Where to sail

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Yacht Ponds and Boating Lakes.

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Where to sail can be a problem, safety should be paramount especially with young children who should be supervised at all times. When introducing very young children to sailing model yachts it is best to find a raised pond like those at Aldeburgh near the Moot Hall and in the Croft, Sudbury, here you can free sail quite easily. Many parks have ponds and lakes but the maturity of overhanging trees and shrubs often dictates that these ponds are only suitable for radio control or sailing using a tether. Some sites like Wicksteed Park in Kettering however do have specially designed yacht ponds where you can free sail small and large yachts alike. It is a question of going to look beforehand to check the suitability of the yacht pond.

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Duck Ponds

 

Village and town duck ponds are of course very handy some are in beautiful locations and are perfect for sailing but only if they do not have steep banks and are not choked with bullrushes, using a tether is advisable if some of the banks are inaccessible. One renowned duck pond is Consols pond near St Ives in Cornwall this pond hosts an all-comers sailing event every Good Friday this is a tradition that dates back over a hundred years!

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The Seaside

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Some seaside resorts provide outdoor swimming pools that fill when the tide comes in, the attraction with these pools is that the concrete edges act like breakwaters reducing the effect of crashing waves creating a virtual harbour providing a calm sailing experience. Smaller toy yachts can be sailed in rock pools or lagoons, but if you want to sail in the sea then you need to find a coast with a long shallow beach, such a beach will reduce the strength and height of the waves. It is best to find a section of tidal estuary like that near the car park in Kingsbridge, Devon. Your yacht should be washed down using tap water immediately after use as the corrosive action of seawater will cause the metal fittings to corrode.

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Lakes

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Lakes are usually very overgrown with the water only accessible from swims made for anglers, they often have steep slippery banks, so they are usually best suited to radio-controlled sailing they can be very large, with many obstructions that will impede free sailing, Such dangers are overhanging tree branches, tree roots, thick reed beds, thick Lily beds and islands. It is advisable to sail with a tether then you can at least pull your yacht from danger. Some lakes in parks do a hard standing and Tarmac paths at the water's edge the edge of the water is sometimes better maintained, these lakes are more suitable if you are lucky enough to live near one.

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Mill ponds

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Mill ponds can be accessible for sailing model yachts but be sure to ask the landowners permission some can be choked with cabbage weed and be too shallow, but you are certain of a beautiful location. Access may only be available from one bank so tethering your yacht would be sensible.

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Canals

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Sailing in a canal can be difficult if the water is difficult to reach and full of narrowboats, however, there is usually very little current and the banks are free from overhanging trees and bullrushes. Sailing with a tether is advisable.

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Rivers

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Sailing on rivers can be difficult not only can they have steep banks, but the banks can be unstable and slippery. Some rivers are too fast-flowing and are too shallow to sail on, however, some rivers like the Great Ouse flow very fast and are also very deep. If you fell in you would be swept away. If you do find a suitable river your yacht will of course have to contend with a current, a tether would be very advisable.

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Swimming Pools

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Swimming pools either outdoors or indoors provide a super place to sail at home the water is clean and blue, you can access the water from all points around the pool, indoor pools are perfect for sailing in winter keeping you dry and warm, with the added bonus of heated water.

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Garden Ponds

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If you are lucky enough to have a garden pond you can sail your yachts in the tranquillity of your garden, just be careful not to spook your goldfish. Garden ponds come in a variety of sizes some are ornamental whilst others have been made to support wildlife, either type of pond is suitable.

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Paddling Pools

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Paddling pools are usually inflatable, come in various sizes and some are often deep enough to sail small to medium-sized yachts. Just be careful not to puncture the pool. 

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Tin Baths and Butler Sinks

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Some of us are not able to access a local pond suitable for sailing, but if you have a tin bath or an old Butler sink you can at least float your smaller yachts, in fact on Star Yachts Float Your Boat Day you are encouraged to sail on or in anything that comes to hand whether a bucket or the bath. Float Your Boat Day is held on the 30th of June each year and is held to remember the closure of the Star Yacht factory in Birkenhead near Liverpool. 

 

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Model Yacht Clubs.

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If you are a beginner you could join a local model sailing club, you are then joining a support group of like-minded experienced people that will help you get the best from your yacht, there are many model boat clubs up and down the country. Members have varied interests some are into radio control others just powerboats but there will be someone that like you that just wants to free sail for fun.

 

The Vintage Model Yacht Group is also worth joining, you will then receive The Turning Pole, this publication is issued quarterly you can read other members articles on racing yachts down to clockwork and rubbered powered toy boats. Along with the latest news and items for sale, they have an excellent web site that is full of additional information.