RULES FOR MARNHAM BOAT CLUB (REVISED 20th July 2026)
NAME AND ADDRESS OF THE CLUB
The name of the Club shall be “The Marnham Boating Club, the address of the Club shall be:
“The Brownlow Arms”
High Marnham
NEWARK
Notts
Correspondence should be addressed to the Secretary.
MEMBERSHIP OF THE CLUB
The membership of the Club shall consist of:
Full Boat Owning Members, numbers 1-50 (full voting rights)
Midweek Boat Owning Members, numbers M1 to M15 (full voting rights).
Associate Members, unlimited number (no voting rights).
Family Associate Members, unlimited number (no voting rights).
Junior Associate Members, unlimited number, under 16 (no voting rights).
Family Membership applies to partner and children of a member who may use the Club facilities in the same way as the member (Under 18) and who may inherit membership on decease of the member.
Any person or relative outside immediate family must become Associate Member.
Family Members under on reaching 18 years at age will be required to join as Associate Members but will not be allowed to launch the boat without the full boat owning member present. Those in full time education will pay at a reduced rate.
A full list of membership rates is published each year in February.
DAY MEMBERSHIP
A member may bring a guest to ski which costs £10. This can be paid by bank transfer to the club account or by paying a Committee Member on the day, for which a receipt will be issued. It is the Boat Owning Member’s responsibility to ensure that Day Memberships are paid.
Day Members are not allowed to drive unless they are known to be a Competent Driver by at least two Committee Members who must be present and agree on the day.
No person under the age of sixteen may drive a boat.
Guests may ski/drive under a Day Membership 7 times per year before joining the Club.
JOINING THE CLUB
As vacancies occur in the Boat Owning Membership, new boat owners must be nominated for membership from the waiting list in order of chronological priority.
All prospective members will need to complete an application form and supply a copy of their insurance, provide proof of a river licence and pay the yearly subscription and if applicable the current one off joining fee.
Before any applicant for membership can be considered by the Committee, the applicant must sign an undertaking to accept and abide by these rules. There will then be a probationary period of 1 year where any member found disobeying rules can be expelled from the club with no request for a refund.
Full Boat Owning Members who join the Club after 1 September each year will pay the full joining fee but only half the annual subscription.
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Subscriptions are due for each year by the 31st March. A reminder will be sent on or before the 15th March and if the subscription is not paid by the 31st March the membership will deemed to have closed. No further reminders will be sent. Vacancies in Boat Owning Membership arising in this way shall immediately be filled from the waiting list.
OBLIGATIONS OF MEMBERS
All boats must carry a Canal and River Trust Licence.
All boats must carry a Marnham Boat Club Licence which must be prominently displayed. This Licence will be issued only when the Members Declaration and MBC Club Insurance Certificate has been duly completed and lodged with the membership.
All Boat Owning Members must be insured against third party risks to a minimum of £3,000,000 indemnity. In the case of boats used for water skiing, this cover must extend to the liabilities of, and to the driver’s liability to, water skiers towed by the boat.
BOAT EQUIPMENT
All boats must carry a B.S approved fire extinguisher.
All boats should carry buoyancy equipment for occupants.
All boats must carry the letters MBC followed by the Owner’s club number conspicuously displayed on both sides in letters at least 3” high and of a colour contrasting with their background (MBC Committee discretion). New members will be issued with a set of numbers to standard MBC design, free of charge.
All boats must be fitted with an effective horn.
All boats used for skiing must be fitted with a rear view mirror.
All boats must be fitted wìth navigation lights if used after lighting up time.
It is recommended that boats be fitted with a ‘jack plug’ or ‘kill switch’ or a foot throttle with a spring return.
All boats will be subject to checks at the river to ensure all the correct equipment and boat identification markings are correct.
TIMES AND DATES
Canal and River Trust speed limits must be observed except under the following conditions:
From a point one and a half miles upstream to a point one and a half miles downstream of the Club’s slipway at High Marnham.
From 15th March to 15th June, at all hours, from 16th June to 14th March inclusive, after 2.00 pm Monday to Friday and 12.00 noon Saturday and Sunday.
Midweek members may not use the river on the Easter, Spring, and Bank Holiday Mondays.
Midweek members may not use the river on Sundays except between 1st November and 31st March inclusive.
All water skiing must terminate by sunset.
SAFETY RULES
Boat drivers must not follow in close proximity to a skier.
It is strongly recommended that drivers, crew and skiers wear buoyancy equipment end do not ride on the gun-whales of the boat. All participants of water sports are strongly recommended to wear a buoyancy aid at all times. Ski ropes must not be left trailing in the water except when promptly returning to pick up a fallen skier.
Before changing direction or turning, check that it is safe to do so and then indicate your intention with a prominent hand signal.
Members wishing to tow inflatables etc., must provide proof of insurance to the Membership Secretary as stated on the Club Insurance Form. Maximum towline allowed is 50 feet Maximum speed, as recommended by the manufacturer, must not be exceeded.
Training booms are to be removed when not in use. Booms must be clearly visible to other river users, I.e. fluorescent paint, bunting etc.
All children of members, or in the charge of members, must wear a life jacket at all times when on a boat, on the slipway, the jetty or landing stage or anywhere on the MBC river frontage.
No passengers in vehicles being used for launching or recovering boats.
A full boat owning member may have the use of another full boat owners boat with permission from that owner. Both members sharing responsibility at all times.
All reasonable efforts should be made to ensure that boats towing water skiers shall be occupied by at least one person other than the driver as an observer in order to keep a proper lookout.
The Boat Owner is at all times responsible for his boat and must ensure that:-
Every driver and lookout shall be competent and responsible persons.
Every water skier should be competent or under the instruction and supervision of a competent person.
Boats approaching from opposite directions must pass port, i.e. keep to the right hand side of the river.
When starting, when skiing and when dropping off, it is essential that the boat and skier must be on the right hand side of the river relevant to the direction of travel and the skier must drop off to his right.
When four or more boats are on the river, skiers must not land in the jetty and slipway area. Skiers may set off from the upstream end of the jetty in an upstream direction.
It is recommended that new skiers should not be taught directly in front of the jetty area. This causes a hazard for other boat users and is unsettling for a beginner with so much activity around them.
All new members wishing to tow a skier, wakeboarder, kneeboarder or towable inflatable will be required to take a MBC Introduction driving test. The examiner will then advise the next step regarding driving whist being accompanied by a qualified driver.
All new members will then be required to take a more advanced driving test (time frame to be at the examiners discretion). Only after this point can new members be allowed to tow and the ‘P’ sticker (probationary period) will be removed. This test is based on the BWSW ‘Ski Boat Drivers Award’. Members already holding this award will not be required to take this test.
GENERAL RULES
A Special General Meeting may be called at any time by the Committee or by a requisition signed by not less than 51% of the total Club membership stating the reason for such a Special General Meeting.
The Canal and River Trust require two Trustees. These shall be two Committee Members of the Marnham Boat Club.
Members must strictly observe all the terms and conditions of the Canal and River Trust Licence (Agreement) which includes observance of their by-laws and which agreement is signed by the Trustees on behalf of the Club.
These rules may not be abrogated or set aside except by a simple majority of members at any Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting.
Members must not leave litter.
No car parking on top of the flood bank. Trailers are to be parked to the side of the compound and not in front of the compound along the lane.
Full and mid-week members holding more than one boat number without any boat being registered with the Club, will be restricted to one membership only, at the discretion of The Committee.
Full and mid-week members who do not register a boat with the Club for a period of two years will have their Boat Owning Membership terminated and upon re-joining will need to pay the one off joining fee. They will, however, be offered an Associate Membership and by request will have their name entered on the ‘Boat Owning’ waiting list if the member wishes to retain their full membership number, they must contact the Committee.
The Trustees reserve the power to suspend the membership of any member of the Club or to expel him having regard to his conduct and to use their best endeavours to ensure compliance with the provisions of the ‘Canal and River Trust’ Licence.
OFFICERS AND MEETINGS
An Annual General Meeting shall be held at an agreed venue not later than 31st January in each year and the business shall be:-
To receive the balance sheets.
To hear a report from the Chairman on the working of the Club during the year on review.
To consider any other matters confirmed on the Agenda and such other matters as any member may have a desire to be discussed by notice in writing to the Secretary not less than 8 days before the date of the AGM.
To consider any proposed alterations to the Club Constitution and Rules, To elect the Committee for the following year.
A quorum for the AGM is to be 12 voting members.
The Club Committee shall be elected at the AGM from the body of the Members and shall consist of a Chairman, Secretary, Membership Secretary, Treasurer and eight Committee Members, at least six of these being Boat Owning Members.
The Committee shall hold meetings on such dates as may be determined by them or by the Chairman. Voting shall be by a show of hands and a simple majority shall apply. The Chairman shall have the casting vote. Committee quorum is one third of its membership. Standing orders for Committee and AGM, as agreed 1986 are held by the Secretary.
The Committee shall appoint two persons to act as Auditors and shall provide for the said Auditors all information before the 31st day of December in each year as will enable them to audit the books of account and prepare a balance sheet before the 14th January in each year for presentation to the Committee.
Nominations of members for election to the Committee shall be given to the Secretary in writing at least 8 days before the AGM. Each nomination shall be proposed and seconded by Club Members and shall be with the consent of the nominee.
The Committee shall draw up such bye-laws as it considers necessary to maintain the proper working of the Club, the conduct of the members and the maintenance of the equipment of the Club.
Violation of these may result in dismissal from the Club.
Club President. The President to be voted for at an AGM for a period of three years.
The President would normally be nominated by the Committee for adoption at the AGM, but nominations from members will also be accepted.
The nominee will normally have served as a committee member for a number of years and have a good working knowledge of Club and Committee.
GENERAL CODES OF CONDUCT
Relating to members general behaviour in and around Marnham. We wish to show water skiers as polite responsible people.
Members should abide by road speed limits when passing through High Marnham and surrounding area, so as not to annoy local residents, it is suggested that down the narrow lane towards the Brownlow Arms’ the speed should be kept well below 30 miles per hour. There are often small children about.
Noise from car and boat radio/stereos etc., should be kept to a minimum. Remember not everyone has your taste in music or even wants to hear it all.
Other water users must be respected, boaters, cruisers, barges, anglers etc. All have as much right to use the water as we have.
Boaters are requested to move all trailers away from the slipway area at all times.
The grassy bank side is for sheep and cattle to graze and for us to park on. It is not intended as a race track for trials and quad bikes etc. These should stay on the roadway.
We have no permanent rights to either the river or the bank side areas as both have to be negotiated on a regular basis. Our best behaviour at all times is the best way of securing continued use of both.
The Committee were empowered to enforce a common renewal date for insurance policies. Time and date to he agreed by the Committee.
When the Club would like to acknowledge services to the Club and its members of persons outside the Club, they would be invited to become a ‘Patron of the Club’. A proposal would be made to the Committee in the normal manner and voted upon.
Note: If a member leaves the club then wants to re-join, then that member has a 2 year grace period, where no re-joining fee would be required.
Marnham Boat Club 