05/13/10

Welcome to Hooe Point Sailing Club Web site!

Located at Hooe Point, Barton Road, Hooe, Plymouth. The Club was formed in 1967 on derelict, Ministry of Defence land adjacent to an old quarry slipway. This slipway had been rebuilt during the second world war to serve as a launching point for Allied troops. Over the years the land has been cleared and reclaimed using voluntary labour by the Club members. It provides a Clubhouse, workshop, toilets, changing rooms and storage facilities for boats. As a division of the Civil Service Sailing Association (CSSA) it is a private Sailing Club exclusively for Civil Servants. The Civil Service Sports and Leisure Ltd, High Wycombe, Bucks., our parent body and leaseholder of the site, provides sailing facilities for its shareholder members through the CSSA. Moorings are under licence from the MoD. These moorings are essentially drying moorings and are laid and maintained by the Club. HPSC is also affiliated to the Port of Plymouth Sailing Association and to the Royal Yachting Association

Taken from a booklet

Origin & Aims

The club was founded in February 1967 by a group of civil servants  interested in sailing and the site at Hooe Lake Point was developed  from a disused Admiralty rubbish dump by three stalwart pioneers.The object of the club is to promote and encourage sailing  and cruising under power and sail by civil Servants. Hooe Point is the Plymouth branch of the CSSA and is also  the sailing branch of the CSSC (Plymouth Area0 who are the holders  of the lease for the site. RYA courses are run by the CSSA and also experience cruises,  details are available from the Hooe Point Secretary. The club is represented at the Port Of Plymouth Sailing  Association and also on the Area Council of the CSSC

Site Development

One of the first objectives was to develop a suitable site on which  to park boats. Much hard work was done by the founder members of the  club with very little finance. The rubbish dump had to be levelled  and a sea wall established, most of the cost was met by  contributions from individual members and the proceeds of jumble  sales etc. Concrete blocks (5 Ton) were obtained from the MOD, a  crane was hired from Sparrows to put the blocks into place, rubble  was acquired from the local demolition firms to infill behind the  blocks and a slipway laid.

        In 1977 the strip of land between the boundary fence and the  RNEC Rowing Club was leased and is now being utilised for the boat  parking. During the same year the club hut was replaced by the CSSC  with a wooden hut from HMS RALEIGH, a local Naval Establishement  being modernised.

        Electricity was brought on the site from the nearby MOD Base  at Turnchapel, water was brought in and toilets (Portaloos) were  installed 1978.

        During 1979 fresh infill had to be acquired when it was  discovered that the sea wall had moved, there was also some erosion  by the slipway at the end of the club hut. More concrete blocks were  purchased and positioned on top of the originals in an effort to  squeeze some moisture from the underlying mud. Pilling had been  discussed but was beyond the financial means of the club and funds  from the CSSC were not available. The blocks seem to have had the  desired effect.

        January 1980 saw the birth of a concrete surface on site  with a 12ft wide strip being laid from the main gate to the hut and  along the slipway. This has been of tremendous use particularly when  moving boats around. Shingle was collected from the beach by  wheelbarrow and spread around the muddier parts of the site  transforming a quagmire into a reasonable hard standing.

        Gabion baskets were purchased in 1980 with a view to  rectifying the erosion of the slipway. Twenty in number were bought  initially and these laid during January\February 1981 by a small  working party of some members. Further baskets will be bought as  funds become available ad the work completed. When this is done a  strip of land approximately 20' x 50' will have been reclaimed for  boat stowage.

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