Sailing club’s boathouse plans

Lynmouth Sailing Club is looking to enhance its facilities by building a new boathouse on the site of a former lifeboat station.

A planning application has been submitted to Exmoor Park National Authority to build a boathouse in the unused space in the centre of the village in Riverside Road.

The site is owned by the Lynmouth Flood Memorial Hall which has agreed to lease the land to the sailing club.

The move to build a boathouse comes with the club acquiring more equipment and seems a perfect way to remember one of its young members who died last year.

The club organises many water and land-based activities for its members and the wider public. The club has its origins in the 1800s with records of the Lynmouth Regatta being held back as far as 1830.

The club holds a number of sailing races during the year with some cups being raced for since 1920. It also boasts an active rowing contingent and owns two mini gig boats which compete light-heartedly in the bay.

The boats were entirely funded through local private donations. These boats act as a stepping stone for rowers to progress onto rowing full-size gig boats and the club’s ceremonial Admiralty Gig which is launched for special occasions.

But the club was plunged into sadness last year when one of its most loved young members, Gilbey Spice, suddenly died.

“Gilbey’s departure left a huge hole in the community and a fund was set up by his family to do something in Gilbey’s name,” said a club spokesman.

“The fund has benefited a number of community projects and Lynmouth Sailing Club has recently bought a brand new Arancia Safety Boat from these funds, and is embarking on a formal training programme for crew members.”

But the club’s recent growth has meant housing and maintaining equipment has become an issue and this project seeks to create a new boathouse to house the safety boat and all of the club’s equipment such as lifejackets and oars, along with kit such as the club-owned paddleboards. The open roof-space would allow sail drying and proper protection during the winter for the club’s boats.

The application has said the ‘proposed boathouse design has been developed to reflect some of the features of the original lifeboat house’.

The boathouse plans have been met with a number of positive comments from people who have written on Exmoor Park National Authority’s website.

“Much-needed and very fitting asset to the village,” wrote one person. “A great use of unused space that will benefit our community,” said another. “The character of the build looks to fit in nicely too.”

And another person wrote: “A much-needed addition to the harbour that will not only provide a functional and useful amenity, but will also help to boast and promote visibility of Lynmouth’s maritime heritage to both the local community and visitors alike.”