Introducing Medway and Swale Boating Association
The MSBA exists to promote and protect boating on the tidal Medway and Swale, representing the common interests of all who use the waters for leisure purposes and encouraging the maintenance and enhancement of facilities and opportunities for water sports of all kinds.
The background
In its present form, the MSBA has grown from a history of small organisations trying to help the river users of the Medway find services and information, originally from a mailed magazine with paid for advertising that dwindled. With the help of a decent webmaster and some premium sponsors, we now have a well subscribed website, a broad based membership and access to senior organisations on the River Medway.
A healthy mailing list, tied to website updates and automatically fed to a Facebook page, keeps things fresh.
Who are our members
The largest RYA affiliated member is Medway YC, but we count virtually all the yacht clubs on the river, rowing clubs, hovercraft clubs, Thames barges, Falmouth working boats, and several corporate members (participants) eg. marine police, Peel Ports, local authority, and yacht brokers/marinas.
What we do
Leisure users on the local rivers are small fry compared to commercial shipping and dock activity. Yet we both need each other - the Harbour Authority to reach leisure boaters to pay their conservancy licences and keep clear of gas terminal exclusion zones, and the MSBA to protect leisure interests like speed limits past moored boats, jet ski dangers and river pollution.
We sponsor broad reach river events such as regattas and we participate in riverside festivals, when organised by our local authority, for example.
As we represent over 55 member clubs, we can speak to Peel Ports with some authority and we are invited to river user group events. This, in turn, has extended to Port of London Authority events, all via Zoom/Teams.
We did build up to an annual conference with guest speakers and exhibitions, though well supported the energy and time required, plus a bit of Covid, means we are quiet at present.
We are represented on the Medway Net Zero working group to represent sports in Medway, and similarly on the Kent Police Medway, Independent Advisory Group.
How we operate
We are structured around an AGM and two business meetings per year, when all members are invited, and we receive reports from police, Peel Ports, Network Rail, Cruising Association, RYA etc. and regular executive meetings of the elected committee and Chair in between these larger gatherings. We rotate as guests from one club to another and always encourage networking.
Current issues
Right now the biggest noise is river pollution from sewage even if we know agricultural run-off is largely culpable. Oh, and jet-skis, (personal water craft, (PWC)), we should really reach out the PWC community but it is hard!
As someone put it to me last week, we are one of the last watch-keepers on the local rivers.
The RYA and area organisations
The RYA London and South East region is keen to make and keep contact with area organisations like MSBA, to hear what's happening in your area and to offer presentations at your meetings on subjects such as guidance for club development, workforce development, encouraging volunteers and environment, so please contact us
If you'd like to see your area organisation featured here please contact us
Find out more about MSBA