Boating
Welcome to u3a Boating. This section covers all forms of Boating, that includes sailing, motor craft as well as rowing/ paddling and model boats. If you are unable to find that for which you are looking please feel free to contact the u3a National Boating Adviser at
It is seldom that any particular local u3a has enough interest to form a 'Boating Group' however within a region there are many boaters; so you are not alone.
Boat Owners - If you are prepared to take u3a members out for a trip or two please contact
Non Owners - If you wish to try boating then have a look below and see if there is anything that may be of interest. If not, then please contact
In the event that you get a ride check first if any contribution to the running costs is expected. Boats are expensive to run and there is little reason that boat owner should pay out of his/ her pocket to give you a good time. Making a contribution is standard practice.
Note. All boating could be deemed a 'dangerous sport'. With this in mind please remember that any activity with which you get involved should be deemed as NOT a U3A activity; unless otherwise specifically stated. Your skipper will be concerned for your well-being but YOUR safety remains your responsibility and your risk. Do you need insurance cover? – Please read the Insurance Section for your own well being.
INSURANCE
(For full Insurance details please refer to the u3a Trust website - https://www.u3a.org.uk/tam-downloads/insurance-cover-note-2024?highlight=WyJpbnN1cmFuY2UiXQ== )
1) Use of Boats Under 8 metres on Inland Waters or within 12 miles of the coast (Inshore Waters) – Day Boating only. (Boating includes all craft from yachts & dinghies to motor boats/canal boats to canoes/ kayaks.)
A) Is the event part of a u3a committee approved Group? If so, then the u3a Trust insurance policy will cover you providing that a Risk Assessment has been undertaken for that trip and Safety Advice given
B) Is the event Not Approved by a u3a committee? If so, then any u3a Trust insurance policy will not cover you. You should make your own insurance arrangements should you feel it is necessary. But you go boating at your own risk.
C) Whether your event falls into category A) or B) above please remember that boating, of any sort, can be dangerous. Always ensure that proper advice has been taken and that you have confidence in the arrangements. (see 3) below)
D) If the trip involves a professional skipper and crew then that entity should have public liability insurance to cover an accident. Always worth checking.
2) Use of Boats 8 metres or over on any water inland or at sea for any period
A) No u3a Committee should approve any event of the nature described in 2) above.
B) There is no insurance cover provided by u3a Trust for an event as described in 2) above.
C) No event as described in 2) above can be described as a u3a event and any correspondence by email or otherwise should clearly state, perhaps as a footnote, something along the lines of ‘Boating is dangerous. Whilst the organisers and skipper have every concern for your welfare your safety must remain your responsibility. If in doubt, Don’t.’
D) If the trip involves a professional skipper and crew then that entity should have public liability insurance to cover an accident. Always worth checking.
3) What to be aware of when organising or participating in a boating trip relating to either 1) or 2) above
A) The organiser should prepare a Risk Assessment. (See www.rya.org.uk for further advice or Paddle UK https://paddleuk.org.uk/ for canoe/ kayaking advice.)
B) The organiser and participantshould check that he/ she is satisfied with the seaworthiness of the craft.
C) The organiser should check the water conditions including sea state, tide, depth or does the river go over a waterfall for twice the expected duration of the trip to cover delays due to illness, breakdown etc.
D) The organiser and participant should check the weather to ensure that it looks reasonable for twice the planned the duration of the event to cover for any unforeseen delay.
E) The organiser should tell someone ashore where they plan to go and what time they expect to return.
F) The organiser and participant should satisfy themselves that suitable safety measures are in place. E.g buoyancy aids, support for those with mobility issues and/ or lack of experience.
G) The organiser should ensure that all participants, including helpers, are briefed on the event and what should be done should something untoward happen.
H) The organiser should remind those involved in events described in 1B) and 2) that they are not covered by any insurance and that they are on the planned trip at their own risk. Most general insurers may not provide suitable cover but specialist insurers will. One such is Navigator Travel Insurance 0161 973 6435
I) Every participant should be responsible for their own safety and satisfy themselves that all is in order. If in doubt, don’t. Having said that many crew sail or go boating without specialist insurance e.g. canal or Broads Boating as well is sailing trips for a day, week or month at their own risk. By using caution one can have a safe and enjoyable trip. However, should you feel that crossing the Channel, or the Atlantic, might be dodgy or you may have an accident e.g. trip over a rope or fall out of the canoe then you may wish to insure yourself.
Boating in all forms is enjoyed safely by millions of people so ‘play it safe’ and enjoy it.
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Important. Many Boating activities are organised by individuals and not under the auspices of U3A. Organisers are always concerned for your safety but your safety remains your responsibility. For further advice contact Nick Hoskins at
Canoeing/ Kayaking/ StandUp Paddleboarding (SUP) can be great fun and can take you to places where others cannot go; particularly with the smaller streams. However, please note that usually the water authorities require that you have a licence to use that water. Day passes are generally available for both rivers and canals. These funds go towards the upkeep of the waterways.
Safety:
Whilst your leader will, one hopes, take reasonable care for your welfare it is advisable that everyone considers that they are boating at their own risk. Thus, in an event of an incident you are responsible for that incident.
Always wear a buoyancy aid.
Always check the weather including rain and wind. If the wind is strong, for how long can the weakest in the Group paddle?
Always check and ascertain water flow. If the flow is noticeable, for how long can the weakest in the Group paddle? … and if you don’t think that you can paddle against the stream for at least 200 metres then don’t go on that water or come off it as soon as possible.
Safeguarding and safety - https://paddleuk.org.uk/safeguarding-and-safety/
RYA Safety - https://rnli.org/safety/choose-your-activity/stand-up-paddle-boarding
The following links all provide useful info so do take a quick look. Remember that the authorities cannot cover ever metre of waterway so estimate the situation on the water that you may wish to use from the nearest that is discussed:
Water conditions:
www.gov.uk/check-river-conditions-and-closures
https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/boating/notices-and-stoppages/strong-stream-warnings
https://gopaddling.info/paddlepoints/ - Useful data re accessibility and conditions.
https://gopaddling.info/blog/tips-and-advice/general-paddling/river-gradings-simple-guide/ - For the grading of difficulty of the UK's rivers; as described.
Safeguarding and safety - https://paddleuk.org.uk/safeguarding-and-safety/
Also, note that people have drowned going over weirs. It is easy to get dragged into the undertow and sucked under!
Lastly, if you are starting up a Group you would be well advised to talk to other u3a Group leaders for advice. Try searching for Canoeing u3a. The Group could be anywhere in the country and their advice is sure to be helpful.
Happy paddling.
Dinghy Sailing can be great fun in both single and two handed boats. Most such boating is carried out within a sailing club. Sailing by oneself can be pleasant but sharing experiences can be far more enjoyable. As a novice, a little training helps to start with and many clubs offer RYA training courses. These are internationally recognised qualifications and, generally, not difficult. For clubs offering training near you look at https://www.rya.org.uk/Pages/Home.aspx. However, many clubs offer an 'Open Day' where anyone can go for a trial sail and see what it feels like, so you may wish to try that for free first. Clubs also often have boats that can be hired.
For dinghies, there are broadly two types of sailing; racing and cruising. Once you get the idea of sailing it is best to join a race. This helps to develop your skills far more quickly. However, as a novice, you are unlikely to come first but please do remember - Every Race is a Race against the Boat in Front and the Boat Behind. Stay ahead of the boat behind and overtake the boat in front and you are a champion.
To see if there is a Sailing Group near you please go to https://u3asites.org.uk/oversights/show.php?page=groups. Key in Sailing into the 'search' field (top right) and some local U3A's will come up. Don't be surprised if they are full.
To start your own Sailing Group will take much hard work. It is not practical to buy your own boat as a Group but clubs often have boats that can be hired. There is one aspect of using clubs on lakes and reservoirs that must be taken into account. Most such clubs are required to ensure that there is a Safety Boat available at all times that sailing craft is on the water. (A good opportunity for members to get qualified as a Power Boat user and also a qualified Rescue Boat operator.) That means that usually, one can only sail when the club is open. Not insurmountable.
The first step is to make general enquiries of a sailing club that you think may be ok for your Group. Having got a feel for that end then put together a short ‘write up’ that can go into local u3a Newsletters. To find your local u3as go to https://www.u3a.org.uk/regional-u3a-websites then select the Regions Tab and choose your region and then select Members and a list of u3as within the region will be displayed. If you click on each, near you, then you should find an email ‘contact’ address. Your article can be circulated to each address with a request to put it in the U3As Newsletter. I would guess that within the 10 nearest U3As you may well get 6 or so members to join you. However, also expect only half to be available at any one time. If it were me, I would also set up a unique email address such as
It is said that owning a yacht is rather like standing under a cold shower flushing £5 or £10 notes down the drain; depending upon how big your boat is.
There are a number of U3A members who are willing to take members out; as a non u3a activity. There are also a number of clubs that may be worth considering. In addition, there are a number of RYA courses staring with the simple Competent Crew and ending up with an Offshore Commercial Certificate enabling one to take fare-paying passengers across the ocean.
For:
- Training Centres see https://www.rya.org.uk/Pages/Home.aspx
- Sailing (Yacht) clubs also see https://www.rya.org.uk/Pages/Home.aspx
- U3A members with boats near Fareham (Catermaran), Lowestoft ( 30ft yacht), Conway (30ft Ketch) Est Coast
(36ft Yacht) contact
- Non u3a connect organisations:
Brighton Belle - a member (not U3A) owned 55 ft yacht. For full details see https://www.brightonbelle.org/index.php/about . She is a nice looking boat and travels over a wide European range. (At the time of writing July 2020) she is lying in the Canaries.
Channel Sailing Club - The club is based near Epsom and meets every Tue evening. It is a place where owners of boats can meet up with the crew. Living near Epsom is not essential however you will need to visit the club to become a member and you will need to visit the club for a briefing before going on a specific trip. So you should live within, say an hour's drive, in off-peak hours. Annual membership fee is currently (2020) £30. If staying on board there is a standard contribution to running costs of circa £15-20 per night plus a share in berthing, fuel used etc. For more info http://www.channelsailingclub.org
Go Sailing Association - Within the club each member becomes a partial owner of the three boats owned by the club. This entitles every member to benefit from the use of a boat albeit as a novice deck hand or skipper and doing so at well below comparable 'charter' boats. The three craft are variously based at Southampton, Plymouth and the Clyde thus offering a fabulous range of sailing opportunities. For more information see https://www.gosail.club/ . (But remember that selling your share may not be as easy as buying a share. Caveat emptor)
The Penguin Club - This is a 'virtual club' with no base. Its aim is to offer low-cost sailing. Three trips a year are organised. If you want a cabin to yourself, you may well be allowed to pay for two berths. Boats are usually filled to capacity and geared towards the younger set. For more info see http://www.penguin.org.uk
Sutton Mariners - Similar in form to Channel sailing club but with small differences. See http://suttonmariners.org.uk for details.
Motor cruising tends not to lend itself to 'group' outings however we do have one member who kindly takes 2-3 people at a time on his boat based on the Thames. For more info please contact
We would love to have more members with boats to take non-boat owners out for the day.
The following are great if you wish to organise a small group from your own U3A to enjoy a safe trip out on the water. (Note: I have been on none of these so can offer no critique on any)
- Chichester Ship Canal see https://chichestercanal.org.uk/boat-trips/scheduled-trips/
- Hillingdon_Narrowboats - Based at Harefield near Uxbridge and offering 4 hour, self-steer, trips and longer trips. More info at https://www.hillingdon-narrowboats.org.uk Near Harefield tel: 01895 823582
- Waterways Experiences - based at Kings Langley. See Waterways Experiences: wexp.org.uk tel: 01923 723819 for further details.
- Hebden Bridge Cruises - (nice to have an option in Yorkshire) See https://hebdenbridgecruises.com
- Also, we have two members with canal boats who might take 2-4 people out for a day trip. This is correct at 2020 and the owners may no longer be offering ride sat any time. For more info please contact
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. stating what you would like and where.
The first is based at Byfleet on the river Wey
The second Nr Milton Keynes on the Grand Union
{slider Rowing Boats}
One member organises the use of rowing boats on the Broads. If this is of interest, please contact
This should be of interest to some members and can be for remote-controlled motorboats or remote-controlled sailing boats. There are a number of enthusiastic clubs around the country. Do a search on 'model boat clubs near me' and go on from there. Most clubs will be pleased to have a new member. If you wish to start your own Group, then follow the process in Insurance above.
The RYA is internationally recognised and is the governing body, as near as, for all boating activity. Their website, https://www.rya.org.uk/Pages/Home.aspx is worth perusing and can provide much useful information.
For anything else please contact your Boating Adviser via the contact form above or