Excellent news for Chipstead and Wealden Sailability sailors in 2019, there have been some major pontoon developments completed this spring.

For ease of understanding, the pontoons are known as numbers 1 to 4, 1 being the westernmost and 4 the easternmost.

Wealden Sailability (WS) have had major concerns for a few years now about the quality of the fenders on 3 & 4 (and the resultant damage to boats) and the fact that No.4 is sinking at its outboard end. WS however does recognise that this is an issue of more concern to them than it is to CSC.

John King, with both his CSC and WS hats on, and supported by Nigel Lamb, have been researching solutions for a couple of years now but it is only recently that WS have been fortunate enough to attract the funds required to make this happen.

Pontoon No. 1. has been professionally re-decked with Dura-composite planking and fendering by RA Marine Ltd. entirely at CSC's expense and the walkway to access it was constructed by CSC members (John King, Nigel Lamb and Jon Hunt).

Pontoon No.3 has been professionally re-fendered by RA Marine Ltd. funded entirely by WS and negotiated and managed by WS.

These works have entailed a very significant investment of money and number of man hours by WS and club members in order to make this all happen making access to the lake so much better for both WS and club members.

Pontoon No. 4.has been replaced with a new fixed structure from RA Marine Ltd. funded entirely by WS and negotiated and managed by WS.

The first picture see John and Nigel deconstructing pontoon 4 prior to its removal and the second picture shows the RA Marine engineers working on the construction of the new pontoon 4 and the third picture is the finished pontoon.