Burnham-On-Sea Sailing Club’s pontoons are getting a £25,000 overhaul this winter as part of a modernisation project.
The pontoons were initially built 17 years ago in the River Brue estuary, at the mouth of the River Parrett, and have been heavily used ever since, with 25 berths in place for yachts and boats.
“The fabric of the pontoons structure has been starting to fail and the decking is becoming dangerous, so a full project has begun to replace the facilities,” the club’s Andy Walker told Burnham-On-Sea.com.
“Back in 1999 when the pontoons were built, we knew their lifespan would be about 20 years so we factored in the cost of an upgrade into our members’ fees over that time and we can now go ahead with the work without new funding.”
“We became particularly aware last winter that the job was needed – the slippery wooden boards of the pontoons are now being replaced with a non-slip micro mesh surface and the old pontoons are being replaced.”
“The whole project will be continuing for some time – it could be several years – and will be tackled in gradual phases to minimise disruption on users.”
He added that there are no plans to increase the size of the pontoons at this time.
“We would love to extend the pontoons but the geography of the river simply does not allow it – we can’t go further up or down the estuary due to the strong tides and shape of the river.”
