14 November, 2007

DELTING Boating Club is heading into new territory to make the most of its brand new marina.

HIE Shetland has just awarded almost £17,000 to help the club create a 10 pitch caravan site, which can double up in winter as a serviced storage site for boats.

The £85,000 project will expand the growing network of caravan sites in the isles, while creating a new opportunity for people to over winter their vessels on land.

It could allow someone to up a seasonal business maintaining boats, and let boat owners overhaul their own craft before the summer sailing season.

The development will include laundry facilities, upgrading the club's access road and car park and raising the existing slipway.

The club has also agreed to site a webcam to be linked to a website, to create an information point promoting Northmavine as a tourist destination and make wireless internet access available to all visitors.

The 86 year old club, which is pouring £38,306 from its own funds into the work, has been busy these past few years, refurbishing its clubhouse to host the sailing events in the 2005 NatWest Island Games and completing its new 52 berth marina last May.

Now they are targeting the growing number of cruising yachts and caravans which are visiting Shetland, thanks partly to a campaign by the council, Shetland Development Trust and the Shetland Marinas, Piers and Boating Clubs Association (SMPBC).

Other Shetland caravan sites, including the one at Braewick Café, in Eshaness, have said they believe another caravan site would help to attract even more mobile homes to the islands and boost their own businesses.

Vice commodore of the club, Joe Irvine, said that after visiting mainland marinas he could see the potential for bringing boat owners to Shetland to store their boats over winter.

"We have looked at the facilities down south, especially at Loch Creran on the west coast, and seen how advantageous it is to have a caravan site next to boat storage sites so owners can put their boats out in the spring of the year and work on them," he said.

"We are confident that with the increased numbers of caravans that we are seeing around Shetland that the facility will pay for itself over an eight year period. And if we can attract sailors from beyond these shores, where it is expensive to store boats, we can expand Shetland as an attraction for visiting yachts."

HIE Shetland development manager Mhari Pottinger said the project was a tremendous example of what "income generating" community groups could deliver in Shetland.

"Delting Boating Club already has an impressive track record of managing projects that bring benefits to the community, such as the extensive works required for them to host sailing sports during the Island Games," Ms Pottinger said.

"They now seek to capitalise on the increasing number of yacht cruising and caravanning visitors to Shetland - offering services that will bring benefits to local boat owners and tourists alike".

Mr Irvine thanked the funding agencies, which include Shetland Islands Council and Delting Community Council, and Delting Boating Club Marina Users' Association for their help.