What facilities can Salterns offer?
Salterns Sailing Club, or just Salterns as most would call it, has a surprisingly good range of facilities for a club of its size. A well-situated “pond” in a calm and peaceful corner of Lymington makes for a wonderful place for children of all ages to play in the safe and spacious surroundings. The clubhouse itself isn’t the largest you will ever come to see, but it’s just what it needs to be, and it doesn’t spoil the beautiful surroundings.
In 1959 the Salterns eight acre pond was formed, when parents cleaned out an old saltpan with bulldozers and drag-lines, also laying additional sluice pipes to the sea with the soil being used to build up the dykes. The depth of the water is approximately 3 feet, except in one corner, where the pond is about 6 feet deep.
Onsite, you will find space to rig and otherwise prepare the club’s or your boat, and two amply-sized changing rooms to get ready to go out. With your lifejacket on, you’re ready to go out onto the water. Being a pond, it doesn’t suffer from tides. Parents and helpers who wish to assist younger sailers will find that majority of the lake is quite shallow enough to stand in – hopefully with some waders on! The clubhouse can also offer snacks and beverages for both watching parents and young skippers alike.
We sail British Moths, Optimists and Scows, but other boats can be used at the discretion of the Committee. The pond is now owned by Hampshire County Council, and is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Its management is controlled by Hampshire County Council’s Countryside Service as part of the Lymington to Keyhaven Nature Reserve.
Salterns also organises annual training and other fun events such as the MOPPY camp and Halloween Party, not to mention various charity events such as the 24 hour sail for Children in Need, which lasts straight the way through the night, of course! There’s also regular training for those learning to sail, and those who sail in Bronze fleet as well.
In fact, there’s not too much you won’t find at Salterns Sailing Club. The one thing you’re sure to find is a great team of people, happy to welcome you aboard.