Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Salterns?

The Salterns is a sailing club for children where they can learn to enjoy sailing and gain experience in organisation and administration of a sailing club.

Who runs the Salterns?

The Club is entirely run by volunteers. There is a Junior and Senior Committee and while many of the management committee posts are held by adults, the Commodore and Vice-Commodore, and the Rear Commodores for Sailing and House can be either junior or adult held positions.

What about duties?

All parents will have to do at least one duty a year. There is also a working party for club maintenance at the beginning of the season.

Where is the Salterns Sailing Club?

The Salterns is off Maiden Lane, Lymington. The sailing area is an 8 acres pond, created from an old saltpan. The depth is about one metre, except in one corner where it is about 2 metres.

Who owns the Club?

The site is owned by Hampshire County Council. It is a site of Special Scientific Interest, which means that there are strict controls on its use.

What boats can be sailed at the Club?

British Moths, Optimists and Scows.

What about other craft?

The club owns several rowing boats, which are used for supervision and a couple of tiny rowing boats known as Peanuts. Special permission is required for any other craft to be sailed at the Salterns

When is the Club open?

The Salterns is open from the beginning of April to end of November each year. Full members can use the club at any time during this period, with exception of a couple of weekends a year. Club

afternoons are from 2-4pm on Sundays with the exception of Sundays in August.

Who can join?

Members must be over four and under sixteen to apply for membership. To be a full member children need to be at least seven years old. All members have to be able to swim 10m unaided.

Is there instruction?

The club is affiliated to the RYA but there is no formal instruction outside of Moppy Camps (see below). However, during Club afternoons there is always a member of the Junior Committee and Senior Committee present to give guidance as well as duty parents.

What is Moppy Camp?

Moppy Camp is run on two weekends a year. It is a non-residential intensive training course when children can work towards various sailing pennants. The minimum age for Moppy Camp is six years. These courses are very popular and membership does not guarantee a place on a course.

Do I need my own boat to sail at the Salterns? 

No, but if you do not own or have a part share in a British Moth registered by the Club then you will be asked to lease a share of a Club Moth, which is part of the annual membership fee. The club owns a number of British Moths, Optimists, Scows, a Cadet and small rowing boats (peanuts). Children aged six and over can helm an Optimist (Oppie). Younger children can crew an Oppie helmed by an older Junior member during Club sessions. Sailing of Club Moths is restricted to children with Blue Pennant or equivalent. 

Can parents sail?

The terms of the lease do not allow for adults to sail the boats without a junior on board. The Scows are ideal boats for adults to sail with juniors.

Can I keep a boat at the Salterns?

There are a limited number of boat park spaces available to members. British Moths registered at the Club can be parked at no cost. There is a fee for all other boats and membership of the club does not guarantee a boat park space.

Is there racing at the Salterns?

There is regular Moth racing at the Salterns for qualified helms and children who wish to learn to race in Oppies can attend Bronze Fleet, which is part of the Lymington Optimist Flotilla.

What is the Lymington Optimist Flotilla?

The Flotilla comprises of three groups, Bronze, Silver and Gold. The Bronze Fleet introduces children of Blue Pennant standard to the basics of racing and is held at the Salterns. The other groups are usually held on the river and are aimed at juniors who wish to race at Optimist Open Meetings around the country. To take part on the river juniors need to be Cadet Members of the Royal Lymington Yacht Club.

What activities are there?

The season opens with an Opening Drinks Party on the first Sunday in April. Most Sundays there is informal sailing and a series of Moth racing is organised. There is a BBQ on the Saturday evening of Moppy Camp and a Torchlight Race on a Saturday evening in autumn. In November there is usually a Bonfire night as well as a sail through the night for the Children in Need Appeal. The season ends with a model boat race, the AGM and prize giving.

What should children wear?

All children on the water, on the pontoon or playing by the edge of the pond need to wear a buoyancy aid. As for clothing, it is not essential to invest in wet or dry suits straightaway.  Warm clothing with a waterproof outer layer should suffice on cold days. There is a good second-hand market for wet suits.

Can children be left at the Salterns?

Children under the age of 14 cannot, under any circumstances, be left at the Salterns. They must always be accompanied by a responsible adult.  The Duty Committee Member is not ‘in loco parentis’.

What is in the club house?

The club house has changing rooms for boys and girls and toilet facilities. There is a small galley and on Sunday afternoons Duty Parents sell tea/coffee/snacks etc. A key for the club house is available on payment of a refundable deposit.

How can I join the Salterns?

The Salterns Sailing Club is at currently at capacity and not accepting new members at the moment. However, if you are interested in your children sailing at the Salterns this year then they can visit as Temporary Members on a Club afternoon or with a full member as their guest at times outside Club afternoons. Club afternoons are on Sundays between 2 and 4pm, on any Sunday during the season except Moppy Camp Sundays and all Sundays in August when formal Club sessions are not run.

Children can make up to three visits a year as Temporary Members. On each visit a Temporary Members Indemnity Form must be completed and the Salterns Sailing Club Guest Book must be signed. The fee per child is £3.00 per visit. Temporary Membership is restricted to children who can swim at least 10 metres unaided and who are at least four years old but not more than 15 years old.    

All visiting children will need to provide their own Life Jacket or Buoyancy Aid as the Club does not have these available for loan and parents also need to wear a Life Jacket or Buoyancy Aid when in/on the water.

Children under 6 years old are not allowed to helm single-handers. This means that children under 6 years old can only sail as crew. Adults can take children sailing but adults are not allowed to sail at the Salterns unless they are with a child.

All Temporary Members must abide by the Club Constitution, lease and by-laws of the Club.

If after making three visits as a Temporary Member, you are still interested in applying for membership of the Salterns Sailing Club please provide the Membership Secretary with the name, date of birth, school currently attending of your children, and full contact details for yourselves, including address, telephone numbers and email address.

However, please NOTE

1. At present the club is not considering any families with children under the age of eight for membership.

2. The Salterns does not operate a waiting list based on the date of application for membership.

3.  A number of different criteria are used when considering application for membership.

4. The Membership Secretary is a voluntary position and the Secretary prefers to correspond by email. The email address is to be found on the Club notice board.