We have seen an increase in the number of flood events at the club over recent years & have therefore put together a flood emergency plan.
The only way this is going to work though, is if we have enough volunteers to put the plan into action & help protect both the clubs & members property.
Below are links to our action plan, & a document explaining how you should register for the flood warning service.
If you are willing for your name to be included on the volunteer list, please let me know by replying to this email.
Don’t forget it is your responsibility to look after your boat, not the clubs.
Bala Sailing Club Flood Emergency Plan
With the increase in flooding events over recent years, the club has produced an action plan & wishes to communicate this widely to all existing & new members.
Protection of Club Assets
Buildings
• Clubhouse
o At its highest level approximately six inches of water can be expected to
enter the ground floor of the building, ie gents changing rooms & bosun’s
store.
o All loose items should therefore be stored above floor level.
• Boat House / Race Control / Training Room
o Flooding of up to 1 meter in depth can be expected on the ground floor of
the building, with severe wave surges.
o All boat & other equipment should be removed & taken to higher ground
when flooding is expected.
o The up & over doors should be raised to fully open, to avoid damage by
wave action.
o The electricity supply to the ground floor of the building should be
disconnected.
• Fuel Store
o All fuel can should be removed & stored in the shed on the patio.
• Committee Boats
o Can be taken off the water after the last open event of the season (Early
Sept) & stored on the Concrete in front of the clubhouse.
o Note : trailers need to be accessible
• Ribs
o Must be removed from boat shed before the water reaches approx 30 cm, & transferred to the patio. If it is not possible to remove the large rib on its
trailer, it may be possible to launch it off the trailer whilst in the boat shed
& float it out. Failing this, as a last resort, it may have to remain in the boat shed with the sponsons deflated & all bungs removed so it could fill with water.
o Security of the ribs is a potential problem if they can not be stored in the
clubhouse, & additional security measures would have to be applied.
o ‘O’ Boats with engines attached : Transfer to patio / clubhouse
o ‘O’ Boat without engine : Transfer to Patio
o Cap 400 : Transfer to Patio
o Outboard Engines : Transfer to Patio using the box trailer / clubhouse
• Training Boats
o Single hander boats ie Toppers & Picos, could remain in the racking unless
the water level is extremely high, when the bottom row may have to be
removed to the patio.
o Two Laser Stratos : Transfer to Patio or concrete area
o One Wayfarer : Transfer to Patio or concrete area
o Sails & other equipment stored on racking inside the boat shed would be at risk if water is very high & also if roller shutter doors left open
• Race Management Equipment
o Inflatable marks, anchors & small weights should be transferred upstairs
straight after the last major event of the season.
• Club boats (we have road trailers for the Dart, Bahia & Magno )
o Dart 16 Catamaran : transfer to Patio
o Laser Bahia : transfer to Patio
o Laser Magno : Transfer to Patio
o Two Toppers (to remain in rack)
o Eight Optibats : Transfer to Patio
o Laser (to remain in rack or transfer to Patio)
Protection of Members boats
Moored boats :
• No action necessary, however tenders may need to be removed from the
beach.
Boats Parked on the beach : Potential Issues
• New members may not have experienced a flooding event & not appreciate
the urgency of action required.
• Note trailers stored at the far end of the beach may be inaccessible if they
are not removed early enough.
• Trailers & boats may be locked up preventing their removal & possibly
preventing removal of other boats & trailers.
• Members boats can not be stored on the patio as this is reserved for club
boats only.
• Members boats parked in front of the tree line between the entrance & the
clubhouse preventing vehicle access when the beach is flooded.
Actions for Members
• All members are strongly urged to register with Natural Resources Wales to
receive flood alerts. See attached instructions as to how to register.
• An email will be sent to members via Mailchimp as soon as possible advising of potential flooding, however this should not be relied upon & personal registration with NRW is the best way to ensure you receive timely
information.
• Names of volunteers willing & able to assist at short notice will be held by the Club Secretary. If you are willing to go on this list, please advise the Secretary ASAP.
• Remember it will not be possible for other members to remove your boat to higher ground if it is locked up or wheel clamped.
• Do not park your boat in front of the tree line between the club entrance & the clubhouse as this blocks the roadway when the beach is flooded.
• Members are reminded that they themselves are responsible for the safety of
their own boats & that it is not a club responsibility.
Flood Warning Service – Registration
After Storm Callum last year, Bala Sailing Club have been in discussion with Natural Resources Wales (NRW)
regarding advanced warnings of possible high lake levels in the future.
NRW provide a Flood Warning Service for the Upper Dee Valley from Llanuwchllyn to Llangollen including
Corwen. The service covers three levels of warning, which are;
Flood Alert – Flooding is possible. Be prepared.
Flood Warning – Flooding is expected. Immediate action required.
Severe Flood Warning – Severe flooding. Danger to life.
The Flood Alert message is issued when the level of Llyn Tegid is expected to exceed 2.3m at Dee Bridge, Bala.
This message gives us time to consider moving boats and equipment to high ground while it is safe to do so.
If conditions were to deteriorate further (Llyn Tegid is expected to exceed 3.79m at Dee Bridge), a Flood Warning message would be issued.
As members of Bala Sailing Club, you may be interested in registering to receive these messages; receiving the
Flood Alert message will give you time to consider whether you want to move your boat and equipment to safety.
If you want to register to receive these messages, please follow one of the options below;
1) Registering online:
1) Visit the NRW website: http://www.naturalresources.wales
2) Click on “Flooding” at the top of the page.
3) In the following list, find and click on “Sign up to receive flood warnings”.
4) Find and click on “sign up for flood warnings”; this will take you to the Flood Warning System website.
5) Fill out the online registration as instructed.
6) When it asks you to search using a post code, click on “Or search by town or city” instead.
7) Type “BALA” into the box and click “Find town or city”.
8) Select “BALA” from the table. On the next screen, find “Upper Dee Valley from Llanuwchllyn to Llangollen
including Corwen” in the table and click on “Sign up for this area”.
9) Continue filling out the online registration as instructed, making sure that you tick the “Send me flood alert
messages…” and “Send me messages to tell me when flood warnings have stopped” boxes.
2) Registering on the phone:
1) Call the local Natural Resources Wales office on 0300 065 4431.
2) Inform the officer that you wish to register to receive the Upper Dee Valley from Llanuwchllyn to Llangollen
including Corwen Flood Warning Service for information purposes; state that you want to receive alerts and
warnings regarding Bala Sailing Club.
3) Provide the officer with up to 5 different contact methods for registering; landline, mobile, SMS text or
email. Confirm whether you want to receive warnings in Welsh or English.
4) Provide the officer with your home address for correspondence purposes.
Once registered, you will receive a confirmatory email or letter from NRW.
Please be aware that it is your responsibility to manage your flood warning registration;
- If you move to a new house or change your contact details, you should update your registration.
- If you no longer wish to receive warnings, you should cancel your registration.
If you receive any flood alert or flood warning messages in the future, please contact Bala Sailing Club if you
have any questions. If necessary, we will call NRW on everyone’s behalf for further information
Bala Sailing Club 