March 2025. The start of a new chapter for Mariners of Bewl.
Following massive fundraising efforts by a small team of MoB Members over £70,000 has been raised and we have placed the order for our own Coulam V20 Wheelyboat.
February 2025. MoBs new logo.
As part of our rebranding activities MoB now has a new bright and colourful logo with a new strap line. This will soon appear on all our publicity and our new regalia
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We were delighted to be nominated as Southern Care Maintenance Charitable Customer for 2024. Their office staff kindly donated £100 to us. SCM inspect and provide our certification for our hoist facility every six months.
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October 2024.In August we received two wheelchair accessible circular picnic tables donated by the Freeman family in memory of Neil, a Founder member and supporter of MoB since 1989.
May 2023. A lovely seat arrived at MoB Corner. Donated to MoB by Nicole Scott.
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March 2022
Sadly Storm Eunice came and badly damaged our lovely Weta trimaran (Gosling) which was on a long term loan to us from the Disabled Sailors Association Charity. Although she was derigged and well packed up for the winter it looked like the wind lifted the whole boat with trolley attached up and over another of our dinghies and dropped it on the roadway adjacent to MoB Corner.
The really good news is that Mike Wood ,MBE, DSA Founder and CEO arranged for the damaged boat to be taken away to see if could be repaired. Two weeks later Mike told us that he was going to lend us another and much newer Weta from his fleet.
Several days later 'Eve' arrived and so we were able to start our 2022 sailing season with a Weta once again within our fleet. Many thanks to Mike, the DSA and of course Tim, DSA's bosun who undertook the collection of 'Gosling' and delivery of a very lovely shiny 'Eve', and is no doubt closely involved with getting Gosling repaired and back on the water. Thats going to be quite a task.
Sadly Storm Eunice came and badly damaged our lovely Weta trimaran (Gosling) which was on a long term loan to us from the Disabled Sailors Association Charity. Although she was derigged and well packed up for the winter it looked like the wind lifted the whole boat with trolley attached up and over another of our dinghies and dropped it on the roadway adjacent to MoB Corner.
The really good news is that Mike Wood ,MBE, DSA Founder and CEO arranged for the damaged boat to be taken away to see if could be repaired. Two weeks later Mike told us that he was going to lend us another and much newer Weta from his fleet.
Several days later 'Eve' arrived and so we were able to start our 2022 sailing season with a Weta once again within our fleet. Many thanks to Mike, the DSA and of course Tim, DSA's bosun who undertook the collection of 'Gosling' and delivery of a very lovely shiny 'Eve', and is no doubt closely involved with getting Gosling repaired and back on the water. Thats going to be quite a task.
June 2021
Our members enjoyed a picnic sail on Saturday 26th June 2021. All of our dinghies launched, along with two members own boats, for a lovely sail in a gentle breeze down Bewl Straight to the tranquil waters of Dunsters Bay. The first boat to arrive was Stampede, who was anchored by Charlie our SI. As the other boats arrived, all nine rafted together in the peace and tranquility of Dunsters to enjoy lunch, before heading back to base later in the afternoon.
Our members enjoyed a picnic sail on Saturday 26th June 2021. All of our dinghies launched, along with two members own boats, for a lovely sail in a gentle breeze down Bewl Straight to the tranquil waters of Dunsters Bay. The first boat to arrive was Stampede, who was anchored by Charlie our SI. As the other boats arrived, all nine rafted together in the peace and tranquility of Dunsters to enjoy lunch, before heading back to base later in the afternoon.
May 2021
New path at MoB Corner.
As part of our ongoing aim to improve access for all members, we have now removed areas of the steep grassy slopes leading to our picnic tables and installed a new hard surfaced path. The stone (as used in many National Trust properties) is still a little loose but after one further compacting session and a few more good showers of rain it should become a good wheelchair friendly surface. The surrounding grass area will be re-seeded while the area below the decking will be seeded with wild flowers.
This project has be funded by MoB using money that has been raised by/ donated to MoB by Kathryn Nash, St Ronans School and Henhurst Charitable Trust.
New path at MoB Corner.
As part of our ongoing aim to improve access for all members, we have now removed areas of the steep grassy slopes leading to our picnic tables and installed a new hard surfaced path. The stone (as used in many National Trust properties) is still a little loose but after one further compacting session and a few more good showers of rain it should become a good wheelchair friendly surface. The surrounding grass area will be re-seeded while the area below the decking will be seeded with wild flowers.
This project has be funded by MoB using money that has been raised by/ donated to MoB by Kathryn Nash, St Ronans School and Henhurst Charitable Trust.
Saturday 18th January 2020
Our 2020 Winter Warmer - an excellent presentation by Martin Cox (on shore support team) and Toby May (project manager) which catalogued the round Britain sail by Hilary Lister in 2008 and 2009. They were both part of the team that made this epic journey possible for Hilary.
The talk was enjoyed by circa 50 people from the many sailing clubs and groups in Kent and East Sussex.
Our 2020 Winter Warmer - an excellent presentation by Martin Cox (on shore support team) and Toby May (project manager) which catalogued the round Britain sail by Hilary Lister in 2008 and 2009. They were both part of the team that made this epic journey possible for Hilary.
The talk was enjoyed by circa 50 people from the many sailing clubs and groups in Kent and East Sussex.
On Saturday 22nd June 2019 we were visited by people from several regional charities, for taster sails. They were brought to us by the Hilary’s Dream Trust, a group inspired by Hilary Lister, and dedicated to making sailing accessible to people with a disability.
We had individuals and groups from Headway West Kent, BLESMA,(a Limbless Veterans charity), and Blind Veterans UK.
The weather was kind, and our boats went ‘to and fro’ all day. There was a great crowd of excited people under our canopy, waiting to sail, or recounting what they had just done!
A great deal of thanks has to go to Kim of the Hilary’s Dream Trust, who had worked hard over many months to reach and recruit all the people who eventually came, and to our members and the shore team on the day.
Some of the visitors are now looking to continue sailing with us. Well done them!
We had individuals and groups from Headway West Kent, BLESMA,(a Limbless Veterans charity), and Blind Veterans UK.
The weather was kind, and our boats went ‘to and fro’ all day. There was a great crowd of excited people under our canopy, waiting to sail, or recounting what they had just done!
A great deal of thanks has to go to Kim of the Hilary’s Dream Trust, who had worked hard over many months to reach and recruit all the people who eventually came, and to our members and the shore team on the day.
Some of the visitors are now looking to continue sailing with us. Well done them!
-- PRESS RELEASE -- The Big Lift Launch
Sailing at Bewl Water Becomes More Accessible
On Saturday 14th September 2019, Para Sailing World Champion, Will Street, and BBC presenter Steve Brown, joined the Mayor of Tunbridge Wells and members of Mariners of Bewl in unveiling a new pontoon section and hoist at Bewl Water, making watersports more accessible for individuals with physical disabilities.
Mariners of Bewl, the club behind the project, support the integration of physically disabled and able-bodied people through the activity of sailing. The club, based at Bewl Water for the past 30 years is accredited by the Royal Yachting Association Sailability scheme.
The hoist and pontoon took two years to plan and cost over £20,000 to purchase and install. Thanks to grants and donations from the RYA Foundation, Sports England, Bewl Sailing Association, Hilary’s Dream Trust and a number of generous individuals and groups, the ‘Big Lift’ project has finally taken off.
“We are very grateful for the generous support of the organisations and individuals who have funded the hoist, davit and pontoon. The equipment now means that those who need a hoist on a stable platform to transfer from land to boats can now do so in a safe and more dignified way and allows us all, irrespective of a disability to get on the water and enjoy our respective activities.” Trustee of Mariners of Bewl, Richard Hayden.
“We are extremely excited to have these new facilities on site and look forward to seeing more and more people enjoy the fantastic sport of sailing at Bewl.” Operations Manager at Bewl Water, Phil Daley.
“Whatever sport you are part of, however able or disabled you are, sport is huge, it bridges gaps, it makes friendships, it gives people common ground and that is really important. Sport has been a massive part of my life.” Steve Brown.
Sailing at Bewl Water Becomes More Accessible
On Saturday 14th September 2019, Para Sailing World Champion, Will Street, and BBC presenter Steve Brown, joined the Mayor of Tunbridge Wells and members of Mariners of Bewl in unveiling a new pontoon section and hoist at Bewl Water, making watersports more accessible for individuals with physical disabilities.
Mariners of Bewl, the club behind the project, support the integration of physically disabled and able-bodied people through the activity of sailing. The club, based at Bewl Water for the past 30 years is accredited by the Royal Yachting Association Sailability scheme.
The hoist and pontoon took two years to plan and cost over £20,000 to purchase and install. Thanks to grants and donations from the RYA Foundation, Sports England, Bewl Sailing Association, Hilary’s Dream Trust and a number of generous individuals and groups, the ‘Big Lift’ project has finally taken off.
“We are very grateful for the generous support of the organisations and individuals who have funded the hoist, davit and pontoon. The equipment now means that those who need a hoist on a stable platform to transfer from land to boats can now do so in a safe and more dignified way and allows us all, irrespective of a disability to get on the water and enjoy our respective activities.” Trustee of Mariners of Bewl, Richard Hayden.
“We are extremely excited to have these new facilities on site and look forward to seeing more and more people enjoy the fantastic sport of sailing at Bewl.” Operations Manager at Bewl Water, Phil Daley.
“Whatever sport you are part of, however able or disabled you are, sport is huge, it bridges gaps, it makes friendships, it gives people common ground and that is really important. Sport has been a massive part of my life.” Steve Brown.
MS SOCIETY MEMBERS TAKE TO THE WATER...
On Saturday 21st September 2019(which turned out to be a very sunny day) the Tunbridge Wells and District Branch of the MS Society were invited for a super day of sailing with Mariners of Bewl at Bewl Water.
Many of the MS Society’s members have MS themselves, and this can mean that they have limitations with what they are able to do. Mariners of Bewl have created a wonderfully safe and friendly environment, where people with physical disabilities are able to go sailing! Especially now that they have their new hoist, so you don’t even have to worry about the tricky part of getting in and out of the boats.
This meant that everyone was able to have a go at sailing on the beautiful, calm and tranquil water at Bewl. Some of our members had previous sailing experience, but for others, it was their very first time out on the water! And although there was one hairy moment, when Carol, our transport secretary, feared she may end up actually in the water, everyone has an amazing time.
The financial contribution the Tunbridge Wells & District MS Society Group made to enable Mariners of Bewl, to purchase equipment to enable members to sail, made such a difference to our day out on the water.
As well as a splendid time sailing, we also enjoyed a barbecue at lunchtime. This gave everyone the chance to not only enjoy a lovely lunch, but to also chat with others and make some new friends, before heading back out onto the water for one final sail in the afternoon.
The day was one which everyone will remember for a long time, and we would like to thank Mariners of Bewl for putting on such a brilliant day, making us all feel so welcome, and showing how having a disability doesn’t have to stop you from getting out on the water with your sailing hat on.
On Saturday 21st September 2019(which turned out to be a very sunny day) the Tunbridge Wells and District Branch of the MS Society were invited for a super day of sailing with Mariners of Bewl at Bewl Water.
Many of the MS Society’s members have MS themselves, and this can mean that they have limitations with what they are able to do. Mariners of Bewl have created a wonderfully safe and friendly environment, where people with physical disabilities are able to go sailing! Especially now that they have their new hoist, so you don’t even have to worry about the tricky part of getting in and out of the boats.
This meant that everyone was able to have a go at sailing on the beautiful, calm and tranquil water at Bewl. Some of our members had previous sailing experience, but for others, it was their very first time out on the water! And although there was one hairy moment, when Carol, our transport secretary, feared she may end up actually in the water, everyone has an amazing time.
The financial contribution the Tunbridge Wells & District MS Society Group made to enable Mariners of Bewl, to purchase equipment to enable members to sail, made such a difference to our day out on the water.
As well as a splendid time sailing, we also enjoyed a barbecue at lunchtime. This gave everyone the chance to not only enjoy a lovely lunch, but to also chat with others and make some new friends, before heading back out onto the water for one final sail in the afternoon.
The day was one which everyone will remember for a long time, and we would like to thank Mariners of Bewl for putting on such a brilliant day, making us all feel so welcome, and showing how having a disability doesn’t have to stop you from getting out on the water with your sailing hat on.
Date: 19.01.19
Our 2019 Winter Warmer - a brilliant presentation by Will Street, Jonny Currell and Andrew Street about their journey to becoming Para World Champions in September 2018 enjoyed by circa 40 people from the many sailing clubs and groups in Kent and East Sussex. Please go to our Picture Gallery to see more photos..
Our 2019 Winter Warmer - a brilliant presentation by Will Street, Jonny Currell and Andrew Street about their journey to becoming Para World Champions in September 2018 enjoyed by circa 40 people from the many sailing clubs and groups in Kent and East Sussex. Please go to our Picture Gallery to see more photos..
Date: 09.12.18
THE BIG LIFT PROJECT- (Hoist update). Fundraising is still going well with donations from Bewl Canoe Club, Bewl Bridge Fly Fishing Club and a number of personal donations from some of the people who attended the recent RYA Level 2 Powerboat Handling course that Richard Goring and Richard Hayden ran at the Outdoor Education Centre. They gave up 2 days of their time which reduced the fees to approx. 33% of the normal fees on the basis that the course participants would make a donation to the BIG LIFT PROJECT.
The pontoon has been ordered and we will soon be placing the order for the gantry and hoist along with fendering for the pontoon, so all is looking good and on target for being all in place and ready to use in April.
Date: 02.10.18
THE BIG LIFT PROJECT -(Hoist update) We are now even closer to reaching our financial target having been successful in our application for £10,000 from Sport England. We have also received donations from Bewl Sailing Association (all money raised at the Barts Bash event plus a little bit more) and a couple of generous private donations. Hopefully, the other watersports clubs based at Bewl will see the value that a hoist could make to their Clubs and will be kind enough to make a contribution to the whole project and in doing so will enable us to reach our target. We hope to be placing orders in October.
Another snippet - lots more photos of our year to date can now be seen by clicking on the tab above 'Picture Gallery'. Happy Days
THE BIG LIFT PROJECT- (Hoist update). Fundraising is still going well with donations from Bewl Canoe Club, Bewl Bridge Fly Fishing Club and a number of personal donations from some of the people who attended the recent RYA Level 2 Powerboat Handling course that Richard Goring and Richard Hayden ran at the Outdoor Education Centre. They gave up 2 days of their time which reduced the fees to approx. 33% of the normal fees on the basis that the course participants would make a donation to the BIG LIFT PROJECT.
The pontoon has been ordered and we will soon be placing the order for the gantry and hoist along with fendering for the pontoon, so all is looking good and on target for being all in place and ready to use in April.
Date: 02.10.18
THE BIG LIFT PROJECT -(Hoist update) We are now even closer to reaching our financial target having been successful in our application for £10,000 from Sport England. We have also received donations from Bewl Sailing Association (all money raised at the Barts Bash event plus a little bit more) and a couple of generous private donations. Hopefully, the other watersports clubs based at Bewl will see the value that a hoist could make to their Clubs and will be kind enough to make a contribution to the whole project and in doing so will enable us to reach our target. We hope to be placing orders in October.
Another snippet - lots more photos of our year to date can now be seen by clicking on the tab above 'Picture Gallery'. Happy Days
Date: June 2018
A HOIST FOR MoB - getting there!
Great news - we have had it confirmed that our grant application to the RYA Foundation has been successful, and so along with a significant contribution from our own reserve funds we are now half way to achieving our goal.
A further grant application has been submitted to Sport England and if this is successful we will be able to go ahead and complete the 'Hoist Project'. As soon as we have the stable platform(pontoon), the gantry and hoist in place we will be undertaking some training so that as many MoB members as possible can operate the equipment. We hope that with this great asset watersports and in particular sailing at Bewl will become even more accessible to those with physical disabilities and in turn we will gain more members.
Might you be one of those who would love to give dinghy sailing a go but need a hoist? . If so, please watch this space as we will be letting everyone know when everything is ready to go.
As with all such projects and no matter how much careful financial planning takes place there is a chance that we will still have a small shortfall, and so if you would like to contribute towards this essential piece of equipment we would love to hear from you.
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A HOIST FOR MoB - getting there!
Great news - we have had it confirmed that our grant application to the RYA Foundation has been successful, and so along with a significant contribution from our own reserve funds we are now half way to achieving our goal.
A further grant application has been submitted to Sport England and if this is successful we will be able to go ahead and complete the 'Hoist Project'. As soon as we have the stable platform(pontoon), the gantry and hoist in place we will be undertaking some training so that as many MoB members as possible can operate the equipment. We hope that with this great asset watersports and in particular sailing at Bewl will become even more accessible to those with physical disabilities and in turn we will gain more members.
Might you be one of those who would love to give dinghy sailing a go but need a hoist? . If so, please watch this space as we will be letting everyone know when everything is ready to go.
As with all such projects and no matter how much careful financial planning takes place there is a chance that we will still have a small shortfall, and so if you would like to contribute towards this essential piece of equipment we would love to hear from you.
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Date 19.02.18
With s few signs of Spring in the air the weeks are now flying by and it will not be too long before the 7th April and the start of our sailing season. Of course prior to this we will be undertaking work on our fleet of dinghies at both our winter workshops and at Bewl so if you are interested in giving a hand with this essential work and sharing the load please check our calendar (see tab above) for the dates when we will be carrying out this work.
For those who are thinking about giving sailing a go or are considering returning to sailing and joining MoB you can now get full membership details and a copy of our membership application form for 2018 by clicking on the
'Membership ' tab above. Although the fees have had to be increased a little this year they continue to represent really excellent value - and you will be joining a really helpful and great bunch of people who simply like sailing and messing about with boats in one of the best locations in the South East.
With s few signs of Spring in the air the weeks are now flying by and it will not be too long before the 7th April and the start of our sailing season. Of course prior to this we will be undertaking work on our fleet of dinghies at both our winter workshops and at Bewl so if you are interested in giving a hand with this essential work and sharing the load please check our calendar (see tab above) for the dates when we will be carrying out this work.
For those who are thinking about giving sailing a go or are considering returning to sailing and joining MoB you can now get full membership details and a copy of our membership application form for 2018 by clicking on the
'Membership ' tab above. Although the fees have had to be increased a little this year they continue to represent really excellent value - and you will be joining a really helpful and great bunch of people who simply like sailing and messing about with boats in one of the best locations in the South East.
Date 04.11.17
The 2017 sailing season is now over and so we will be taking some of our dinghies away to our winter workshops this week where members will undertake the essential winter maintenance.
With increased use this season there is quite a lot to be done to the dinghies and so we will be kept quite busy during these colder and possibly damper few months. We will also be organising a number of social events throughout Winter/early Spring, all of which will be added to or Calendar (see tab above).
The 2017 sailing season is now over and so we will be taking some of our dinghies away to our winter workshops this week where members will undertake the essential winter maintenance.
With increased use this season there is quite a lot to be done to the dinghies and so we will be kept quite busy during these colder and possibly damper few months. We will also be organising a number of social events throughout Winter/early Spring, all of which will be added to or Calendar (see tab above).
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