owners experience etc, etc when allocating moorings, also many owners will ‘suggest’ where they wish to be, unfortunately we cannot always comply with their wishes. It can be like a big Chinese puzzle!

For the millions of you who ask me about the café/bistro on the first floor of the marina building I have some good news, IT IS HAPPENING! The bad news is that I cannot say any more at this stage. The Michael Shanly Group have chosen one of some five interested parties who had made an offer for the lease, after the company secretary had carried out a due diligence on each proposal. Once the lawyers from both parties have agreed the lease contract I am sure the full details will be revealed, what I do know is that March/April is the time scale to open. I just hope that the owner of the restaurant is aware of the traditions that we hold so dear in the marina, one of the longest standing being that the Marina Manager and his staff have to sample foods and drinks served in the marina, purely on health & safety grounds you understand! 

I have just one Parish notice for the village idiots who threw one of the life rings into the river. These are provided to save life should there be a water related drama, how would you feel if you were in difficulties and a passer-by went to fetch a life ring to throw to you to save your life but it was missing – just think about it!

Well, autumn is here now and river has quietened down, I must get on with our closed season work programme –

 “ Matt, where’s that CAMRA guide?”

Peter Osborne

Marina Manager

MARINA LIFE - Oct 05

Yet again I am not sure where the summer went, it’s interesting that some people believe the summer was poor whilst others think it was very good, all that I can say is that it was a good one for the marina with August being a record month in terms of sales from the service pontoon. Our sales were not just boosted by the increase in diesel fuel prices as we sold more litres than any other month, we sold more Calor gas and pumped out more sewage tanks on boats than previously. Obviously this is due to the good-looking staff that work in the marina!

The summer has passed without too many alarms and excursions, the worst moment was when we had a boat that experienced an explosion on board whilst moored in the marina, it is believed that this was caused by petrol fumes in the bilge of the boat. The bilge is the area of the hull underneath the floorboards. Petrol fumes can sink to the bilge and the usual practice is to have an extractor fan that you use to remove the fumes prior to starting the engine this only implies to inboard engines not outboards. We are unaware what caused this explosion but there were three people on board, none of whom were injured and marina staff rapidly put out the resulting fire.

Some of you may have noticed Richard wearing a sling for a while, this was due to his other job, sponsored by Stella. On this particular occasion the job involved examining uneven pavements whilst cycling along them. It was fortunate that the pavement did not suffer any damage during this survey and there was no need to call the council.

Whilst I am penning this article the restaurant upstairs is nearing completion and should be open no later than early October, it may even be earlier than that. From what I have seen it will be a most pleasant place to dine and we all wish it much success for the future, the owner is well aware where I have requested my table to be. This, I believe, will compliment the marina and offer an additional dimension to dining in Bourne End, which has fine restaurants already established. During the summer months we do take overnight moorings and the comments I receive from these people is what a lovely place Bourne End is with an array of good eating establishments and in it’s fine variety of shops.

A quick message for Ray at the Firefly – Ray, you’d better increase your beer stock and materials for toasted cheese and onion sandwiches, the Bounty closes at the end of September during the week (it’s still open at weekends though). You have been warned!

With autumn in full swing we are already thinking about the winter, we have much maintenance to carry out and also we have to prepare for next April, which is when our mooring contracts are due for renewal. It is important that we identify those boaters who wish to move on and ensure we have a full marina come the 1^st. we always have a waiting list for boaters who wish to moor with us and we turn to this list whenever we have a vacancy. The only way to get on the waiting list is via our website where we have a page called ‘Find A Mooring’, this page asks for full details of the owners and the boat and once submitted we print the page off and keep it within a file.

It’s also the time of year when we will start to crane boats out of the water for the usual winter works, anti fouling and the like, instead of being busy on the service pontoon we should become busy undertaking work on the boats, no peace for Matt or Richard.

Dog walkers – I’m not going to say anything other than ‘bag it and bin it’ you know where I’m coming from, up to my ankles in it.

Matt’s getting a bit frustrated at the moment and I’m happy that he is that way. This summer we have had very little trouble with damage to boats caused by vandalism for which I thank everyone in taking care down here. Matt is getting keener to catch some one so think twice before even thinking about causing damage, he wants to put his black belt to good use you have been warned!

We have much to look forward to this winter with work on the boats and we hope you will try the restaurant which I’m sure will not be a disappointment to you, in fact if you visit the marina and you wish to see me it may be worth you checking upstairs as your first port of call.

Peter Osborne

Marina Manager

MARINA LIFE Sept 05

I am pleased to start by informing you that the two surviving ducklings born on the tug and which were being cared for by Niki in the marina survived being pampered and have been released to the river, they do visit us and seem to have adapted to their natural habitat. Well-done Niki.

The summer has started well on the river and it would appear that more boats are visiting the marina this year judging by the takings from our service pontoon, I hope this is a reflection of the high level of service that we offer. Yes, I know, you may think that surprising but in reality we work hard at the ‘point of sale’ service for that very reason, we want people to return time and again.

You may have noticed that we had four sizable boats on the hard standing in June/July for a few weeks, this was due to the size and weight of them making our crane too small for the task, we hired in a larger crane to handle the lifting and therefore we maximised the cost of utilising the hire crane. These larger boats were of steel construction and do not generally have the requirement to be lifted as often as the glass fibre type. It is important that the GRP hull boats do come out the water to dry off every now and then so as to minimise the effects of osmosis, this is where water is absorbed into the fibreglass and begins to separate the different layers, the main sign of this is the appearance of blisters on the underwater part of the hull. Different hull materials behave in different ways, wood rots, steel rusts and fibreglass get osmosis, of course there are countermeasures to these ailments.

I wish to advise you that the aliens have not visited us nor have we been on a course at Kew Gardens. You may have noticed a certain amount of plants finding their way to the marina, we have decided to brighten up the place and any sensible suggestions would be greatly received from any horticulturist as to suitable blooms and foliage for the marina environment and the siting of such.

On the 30^th of July the Bounty hold their annual raft race, a great fun day as you are all aware. I would like point out that it is a usual working day for the marina and, as such, there will be no parking for Bounty customers. However, this is a large event for Bourne End and should there be raft teams who wish to use our facilities to load equipment for the race we ask that you contact us in advance so that arrangements can be made. Likewise, should there be any disabled persons wishing to cross the river we will endeavour to assist, as in past years, prior arrangements would greatly help us to help you.

I would like to apologise to some of you for running out of Solero ice creams recently, I know that this disappointed some of you but we are now restocked and I’ve stopped the boys eating them in order to protect the supply! It’s amazing how many ice creams sell on hot days but I will pay more attention in future!

Lets hope for continued good weather thought the summer and watch out for the builders who we hope start on the restaurant soon! We look forward to seeing you down here.

Peter Osborne

Marina Manager

MARINA LIFE July 05

I am pleased to start by informing you that the two surviving ducklings born on the tug and which were being cared for by Niki in the marina survived being pampered and have been released to the river, they do visit us and seem to have adapted to their natural habitat. Well-done Niki.

The summer has started well on the river and it would appear that more boats are visiting the marina this year judging by the takings from our service pontoon, I hope this is a reflection of the high level of service that we offer. Yes, I know, you may think that surprising but in reality we work hard at the ‘point of sale’ service for that very reason, we want people to return time and again.

You may have noticed that we had four sizable boats on the hard standing in June/July for a few weeks, this was due to the size and weight of them making our crane too small for the task, we hired in a larger crane to handle the lifting and therefore we maximised the cost of utilising the hire crane. These larger boats were of steel construction and do not generally have the requirement to be lifted as often as the glass fibre type. It is important that the GRP hull boats do come out the water to dry off every now and then so as to minimise the effects of osmosis, this is where water is absorbed into the fibreglass and begins to separate the different layers, the main sign of this is the appearance of blisters on the underwater part of the hull. Different hull materials behave in different ways, wood rots, steel rusts and fibreglass get osmosis, of course there are countermeasures to these ailments.

I wish to advise you that the aliens have not visited us nor have we been on a course at Kew Gardens. You may have noticed a certain amount of plants finding their way to the marina, we have decided to brighten up the place and any sensible suggestions would be greatly received from any horticulturist as to suitable blooms and foliage for the marina environment and the siting of such.

On the 30^th of July the Bounty hold their annual raft race, a great fun day as you are all aware. I would like point out that it is a usual working day for the marina and, as such, there will be no parking for Bounty customers. However, this is a large event for Bourne End and should there be raft teams who wish to use our facilities to load equipment for the race we ask that you contact us in advance so that arrangements can be made. Likewise, should there be any disabled persons wishing to cross the river we will endeavour to assist, as in past years, prior arrangements would greatly help us to help you.

I would like to apologise to some of you for running out of Solero ice creams recently, I know that this disappointed some of you but we are now restocked and I’ve stopped the boys eating them in order to protect the supply! It’s amazing how many ice creams sell on hot days but I will pay more attention in future!

Lets hope for continued good weather thought the summer and watch out for the builders who we hope start on the restaurant soon! We look forward to seeing you down here.

Peter Osborne

Marina Manager

MARINA LIFE - Jun -July 05

My magnum of champagne is still not in the fridge yet, I have not been given a date for the last builder to leave the site, but surely that date is getting closer and closer – I hope!

The latest update is that the pool is currently being piled around the edges having been dredged to a metre depth, this is about a metre deeper than it was. Once this is completed the pontoons will be put into position so that the smaller boats can be moved in from the river moorings, thus freeing those moorings for additional boats. You will have noticed that the area riverside of the Thames Path is now being prepared having lain fallow for a while. Once this is completed it will provide additional parking space during the summer months and boat storage during the winter ones. Other than a minor adjustment to the mooring arrangements at the top of the pontoons we are virtually complete in terms of the marina aspect of the development.

The public open space is being used a great deal and looks as if it’s becoming very popular, we have just done a little gardening so it should look more refreshed as a result. One plea for help, please could you take your rubbish away with you, as Matt has to clean it up and I’m getting more concerned about my health each time I ask him to do the honours. As I’m writing this article I am in touch with the Council for the provision of a litterbin and also other bins to put on the Thames Path, hopefully they will be with us soon. In a future issue I may provide a sketch of it so some people will know what to look for, I’ll wait and see how well it is used.

Canine droppings are an increasing nuisance, I am awaiting a visit from the Dog Warden to take his advises as to what can be done to help in this matter, I must admit I find it very peculiar that dogs can perform their daily routine without the owner noticing, maybe they do. You can rest assured that Marina staff will question owners who are seen not attending to the dogs’ call of nature.

We would appear to have a squatter in the marina, a Mallard duck which has made her nest in the back of the Tug and is currently sitting on several eggs. They have travelled up and down the river whilst we’ve been on duty, mother proudly sitting on the top. We are keeping a close eye on the situation and will provide every assistance should the eggs hatch. Richard and Matt have been seen loitering nearby with a frying pan but I think they now understand having explained a few facts of nature to them.

For all you budding petty nuisance makers I would like to shoot a shot across your bow, we have had to call the police to talk to a young man that we took ‘captive’ who was up to no good on the mooring pontoons, he and his fellow chums cost about £100 in damages. The point to note is that the security cameras are now being installed and so unless you wish to appear on Crime Stoppers I would keep well away from the pontoons. The Thames Path is a public right of way but the pontoons are private property – you have been warned! Whilst I’m on this subject I would also point out that the roadway/path is not a race track, I really don’t wish to invest in a ‘stinger’ to stop speeding motor bikes and the like.

Commercially we have been busy given the restricted area that we currently have for getting boats out of the water, we are just about keeping up with demand but have a small backlog, I hope we can catch up in the next few weeks. The river is beginning to get busier as we approach the Summer and are therefore we are becoming more active on the service pontoon dispensing fuel, gas and pumping out toilets – yes we get all the exciting jobs as well.

There may not be a future article due to unforeseen circumstances, these being the combination of the last builder leaving and the reaction I have to a magnum of champagne! Maybe I should get some practice in to lessen the effect? I hope I will be writing with a hangover in the next issue, in the meantime the bookies are giving good odds on completion of the site before the next issue!

 Peter Osborne

Marina Manager

MARINA LIFE  - May 05

It’s such a lovely time of year on the river, the weather is warming and improving, the wild life is vibrant and people are beginning to visit the area in force. It is also a sad time of year, we had a duck lay her eggs on the tug, they hatched and mum abandoned the chicks, as she could not move them into the water, of the eight or nine only two survive and are being looked after by Matt Coyne’s wife Niki at the marina. We all hope that they make good progress. Nature is so cruel, we see the fowl with their chicks swimming in the river, up to nine or ten, but alas the vast majority don’t make it, they become victims to the pike, to being the weakest of the group and abandoned as mum cannot look after them all or even some species of birds prey on them. It’s the survival of the strongest in its purest form.

On the bright side of life I can report that the marina is full of boats and bursting at the seams. We have already instigated a waiting list for the mooring such is the demand from boat owners to keep their boats at Bourne End. Due to the fact that we have very few temporary moorers the waiting list is no guarantee that they will obtain moorings this year. Well, that’s it, the boys and I may as well pack up and come back next year, if only! Unfortunately, we have much to keep us busy.

As the development is now completed we find ourselves with additional duties Mat and Richard are now becoming green fingers. There are lawns to cut, blasted weeds that grow on the paved roadway to massacre and plants to look after, there is no end to their talents. Actually there is, Richard needs more practice in the realm of disembarking from a boat having been to the Bounty whilst keeping his cloths dry during this tricky manoeuvre, I’m sure he’ll get the hang of it one day.

As we pass from Spring into Summer the work load reduces in terms of craning boats out to paint but increases in terms of servicing boats that call by for fuel, water, gas and the like, the early signs are that we are in for a busy Summer, sorry boys no time to relax. One area when we have noticed and increase in trade is that of our Calor Gas sales, it would appear that everyone within a ten mile radius has bought a gas BBQ or a patio heater as we have been so much in demand, extra supplies have had to rushed to us to meet this demand. The disappointing aspect of this extra trade is that with all these gas gadgets in use around the area we have not yet been asked to many BBQ’s to undertake product research, no Matt, I’m not talking about lager, I know it has gas in it but it’s not the sort of gas that we sell.

I have a quiz for you this week, just one question: -

Why do cars drive into the marina turn around and then drive out again without anyone getting out? If anyone knows an answer to this send it on the back of a postcard please. We are suffering what can only be called ‘U’ turn syndrome it seams to be a phenomenon that has suddenly struck the marina. Why do people do it? This happens at any time of the day it’s not at specific times, very weird I must say.

I am going to mention a subject that often gets an airing, dog droppings. Does anyone know what use we can put these to? We must have the largest harvest of this commodity in the UK, it appears in the middle of the Thames path, in the car park and in my office having glued itself to my boots. There are many responsible canine owners walking through the marina who do the honourable deed with a plastic bag but there must be a few irresponsible dog owners, as I’m advised that this matter does not just drop from the sky. Please, please for all our sakes those who do not clean up after their dogs have performed could you do so, I would ask anyone who sees such matter being delivered by a dog, should the owner ignore it, immediately draw the act to the attention of marina staff, Matt has a certain way in convincing people as to the rights and wrongs of their ways.

We were proud to host “Alaska” over the Easter weekend, “Alaska” is the oldest, serviceable steam passenger boat operating on the river and was built here at Bourne End. The owners operated her on hourly round trips to Marlow and back giving many people the opportunity to experience steam travel first had. With the owners blessing we are hoping that there will be other ‘steam’ days in the future. “Alaska” is part of Bourne End’s history, a boat that was built with local labour that has survived the ravages of time, being over one hundred years old. I recommend that when she is next operating from the marina you respond to the adverts and book your passage on her, it is a truly great experience to behold. Look out for future announcements.

Virtually all the residential properties in the marina are now occupied and I have asked all our boat owners to respect their privacy in terms of noise and tidiness, I would like to extend my request to all using the marina. I would point out that by the public open space there are flats nearby and late in the evenings the noise of excited voices carry very easily, please could I request that you remember to curb your verbal enjoyments on the warm balmy evenings (what’s a warm balmy evening? I hope we have some to remind me of what they are).

The marina is alive and vibrant, please call down to enjoy the atmosphere and buy your ice creams/drinks here! I never was any good at advertising. Lets hope we get a really hot summer this year and Matt, Richard and myself look forward to seeing many people down her enjoying the river and the environ over the summer months.

Peter Osborne

Marina Manager

MARINA LIFE - April 05

What can I say, spring is in the air, the mornings are brighter, the plant world is sprouting, the wild foul on the river seem to be pairing off and I’m having to keep a close eye on Richard! Where was the winter? I know that we have not had a proper winter as I have managed to persevere with wearing my shorts, ‘longs’ have not been worn, it’s been an entire year now since I’ve worn my jeans for work.

We continue to be busy down here at the marina painting boats ready for the new season and moving boats about the moorings to fit in the influx of ‘new’ boats that have requested to moor with us this year. Although I jest about there not being a winter the two week chilly period in March did cause us some hassle as it was too cold to anti foul the boats, we are unable to apply anti fouling when the ambient temperature is below 5.00 degrees. Anti fouling is the application of a special paint that is coated to the underwater surface of a boats hull, this paint discourages the growth of marine life, being plant life or shellfish like muscles that are present in the river. Growth of any form of life on an underwater surface of a boat can hinder the performance of the craft and also the growth can penetrate any fault in the hull surface and create other problems that follow. The paint that we use is lead free and is not therefore harmful to the environment. It does seem harmful, however, to Matt and Richards clothing, that’s why they may seem to wearing Technicolor clothing at the moment, it really isn’t a fashion statement.

I attended a river meeting a few weeks ago and the Environment Agency (EA) was saying that due to the lack of rain this winter the river flow has been 1/3^rd of the usual expected winter flow. Partly due to the lack of floods and also for other reasons, some of which are financial, the EA have been able to undertake some extensive works on the river this winter. The major works carried out nearby have been the closures of the locks at Cookham and Temple. The works have involved closing them to traffic whilst they undertake engineering works to enhance the ease and safety of use to river users, these closures have been for two months each so you can understand that the works were quite major.

The fishing season has closed on the river for a while and I would like to take the opportunity to thank the ‘fishing people’ for their consideration and politeness in pursuing their sport. It is refreshing that across all age groups you have had the courtesy to come and ask if you may fish in and around the Marina. There have been some fine specimens of pike etc caught, as a non-fishing chap I have to say that I was impressed! I believe that all the pike were retuned to the river in one piece. I’m thinking of giving them names, as I’m sure I have seen the same ones quite often. I would like to reiterate that fishing off the pontoons is a non-starter and ask that you respect this. When the season opens again I will have to be a bit harder on the fishing as the boaters will be out more often and I have to respect their wishes and comfort giving that they pay my wages!

I would like to report that the petty crime in the marina is currently very low and I thank everyone involved in reducing such boorish activity, I do understand that there are fewer people here in the winter months. The cameras are proving to be effective as is our 24hrs security, including Matt Coyne who takes the night shift, the police have also been active with their regular patrols around the marina. As the weather warms towards the summer I would ask people to continue respecting the property here and also on the ‘green bit’, the open space. For anyone thinking of coming down here to cause trouble I would advise that we have a good detection rate and have, in the past, caught people red handed and passed them on to the police and even knocked on doors to sort out the problem at a local level. I am confident that the marina will remain a safe environment for all to enjoy, in fact we will do what ever it takes to ensure that it is.

From April we will be operating summer hours until the end of September, the marina will be open for business between the hours of 8:00hrs in the morning until 18:00hrs, we remain open during the lunch hours. Matt and Richard probably fear the summer, as they have to work longer hours, still if you can’t take a joke as they say, mind you I’m thinking of letting them have holidays this year. The Boys work hard throughout the year, this is contrary to public opinion but I have a photo in the office to prove this to be the case, and they are very much our heart and soul, they help to make the marina what it is.

We look forward to the warmer weather and hope that many people will come down and enjoy the area and the ambiance that has been created. Whether you are coming down for a walk, for ice creams and soft drinks from the marina office, to enjoy the green bit or to participate in boating we hope that you have an enjoyable time.

Peter Osborne

Marina Manager

MARINA LIFE - Mar - Apr 05

I can’t believe that it’s two months since the previous report, however, progress is still marching on. I believe that we have been lucky with the weather in the terms we have not had wet weather delays, I am hoping that the ‘muddy period’ is now over. The car park area and the paths do have a tarmac covering but this is not the final one, the final layer of tarmac and paved brick will not be put down until we are nearer the last workman departing the site, an event that I’m thinking of celebrating with a bottle of champagne. The bottle will go on ice once I have the actual date passed down to me.

I am pleased to report that the area set aside for the ‘public open space’ is already being used by many people, I’m sure this will be used more as the sun becomes more prominent and the temperature begins to rise. The Pool is scheduled to be dredged and piled in the coming weeks, once this has happened we will be fitting it out with smaller floating pontoons for a number of the little boats that we have here. Also in the pool we will have the duck feeding area. This area will not have a piled edge all the way around it, it is intended to put a sloping edge on the end to enable feeding of the ducks by the children at a lower level. Once this is done we are fitting a life buoy for the safety of users. I hope that this area will prove popular with the younger generation, as it will provide a safer environment for the children away from the main river and give closer access to the ducks.

The next changes to happen on the Marina side of the development is the connecting up of the pontoons to electricity and water, once this has happened we will be able to use the new fuel system. The new pumps on the service pontoon will then be operative as opposed to the temporary siting of the diesel pump on the bank side. This also spells the end of the temporary blue diesel tank that is currently blighting the landscape by the entrance to the service pontoon also we will be resiting the gas compound away from the bank, when these have gone the surface will be made good.

As previous reported the properties in the marina are sold subject to exchange and there has been much interest in the houses upstream of the Abbotsbrook, currently the builders are readying a house to use as a show house, I’m hopeful that the opening of this is not far off.

There has been much activity behind the scenes concerning the business side of matters. As of the first April moorers are changing to a new mooring agreement that reflects the improved facilities on offer, this is the first increase in mooring fees for some five years. As in any year we always see some boats moving off to pastures new, we are always sad to see them leave, however we often see then when they visit for our services. At the same time we will be welcoming new boats to the marina and we hope that they will enjoy their stay with us.

As the season fasts approaches, traditionally this commences at Easter, we have begun to take on work such as bottom painting and repairs to boats, I’m pleased to advise Matt and Richard did not take too long to identify a boat one we had taken it out of the water. As we can only still have a few boats out to work on we have to juggle to ensure that we are able to fulfil our commitments, so far so good.

Happily, we appear to have reached what I believe is an amicable conclusion to the concerns of the sailing club and we intend to make alterations to the moorings nearest their start line. This will give them additional space for starting races but at the same time will ensure that we will not lose any moorings to the marina. A victory to common sense, a mutual interest in river usage and friendly co-operation.

I have a plea to make, as the mud has disappeared we have noticed an increase of dog droppings on the paths that run through the marina and also around the car park. I would just nudge dog owners to please be aware of this and to keep an eye on their charges and ask that you remove the droppings as they occur, unfortunately I have been receiving a few complaints from the public on this matter.

Hello Malcolm! I’m sorry about this but I have upset the site manager by not mentioning him in the column previously, so now he has his name in print. Malcolm is responsible for annoying everybody on the site, no I didn’t mean that I meant to say for ensuring the building works are carried out to the tight schedule imposed on the works. Malcolm, your doing a good job, mines a pint of bitter please!

I hope that you are as pleased as I am with the way the development is beginning to look and that the disturbances of the last 18 months or so will soon be a distant memory overshadowed by the benefits.

Peter Osborne

Marina Manager.

MARINA LIFE - Feb - March 05

I hope, like myself, that you survived the festivities of Christmas and New Year and are now looking forward to valentines day! There is always something that you have to buy cards for every month of the year, oh, and don’t forget Easter is early this year. I have to remember when Easter is as it traditionally heralds the beginning of the boating season, I can never get to grips with this one as the difference in when Easter arrives in the year can be three to four weeks so I guess some years the boating season could be three to four weeks longer or shorter than the previous or next year?

Due to the lack of any serious Winter so far I can advise that the Marina has been quite busy, we had a boat in on New Years day for fuel, gas and a sewage pump out, I hope this is a sign of continued growth for this coming year. Over the Christmas period there where quite a few boats plying the river around Bourne End, I think it is good that boaters are taking advantage of the milder winters, as I believe the river is there to be enjoyed, not only when the sun is out and the temperature is very warm as clear winter days can be very beautiful.

We have been busy arranging the mooring contracts for the year commencing April, come this time you will notice additional boats arriving, some larger as well as well as some smaller. The marina is proving to be popular on the river with quite a sizable waiting list. Whereas we will be sad to see some owners leave we look forward to welcoming new clients. We are also welcoming residents into the marina as the houses become occupied, to all of you the Marina staff extend a big welcome to you, we hope that you enjoy your new homes and well as Bourne End itself.

This could be the last year that we are able to sell diesel fuel at the cheaper price. The diesel that we sell is procured from Shell and is the same quality as road diesel but with a red dye in it and sells, currently for £0.43p a litre. This fuel can be used for marine use, agriculture use and for commercial use as in construction vehicles and machinery. At some stage next year the government is to remove the tax incentives and are proposing to price the fuel as road fuel, I’m not sure what will happen at the end of the day, but we do sell the fuel to farmers and commercial concerns as well as the boats, it will be interesting to see what happens.

Dave and Sue have asked me to thank those who have ventured to the Bounty over the New Years weekend as they managed to raise over £700 for the Asian Crisis (I would have said Tsunami but I can’t spell it) and they are hoping to exceed £1,000. That is remarkable given that they are only open at weekends until Easter. What’s even more remarkable is that I left some money on the bar never to see it again, I wonder where my £678.07p went? Ray at the Firefly is also making a collection, as are other entities in Bourne End and like so many people I feel very proud that so much kindness and generosity has come out of such a tragedy.

Talking about remarkable, Matt has fathered a son named Alfie, congratulations to Siobhan and Matt. Alfie was bourn in early December and explains why Matt was always tired and falling asleep at work last March and April! I knew there had to be a reason why.

I would just like to sound a warning shot across a few bows, we seem to have a few cars visiting the Marina after dark and odd persons come to visit the said cars and then walk away. You know what you are doing, I know what you’re doing and so do the police know what you’re doing. Lets just hope for your sake that the police get to you before, Richard, Matt or myself do!

I would like to thank everyone for helping to keep the marina tidy, this is evidenced by the frequency at which we are having to empty the bins, we prefer to empty bins rather than chase around picking up litter. Just a little plea, the dog bin is the red one by the wooden gates at the entrance to the marina, Richard has had a few surprises whilst on ‘bin duty’, I got the distinct impression that these were surprises he’d rather not have had, there again Matt and I would tend to agree with him!

You may have noticed a row of yellow buoys in the river downstream of the service pontoon and thought ‘they’re pretty I wonder what they are for’. These buoys have been laid, without the help of GPS I might add (impressed or what?) as an aid to the rowers who train on the reach, the women’s national team et al. When rowing up stream as the rower you are facing down stream, when these buoys are sited by the rower they know that the service pontoon is approaching and they can therefore make any adjustment to their positioning that they may need to take, they are an aid to the skulls.

The boys and I are looking forward to the coming year and hoping for a dryer, warmer summer than last year, if only it wasn’t for boat owners and customers I’m sure we’d enjoy the summer even more.

Peter Osborne

Marina Manager

MARINA LIFE August - Sept 04.

I do not have a hangover but I am getting somewhat concerned that champagne may have a ‘drink by’ date, especially the bottle in my fridge, please can someone reassure me that they don’t (answers on a post card please)! You may have guessed that workmen are still here, I am beginning to wonder that when they do leave that others may appear to do maintenance as per the Forth Rail Bridge painters! Seriously, we are virtually there and I’m considering chilling the classes in readiness.

There is some minor work to be carried out on the marina facilities and then we’re done on that score which only leaves the final touches to the pool, this includes the duck feeding area. The houses are in the final throws of completion. I do not have any news on the café yet other than there is much interest, as soon as I know more I will report accordingly.

It is with sadness that we have to report that the mother eventually abandoned the eggs in the tug, it was suggested that Richard should sit on them but unfortunately he said it was too cold during the night and also he would not agree to do so unpaid.

I have been informed that we are now enjoying the Summer, I guess we are paying for last year. The river would seem to be quieter than last year but looking at our sales figures, relating to Diesel, Gas, Sewage Pump Out and the like we appear to be experiencing increased sales, this is so despite no massive price increases, in fact we have not increased diesel fuel at all, even given the Mid-East situation. The moorings are now full, despite some ‘doom and gloom’ stories that I heard when we increased our mooring fees this year, I believe that this is reflecting the enhanced facilities we now have to work with, there have been some minor teething problems but these occur with most new facilities, the point is that we have rectified them.

Slowly but surely we are building up a stock of ‘Boaty Bits’ as opposed to opening a full blown Chandlery. Our intention is to sell items such as rope, life jackets, plug sockets, polish, paint, nuts and bolts, river guides etc last but not least even Bourne End Marina mugs! We have taken the decision not operate a full blown Chandlery due to the nature of that type of business, we decided to build up a stock of every day items that are commonly requested by our moorers.

I should mention that we now stock a range of Ice Creams and tins of soft drinks, so all you kids get your parents down here to buy you one before Matt has the chance to eat them all, after all he is our best customer, followed closely by Richard I might add.

I am very please to report that in the main the rubbish bins and the dog bin are all being used which has helped us to keep the marina tidy, which is to the benefit of all, not just the marina, I hope these bins continue to be used. Again the Public Open space is being used and proving to be popular, there have been some occasions when gangs of youths have been drinking and leaving their cans behind, not always in the bin. I wish to address these youths, some of which are underage, the police are aware of what happens and now make regular checks – you have been warned! Now the fishing season is here again anglers are attracted and fish are being caught – I believe. I would like to thank the anglers for their good behaviour and for not leaving any mess behind – thank you.

The cameras that we have installed are now fully functional and have provided us with some amusement during playback but we are pleased to say nothing that has required us to pass copies on to the police! We have now added an alarm system to the Marina office that makes an awful noise when it sounds, we discover this when we forget about it when opening in the morning, when I say ‘we’ I really mean Richard and Matt, no I admit I have set it off too!

All is well down at the marina, the works are nearly completed and many people are commenting on how good it is looking, the business is doing well and moving forward, now it only needs the sunshine so we can enjoy it in all it’s glory.

 Peter Osborne

Marina Manager

MARINA LIFE - Nov - Dec 03

I’m writing this article from the porta cabin, it may be my last one from this luxurious office suite! It is anticipated that in December I should be relocating to the Marina Building, I assume that we are talking about December 2003.

Works have come on in leaps and bounds and you will have noticed that the bridge is now twice as large as it has been for the last month or two and the footpath has been reinstalled to it’s correct route. The path is three meters wide and is a vast improvement on the old one. It may be very tempting to some but it is a path and not a course for speed trials on any wheeled modes of transport, if it were intended as such we would have painted a grid and finishing line on it. Seriously, we are looking to at speed reduction measures which will include some bollards and enforcing a traffic speed limit through the site.

The housing side of the site is coming on quite fast, the three apartments in the Marina side are now fitted out. The views from these flats are quite remarkable, it’s a pity that the Marina office is not up there. The Marina building, by the bridge, is to house the Marina office, chandlery sales, Steve Dean’s engineering workshop, toilets, showers and a café

The housing on the upstream side of the Abbotsbrook continue to speed to completion, no doubt you will have a better view from the new path and you will be able to keep an eye on progress. 

It is hoped that by Christmas the temporary porta cabin/container accommodation will have been removed and work around the area of the current Marina office will have commenced in respect to positioning of the Diesel fuel tank underground and preparing the ground to create additional parking spaces.

I am very disappointed that we will not be able to store and sell petrol, this is due to the regulations having been tightened up in respect to the storage of the fuel. There are various regulations, one being that petrol cannot be stored under a car park and others relating to the delivery of the fuel which we are unable to comply with. In my opinion this is the nanny state gone too far but there is nothing we can do about it, maybe I should stick to what I know about, there again I don’t wish to bore you silly about Everton Football Club.

No doubt you will be aware that some groups of river users and local people have been showing some concerns about the distance the new moorings protrude into the river even though the layout was agreed by all the relevant authorities prior to being installed. We take these concerns very seriously and I would like to advise you that we have had discussions with the Environmental Agency, indeed they are ongoing, and we hope that these concerns can be addressed to the mutual benefit of all concerned.

I hope the ‘pain’ of experiencing a development on our door step will begin to lessen, the start of which is the opening of the new path to it’s original route and that it won’t be too many months before we have a sparkling new facility for all to enjoy. I also hope that all of us enjoy the fast approaching festive season and not that there is not too much wailing and suffering of over indulgencies!

Again, I would like to thank you all for your suffering and understanding during the development.

Peter Osborne

Marina Manager

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