2025 Chichester Marina – Kids on the Water Charity Event

Kids on the Water 2025

Details and Joining Instructions have been announced by the Organisers. See the following publications that you need to read:

• Letter from the Organisers
• Skipper / Boat Joining Form, that needs to be printed, signed, and forwarded to the Rotary Club

Kids on the Water is an annual charity event organised by the Rotary Club of Great Britain.

Based in Chichester Harbour, their objective is to give local children with learning difficulties a day out boating in the harbour. Many of the children say that it’s the highlight of their year. Skippers also report that they enjoy the event. The event’s been running for nearly 40 years!!

This year we will have over 80 children, so we need lots of boats.

Here’s how you can get involved…

The event is a collaboration between:

• Rotary Clubs of Chichester Priory, Havant and Heathfield and Waldron
• International Yachting Fellowship of Rotarians (Sussex Fleet)
• Local schools for children with learning disabilities
• Local volunteer boat owners (you)

What you need to know:

• Boat owners rendezvous at designated locations in Chichester Harbour (Chichester Marina, Itchenor Quay, etc.). Each boat needs a skipper and first mate, to handle the boat.
• Schools bring the children by coach to the meeting points.
• The children are broken into small groups, each with their own expert carer.
• Groups are allocated to boats (typically 2 children + carer per boat). Allocation is based on the ability of the children.
• The schools provide food and drink for the children. Carers, Skippers and Mates need to feed themselves.

This year Kids on the Water will be held on  Friday 16th May 2025 which fits in with the school routines.

High water at the entrance to Chichester Harbour will be at 14:45, with LW at 07:30 and 19:45 which means that it will either be free flow or very close to free flow at Chichester Marina for both leaving and returning.

The approach to Chichester Marina is charted at around 0.2m above datum. My own yacht won’t be able to leave the marina before 10:30am, so timings are quite tight, but are likely to fit with the school capabilities. Do your calculations!!

Boats who have to return to the Solent on the Friday afternoon will have the tide with them for most of the way.

In order for this event to take place we do need your help. Will you and your boat will be available on Friday 16^th May?

The format will be similar to previous years:

• Depending on the location of the school, the children will be delivered to either Chichester Marina, Itchenor or Northney Marina at around 10.00 am.  The schools have been told of the importance of arriving at their departure points at this time.  However because of the nature of the children delays can occur but we hope these will be minimal.
• Once they have been fitted with lifejackets and met their skippers, they will be taken on board ready to leave when the skipper decides.
• We will all meet up at East Head for lunch before returning to the departure points soon after 2.00 pm ready for the children to be picked up by the school transport.
• All children will be accompanied by a carer from their school who will be responsible for the children whilst on board.
• Lunch boxes for the children will be provided but the boat owners are asked to provide soft drinks. The carers will bring their own food.

Final details have not yet been released (eg. booking form). We’ll let you know more as we learn more. Watch this space !

I do really hope that you will be able to help.  If you know of any other boat owners who may be willing to help, either please let me know or forward this email to them and ask them to contact me.

I look forward to hearing from you shortly.

Lawrence Muffett
Hon Secretary   Organising Committee
Email: kidsonthewater@outlook.com

Any questions? Email info@gxsa.org.uk