Buying a Celtic longboat

[Rachel]

Dear members
                  With our active membership growing quickly from the Get up and Go courses, and our more traditional routes, the committee feel that now is the right time for the club to buy another boat.  Back in January at the AGM, Dave and I proposed trying out a number of boats against the following set of criteria:-
 
1.       Allow for at least 4 rowers, a cox and a passenger.
2.       Be seaworthy in Force 4-Force 5.
3.       Have low maintenance costs / effort.
4.       Be easily transportable, ideally movable by a single crew.
5.       Be capable of being towed on a double trailer.
6.       Be of a type that will allow us to partake in racing both GRR and other events that we regularly compete in.
7.       Be capable of being used for touring.
8.       Be affordable.
9.       Provide a potential to obtain a further boat of the same type.
10.     Look good on the water.

During the past year or so, we borrowed a Celtic Longboat and a Jolly boat for a couple of months each which gave all members the opportunity to try them. We have also rowed St Ayles Skiffs thanks to Mike, and Bursledon Gigs brought over for us to try by Tudor rowing club. After considering the feedback from members and measuring each boat against the criteria, we have decided we would like to purchase our first Celtic Longboat.  

This is a really exciting step for us as a club.  Celtic Longboats are a large class in the Great River Race and there are trophies for Mens, Ladies, Mixed and Veterans. They also race in the Ocean to City event in Cork which we would plan to enter. The rowing club at Itchenor already have a Celtic and had success with it in their first ever GRR with their ladies crew coming third in the class. Dell Quay are also planning to buy one, so there is the opportunity to race the class locally too.

As well as racing, we plan to do more touring as this has proved very popular with members. There was a group of Celtic Longboats at the Gulf du Morbihan event, which lots of our members took part in in June, and we were in awe of the ease with which the crews were able to launch and recover their boats. Another boat would give us more capacity for touring while still leaving boats at home for other members to use.

The boat costs £10,500 including VAT. Sadly they are not available second hand as they are so popular. The club has £8000 in the reserve account allocated for this purchase. This means we need to raise £2,500 for the boat and then additional funds for a cover. Later next year we will look at buying the racing oars needed for the class events and in the future with touring in mind we would hope to buy a double trailer and a second boat.  

To be able to place the order for the boat we need to be sure we can cover the whole cost.  If you think you might be able to either loan the club money or make a donation towards this purchase please contact me by email at [e-mail] so that we can discuss it.  We will also be holding fundraising events during the year to help pay for the boat and repay loans.

Here’s to another year of adventure!
Rachel and Dave ( Rowing Captains )

[michael]

Rachel,

Does this leave enough in the kitty to restore "Fancy That"?

Michael

On Mon, Oct 21, 2019 at 9:35 PM Rachel [via Langstone Cutters RC] <[hidden email]> wrote:

Dear members
                  With our active membership growing quickly from the Get up and Go courses, and our more traditional routes, the committee feel that now is the right time for the club to buy another boat.  Back in January at the AGM, Dave and I proposed trying out a number of boats against the following set of criteria:-
 
1.       Allow for at least 4 rowers, a cox and a passenger.
2.       Be seaworthy in Force 4-Force 5.
3.       Have low maintenance costs / effort.
4.       Be easily transportable, ideally movable by a single crew.
5.       Be capable of being towed on a double trailer.
6.       Be of a type that will allow us to partake in racing both GRR and other events that we regularly compete in.
7.       Be capable of being used for touring.
8.       Be affordable.
9.       Provide a potential to obtain a further boat of the same type.
10.     Look good on the water.

During the past year or so, we borrowed a Celtic Longboat and a Jolly boat for a couple of months each which gave all members the opportunity to try them. We have also rowed St Ayles Skiffs thanks to Mike, and Bursledon Gigs brought over for us to try by Tudor rowing club. After considering the feedback from members and measuring each boat against the criteria, we have decided we would like to purchase our first Celtic Longboat.  

This is a really exciting step for us as a club.  Celtic Longboats are a large class in the Great River Race and there are trophies for Mens, Ladies, Mixed and Veterans. They also race in the Ocean to City event in Cork which we would plan to enter. The rowing club at Itchenor already have a Celtic and had success with it in their first ever GRR with their ladies crew coming third in the class. Dell Quay are also planning to buy one, so there is the opportunity to race the class locally too.

As well as racing, we plan to do more touring as this has proved very popular with members. There was a group of Celtic Longboats at the Gulf du Morbihan event, which lots of our members took part in in June, and we were in awe of the ease with which the crews were able to launch and recover their boats. Another boat would give us more capacity for touring while still leaving boats at home for other members to use.

The boat costs £10,500 including VAT. Sadly they are not available second hand as they are so popular. The club has £8000 in the reserve account allocated for this purchase. This means we need to raise £2,500 for the boat and then additional funds for a cover. Later next year we will look at buying the racing oars needed for the class events and in the future with touring in mind we would hope to buy a double trailer and a second boat.  

To be able to place the order for the boat we need to be sure we can cover the whole cost.  If you think you might be able to either loan the club money or make a donation towards this purchase please contact me by email at [hidden email] so that we can discuss it.  We will also be holding fundraising events during the year to help pay for the boat and repay loans.

Here’s to another year of adventure!
Rachel and Dave ( Rowing Captains )

---

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NAML

[Chris Partridge]

Restoration of FancyThat should be fully covered by the Heritage Lottery Fund, but only if our bid is successful. I would certainly advise against committing funds to other boats until we have the money from HLF.
And I feel that we should wait until Fancy That is on the water before we buy another plastic boat. When she arrives we will have three galleys and two Claydon Skiffs, both of which are under-used. Perhaps we should sell them first.

[Mike Gilbert]

Rachel, my thoughts are in line with Michael and Chris Partridge.

• We have just procured a hull of a heritage Solent Galley and, while we are bidding for HLF funding (and so far they have been supportive), we do not have approval as yet and do not know what they will or will not fund.
• Therefore I think it would be prudent to hold fire on any new acquisition like a Celtic Long Boat until the Fancy That Project is complete, and keep our reserves for unforeseen issues that may arise from the Project - it is going to be in the order of £40,000 of work to manage this activity and the Club will need to be focussed.

On Mon, 21 Oct 2019 at 21:35, Rachel [via Langstone Cutters RC] <[hidden email]> wrote:

Dear members
                  With our active membership growing quickly from the Get up and Go courses, and our more traditional routes, the committee feel that now is the right time for the club to buy another boat.  Back in January at the AGM, Dave and I proposed trying out a number of boats against the following set of criteria:-
 
1.       Allow for at least 4 rowers, a cox and a passenger.
2.       Be seaworthy in Force 4-Force 5.
3.       Have low maintenance costs / effort.
4.       Be easily transportable, ideally movable by a single crew.
5.       Be capable of being towed on a double trailer.
6.       Be of a type that will allow us to partake in racing both GRR and other events that we regularly compete in.
7.       Be capable of being used for touring.
8.       Be affordable.
9.       Provide a potential to obtain a further boat of the same type.
10.     Look good on the water.

During the past year or so, we borrowed a Celtic Longboat and a Jolly boat for a couple of months each which gave all members the opportunity to try them. We have also rowed St Ayles Skiffs thanks to Mike, and Bursledon Gigs brought over for us to try by Tudor rowing club. After considering the feedback from members and measuring each boat against the criteria, we have decided we would like to purchase our first Celtic Longboat.  

This is a really exciting step for us as a club.  Celtic Longboats are a large class in the Great River Race and there are trophies for Mens, Ladies, Mixed and Veterans. They also race in the Ocean to City event in Cork which we would plan to enter. The rowing club at Itchenor already have a Celtic and had success with it in their first ever GRR with their ladies crew coming third in the class. Dell Quay are also planning to buy one, so there is the opportunity to race the class locally too.

As well as racing, we plan to do more touring as this has proved very popular with members. There was a group of Celtic Longboats at the Gulf du Morbihan event, which lots of our members took part in in June, and we were in awe of the ease with which the crews were able to launch and recover their boats. Another boat would give us more capacity for touring while still leaving boats at home for other members to use.

The boat costs £10,500 including VAT. Sadly they are not available second hand as they are so popular. The club has £8000 in the reserve account allocated for this purchase. This means we need to raise £2,500 for the boat and then additional funds for a cover. Later next year we will look at buying the racing oars needed for the class events and in the future with touring in mind we would hope to buy a double trailer and a second boat.  

To be able to place the order for the boat we need to be sure we can cover the whole cost.  If you think you might be able to either loan the club money or make a donation towards this purchase please contact me by email at [hidden email] so that we can discuss it.  We will also be holding fundraising events during the year to help pay for the boat and repay loans.

Here’s to another year of adventure!
Rachel and Dave ( Rowing Captains )

---

If you reply to this email, your message will be added to the discussion below:

http://langstone-cutters-rc.1095392.n5.nabble.com/Buying-a-Celtic-longboat-tp20488.html

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NAML

[Dee]

I think best to discuss again at our next committee meeting , clearly needs to be on the agenda.

Great work by the way Rachel.

Dee

[Rachel]

Dear members,
     
 Thank you for your email responses, donations and offers of loans please keep them coming!

Rachel

[Steve Woods]

Dear Members,

With my Chairman hat on…

Please be reassured that the decision to purchase a Long Boat was taken by a quorum of the committee in line with the club’s constitution. It is an action from our AGM on the Agenda and minutes, as was the evaluation and consideration of boats listed at the AGM, criteria as explained by Dave and Rachel above. Funds have been reserved and we are seeking gifts and loans and possibly fundraising for the shortfall.

I would like to address the concerns raised on the posts above from Michael, Chris and Mike.

Fleet: There are no plans to sell the Tefi’s or the Claydons, we enjoy them and some members Love them… and I will take this opportunity to encourage all members to acquire the skill of sculling the Tefi’s it’s a good workout and both the Claydons and the Tefi’s have won the club glory and silverware.

Funds: Marcus our treasurer has served the club well both effectively and efficiently and we have adequate funds to continue to run the club safely and maintain the fleet and trailers etc. Thank you for your support, pin money and the unseen labours of love and the storage, care of the fleet and gear which go a long way.

Fancy That: We as a committee agreed to rescue Fancy That and we have not committed to restoration as we have waited for surveys and estimates currently c.19K for restoration. Currently this is incorporated into a proposed 40k for a Solent Galley Project. A subcommittee has been formed with Mike Gilbert, Chris Partridge and Rachel Norris chaired by Colin McPhee. We will have a presentation and proposal at our next AGM.
 
If you have any concerns, please email/call me or Richard Harrison our secretary and not on this forum and we commit to bring them to the committee verbatim next meeting November 18th. Row on......

Please Note:

Gifts or loans please email [e-mail]

AGM: date TBC

Trafalgar Night: 6th November see post and contact Les Plater for tickets a Good Night traditional for the club and we celebrate our Great River Race.  

[John Child]

Steve, For the benefit of some of us newer members, could you please briefly elaborate on the difference between a c£19k restoration and a c£40k 'Solent Galley Project'?  
Thanks, John

[Steve Woods]

John,

Thank you my original text did not make that clear.....

Fancy That: We as a committee agreed to rescue Fancy That and we have not committed to restoration as we have waited for surveys and estimates currently c.19K for restoration. Currently this is incorporated into a proposed 40k for a Solent Galley Project. A subcommittee has been formed with Mike Gilbert, Chris Partridge and Rachel Norris chaired by Colin McPhee. We will have a presentation and proposal at our next AGM.

So the Galley could be fully restored professionally current estimate c.19K or possibly less with more DIY input however it is more than a refurb at present. There is a proposal to in scope for a bigger Heritage Project with community involvement beyond the club hence the bigger sum.

We will know soon if the bid has been successful

Mike Gilbert can give you more detail.

Cheers









 

[John Child]

Thanks Steve.

[Rachel]

Dear members,
     
 Thank you for your offers of donations and loans, what a great club we are! Please keep them coming!

Rachel

[Jonathan R]

Rachel
Rowing is a recognised sport and eligible for Charitable status, either as a CASC or a Charity.
If either of these structures were adopted Gift Aid would be available and reduce the funds needed to be raised circa £23,000 by about £5,000.
Currently for me to give £100 after tax costs me £132. I find this to be very expensive and I am reluctant to contribute.
If a charity structure is adopted other options become available and I can be very generous.

If you want to discuss this further I would like to do so privately by a telephone conversation with you or email.

But I do believe the Committee has a responsibility to fully inform the whole membership as to why you are not including the Charity option at this time and requiring the members to raise such a large amount of extra money when it is wholly unnecessary.

Jonathan Robertson

[Rachel]

Hi Jonathan,
            Firstly I just wanted to clarify that at the moment we are trying to raise £2,500 to allow us to order the Celtic Longboat not £23,000.
            Your point about Gift Aid is a good one which I did look into a few weeks ago with the help of a CASC and Charity advisor at HMRC. He clarified that Gift Aid could not be claimed on any donations made by members from which they would benefit, for example donating money to help buy a boat and then benefiting from rowing it. Because the club has no buildings which it could claim rent rebates on, and no income it could claim VAT relief on there are currently no advantages to becoming a CASC or Charity and some disadvantages in terms of tax so the committee have decided it is not appropriate to change the way we operate at the moment.
              Please do feel free to contact me by email at [e-mail] to discuss your offer.

Rachel


 

[Martin Evans]

In my personal view a very nice boat to purchase.

Martin