Hello and Welcome

Thinking about new members, I recalled the day when my lovely new partner Jean and I joined Aquarius about six years ago. I had seen the advertisement for the new season’s open day in the local paper, I showed the notice to Jean who suggested that we might go along and see what it was all about. Sunday morning dawned wet so my inclination was to stay in bed but I was dragged up anyway. We breakfasted and with the rain still falling faster than ever, set off to find Aquarius.

With no sensible drivers on the road we swished our way to Hampton Court and beyond soon arriving at the less than inviting steel gate at the club’s entrance. Although the gate was open with a welcome sign, the grey wet drive did not look very inviting and driving the car along its rutted length did not fill me with much enthusiasm but powered by my woman I went anyway.

The rain rattled on the roof as the wind flung buckets full of freezing spray over the car as it often does during an English spring. Nevertheless I was ordered out to get an umbrella from the boot and together we battled the wind and rain from the car to the clubhouse.

There were a handful of hardy members in the clubhouse with Joan Bray heading the reception committee. As the only people silly enough to venture forth this particular inhospitable morning we were the entire focus of attention so naturally we were a tad uncomfortable but we could not fault their friendliness.

As someone who had crewed and raced ocean going yachts in South Africa and Australia, I really wondered whether I would enjoy sailing a dinghy on the river. I had recently returned to the UK, met Jean and we had settled down together in New Malden while my mother moved and settled in to a care home. Jean had never sailed on anything smaller than the QE II so putting her in a Cockle Shell on the Thames was a big risk.

For guidance I asked my good woman what I should do and in normal female answer mode she said “Do whatever you want”. A very risky area to enter as most men know, so I did nothing, another risky area but at least reversible. The week passed and by the next Sunday I was cowed into submission so off we went again to join.

Other than Bryan’s enthusiasm I do not remember much more than several attempts to right “Peanuts”, one of the much abused club Lasers. As we drifted towards autumn and the water rat trophy so my determination to beat this French mistress faded.

The season ended as did the activities at the club and we slid into the long greyness of winter. We missed the smiling faces, social functions and the comradery of Aquarius and when the New Year came around there was no question that we would not rejoin.

I don’t think I even entered a dinghy the following year nor the two or three that followed but being around sail boats rekindled my love / hate with sailing and this led us to flotilla sailing first in Greece then into Turkey.

What Aquarius had become for us was a major part of our social life. We went to the social events then we began to get involved in their production and development. (Offer Rodger a hand and before you know it you have lost a whole arm). We cooked the cakes for our duty Sunday and before we knew it we were in the pantomime, plays and other social events.

What I have now realised is that the Aquarius Sailing Club is just another excuse for people to get together to enjoy themselves to chat to share a meal with a drink and to swap experiences. Without our membership of Aquarius we would not have enjoyed making fools of ourselves for the entertainment of others and we would probably not have gone sailing in Greece and Turkey.

Like all sporting clubs Aquarius would not have much of an existence without the clubhouse, the bar, the galley and those who man (in the pre PC sense of the word) them. This season I did take up dinghy sailing again crewing occasionally for Richard Cannon and I have learned things that enhanced our spring flotilla trip to Turkey this year.

My message is that Aquarius is what you make it and most of the making is ashore. So come along for more than the sail. Bring your family, your friends, participate and enjoy the club and our company. Twenty trips to the bar will save you more than the membership fee and who knows? You may even learn to sail as a bonus.

Welcome aboard!

Mike Hendra.