The Commodore wrote to all members on the 12th January to update them. the basic content of his letter is set out below.
On 19th November, the lake level rose about 2½ metres, giving 20 cms of water above the floor in the function rooms for a few days, with gale force winds and waves outside. This has caused extensive damage to the premises. It would be easy to get despondent, but we need to keep a sense of perspective: the race box, changing rooms and toilets were relatively unaffected and we shall still be sailing on Ullswater next season. We face a period of some disruption and temporary facilities, but in due course I believe we should finish up better off than we were before the floods.
You may have been wondering what has been happening since the end of November, particularly as we ask you to refrain from visiting the site as it is dangerous and in truth once the initial securing of boats and building had been done there was nothing much anyone could do. An action group was formed immediately. Their priorities have been to get an assessment of the extent of the damage for our insurers and to ensure that the damage was contained. Within a week of the incident, they had met with the claims manager and a local firm of structural engineers had been engaged. They have been busy surveying the building and its foundations. Their conclusions so far are that the main building has been distorted and the scouring effect of the water may have disturbed the foundations. We hope to have their final analysis and recommendations within a week. A building surveyor is then standing by to cost the repairs and draw up a schedule of works.
Two concerns arose over our insurance policy, but I am happy to tell you that these have been resolved and we shall be able to claim the full cost of restitution of the building, contents and boats. We are also covered for loss of revenue and for the cost of temporary facilities for up to 12 months from the date of the incident.
Until we have the final structural engineer’s report, we shall not know if our insurers will pay for repairs or a demolition and rebuilding programme. We have to establish the cost of reinstating what was there before, in line with current Building Regulations, as this is the limit of our insurer’s liability to us. However, if we did no more than that we should have a building that we now know is liable to flood damage in the future. So some improvements are essential.
The Management Committee spent most of its meeting on 9th January considering reports on the events to date and the next steps. We will continue to meet as and when key decisions are required and will keep you informed via the website.
As you will have gathered from what has followed, I am optimistic that, whatever we decide to do, Ullswater Yacht Club will continue to prosper and to offer us opportunities for sailing in surroundings as beautiful as any in the world.
Yours sincerely
pp Roy Hulse
Commodore