A Talk on the BTAC was given by Ashley at the October meeting.
Ashley gave a talk on the work of the Barton Turf Adventure Centre.
This is the charity chosen by the current and previous Commodores. 
Dee and Debs presented Ashley with a donation of £350 at the meeting.This being the proceeds of their charity fund for 2020 and 2021.
See story below
BARTON TURF ADVENTURE CENTRE – A SHORT HISTORY
The story starts in the 1950’s, when the Director of Education for Hertfordshire recognised the value of outdoor activities and took groups of school children to Barton Turf during the school holidays to sail on Barton Broad. The campsite was a field rented form a local farmer and the young people had to set up the camp, including the camp kitchen around the fire pit, dig latrines and rig and launch boats.
In the 1970’s Hertfordshire decided to make the Centre more permanent and purchased the current site from Cox’s Boatyard and the Farmer, rumour has it that this was done via a compulsory purchase order!
The Centre was developed over several years, mainly by volunteers. Buildings are mostly redundant prefabricated school classrooms from Hertfordshire schools which were dismantled, transported and erected on the site. The marshland was dug out to provide jetties to moor the boats (Staithes in Norfolk) and the moorings.
Eventually, a Head of Centre was appointed, and wages paid by HCC, in line with the other outdoor Centres being developed by HCC. Schools were encouraged to use the Centre, for Sailing during the summer months and Geography Field trips at other times.
In 2003 a reorganisation of the Outdoor Centres was undertaken, at this time HCC had, I believe, 5 outdoor centres, one in Norfolk, one in Snowdonia and 3 in Hertfordshire. The review recommended that this was reduced to one centre in Hertfordshire, the centre at Barton and two in Hertfordshire to be disposed of. A campaign was started by the Hertfordshire Sailing and Canoeing Association to save Barton Turf. This was also supported by several councillors who refused to close the Centre and tasked their officers with finding a way to keep it open, at no cost to HCC.
The operation of the Centre was put out to tender. The Council Officers served the staff with redundancy notices and shut the Centre before the tender process was complete. BTAC-Services won the tender and were granted a 25-year lease. Unfortunately, this process took approximately 18 months and the lease was not agreed until mid-way through July 2005, too late for most bookings that year.
BTAC has been building up the Centre, both in terms of the activities offered, facilities and services provided for groups since taking on the Centre, although the main activity is still sailing. Boats have been improved and renewed and additional craft have been purchased. Canoeing and Powerboating have been added as additional on water activities.
The accommodation on site is in tents, these have been repaired and replaced as needed and each tent is on a concrete base with 4 beds and mattresses in each. In the past groups using the Centre have had to self-cater, BTAC is able to offer a full catering service for groups who prefer this.
Additional activities such as environmental studies can be offered, as well as teambuilding and conservation.
The latest project is to provide a drying room for clients, which is currently underway, and they are seeking funds to fit this out, for a dehumidifier so that clients can dry wet clothing overnight. The estimated cost for this is £750 to £1000.
The Donation from SOCA will go towards this purchase
Barton Turf Adventure Centre (BTAC) is a 7-acre private campsite and sailing school originally established for Hertfordshire schools’ use. Now run by Di Smith, Ashley Cato and Sheila Fishwick, its activities are open to everybody, but especially schools and youth groups.
They offer tuition for a range of adventurous (chiefly watersports) and environmental activities using Barton Broad and the 14-acre private nature reserve. The Centre has its own slipway into an arm of Barton Broad, and can launch and recover boats of up to about 6m in length, 2m beam, 0.5m draught (keels up). Wider boats have to be manhandled over the side of the quay, or launched through Cox’s Boatyard (for a fee). Boats may be moored overnight.
The camping facilities are open only to schools and other organised clubs and groups, and (subject to availability) to those booked on multi-day courses at the Centre. They have 11 permanent tents sleeping four each (in beds! but you need to bring your own sleeping bag and pillow).
Barton Broad is the second largest of the Norfolk Broads and arguably the best for sailing.
It has been subject to substantial improvement project recently undertaken by the Broads Authority aimed at restoring the silted broad to clear water. The project on the whole has been a success and Barton Broad is once again a real boating paradise.
The Broad is home to numerous wildlife, including many species of birds, fish and even otters who have returned to the Broad. The edge of the Broad is all nature reserve, and much of it is fenced off to provide fish-free areas where microlife can breed without being eaten. The Broad lies across the River Ant, and there is a certain amount of pleasureboat traffic moving through it. The Broad is about 2m deep at most. Power boats are subject to a 5mph speed limit.
The August 2022 SOCA Committee meeting was held on Thursday 18th August at the RNA in Welwyn Garden City.
Despite it being the peak holiday season it was a very well attended meeting with only one apology received.
All members commented that it was good to see the Commodore, Alex, in good health after his recent hip operation.
The committee discussed various topics including new requirements from our bank to stop money laundering??, the future programme of presentations and events, potential training, items for the website, and how to attract new members, plus general chit chat on sailing related topics. One of the new items on the agenda was two significant upcoming events in 2024.
2024 will mark the RNLI’s 200th birthday. It will also mark SOCA’S 40th anniversary.
Credit to RNLI
If you have any thoughts on anything to do with the running of SOCA especially on future events/presentations, training requirements or increasing the membership plus if you have any ideas or information or anecdotes on SOCA in the last 40 years the committee would like to hear your thoughts.
Please contact us using the email: commodore@socasailing.org.uk with your suggestion.
The June meeting was held at the Royal Naval Association Welwyn Garden City.
The format was a Fish and Chip Supper, provisioned from Peartree Chippee.
The Fish and Chips were very good with plentiful supplies of chips and Mushy Peas (e.g. Too Much),
The meal was followed by a group quiz organised by Stewart, which involved the ensemble trying to identify the vessel from the displayed lights.
General outcome, is everyone knows what Starboard and Port lights are, but in identifying the actual craft when it was large, towing, dredging, trawling or mine sweeping, the general consensus seemed to be the MORE lights = Stay further away !!!
A case of a lot of revising required before most of the audience try night sailing again!!!
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Rear Commodore’s SOCA Pennant flies on Jetstream for the first time in 2022.
Terry, with the help of Geff, completed the task of preparing Jetstream for the 2022 sailing season on Wednesday 14th April and then completed a shakedown trial in the Solent.
Arriving early Tuesday evening the opportunity was taken to install the Genoa as the
conditions were perfect for that activity, no wind. Once completed it was time for a nice evening meal at the adjacent Tapas restaurant.
After a quick breakfast on Wednesday it was time to put up the mainsail, again it was possible to do this in the berth as there was little to no wind. Once all reefing lines were installed that just left the canopy to fit and Jetstream was ready to take to the waves.
Leaving at close to high tide through the Port Solent lock gates we entered the upper reaches of Portsmouth Harbour.
After motoring for a while, the time was right to test that the main sail had been rigged correctly, the only item needing attention was rerouting the reefing lines.
There was a bit of excitement before this could be completed provided by two Police Boats and the “SBS” in a rib as they continually practised the boarding of another ship on the move, all armed with machine guns, (assumed to be empty!).
Once the entertainment was finished and the reefing lines sorted, Jetstream left the harbour confines, and it was time to sail.
The wind was a pleasant Force 2/3 with light gusts and the sun shone brightly through a clear sky, sun lotion should have been used.
Jetstream sailed over to near Bembridge then returned to Port Solent, passing 2 unusual craft on the way back, HMS Severn P282, believed to have been recently assigned to Pritti Patel’s channel fleet along with a Whirlwind helicopter that flew low overhead.
Approaching the harbour entrance, the vessel Bravewind, an unloaded Heavy Load Carrier, that usually carries items such as Wind Turbine Blades. passed close by.
Jetstream returned to its berth after 10 hours away covering 25Nm in light winds having had a successful shakedown trial.
The next day, Thursday, Jetstream’s crew awoke to thick mist and zero winds amd called off their plans for a morning sail.
Terry and Geff then decided to have an early lunch and then return home to try to avoid the Bank Holiday traffic, something they both failed to do.