Sailing is an appropriate activity with little environmental impact. There is little
sailing on National Trust-owned inland waters, but on coastal waters adjoining Trust land it is considerable.
Where there is pressure for more access to such waters, the Trust should consider these needs carefully.
Guiding
principles
1. The National Trust welcomes sailing on its inland and adjoining
coastal waters. 2. It should consider new opportunities on condition that use
is compatible with wildlife conservation and the need to maintain some water bodies as 'remote' and
tranquil. 3. Use should be managed by permit and licence where possible. 4.
Charges for parking, berthing, launching and/or mooring may be made by the National Trust to contribute
to management costs.
Good
practice
Liaise with clubs, outdoor
centres etc. and form local access groups wherever possible.
In cases of conflict
with other water-users, encourage initiatives from the clubs/activities involved to specify the conflicts,
quantify incidents and suggest solutions. Limit numbers of moorings, car parks
and boats and the number and siting of approved launching/landing places. Crummock Water
& Buttermere, North West; Brownsea Island, Southern Institute refuges
for breeding and wintering birds with buffer zones marked by buoys, publicise with diagrams and maps
in leaflets and on boards. Strangford Lough, Northern Ireland Introduce 'refuges'
for swimmers, anglers, canoeists and windsurfers, by time and/or area zoning. Lough
Erne, Northern Ireland Consider taking the lease of seabeds to manage
moorings. Studland, Wessex Close sites important for
wintering wildfowl during cold weather. Strangford Lough, Northern Ireland
Monitoring
suggestions
Levels of use; notable bird species (eg Red Data Book species). Many
sites have statistics from sales of launch permits and mooring tickets.
Trends
Increasing,
with particular demand for launching sites on the coast and boat storage during the sailing season and
winter. 1.5 million people are thought to sail in the UK.
RYA membership 1997
- 82,000 (personal members; club membership of 1,500 has not increased). Increase of 5% pa is forecast.
Possible impacts
- Disturbance
of water birds, both breeding and wintering, on open water and shoreline.
- Conflicts
between motor boats and sailing (danger to sailing boats).
Contacts
and liaison
Royal Yachting Association
(RYA)
RYA House, Romsey Road, Eastleigh, Hants SO50 9YA
Tel:
023 8062 7400
Fax: 023 8062 9924
Email: admin@rya.org.uk
Web site: www.rya.org.uk
Contact: Legal and
Government Affairs Manager
References
Royal
Yachting Association - RYA News, quarterly magazine. Batten, L.A. (1977). Sailing
on Reservoirs and its Effects on Water Birds. Biological Conservation, 2, 49-58. British
Marine Industries Federation & UK Centre for Economic and Environmental Development (1998). Navigate
With Nature - Are You On Course? BMIF & UK CEED, Cambridge. Royal
Yachting Association (1998). Tide Lines - Environmental Guidance for Boat Users.
Royal Yachting Association, Eastleigh, Hampshire.
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