Having been kicked off Crosby Marina at the weekend by the coastguard, and the on-going confusion as to who exactly can use the lake, it looks like I may have to claim refugee status and start using West Kirby (if you'll have me!). What's the procedure for using the marina, who do you pay and where? Oh! the important bit, how much is it? Any advice would be greatly appreciated, cheers.

Just turn up & pay £11 (I think) at the potacabin. So cant WS use Crosby marina any more???

Thanks for the reply. The coastguard turned up and very politely said only clubs with safety cover could use it. Although there were dinghies out, with safety cover, it wasn't my safety cover therefore I couldn't use the lake. So, effectively, WS can't use the lake unless you're in a club with a speedboat on standby. I don't know about you but I can't stretch to a speedboat and someone, trained in rescue, to sit in it. So freelancing is out.I pointed out maybe I'd be safer at Burbo Bank,on my own with no safety cover, it had no effect. I'll have a word with Sefton Council in the morning to see what the position is, if I can drag them away from Solitaire or whatever it is they do.

Sounds crazy to me. I did'nt think the coast guard had the authority/power to stop people sailing, I mean the cant pull the saftey boat/club thing if your out on the coast so why on a lake??? Sefton BC must have slipped one extra new rule in for crosby marina users.

In this age of Health & Safety madness they probably think that anyone who was unfortunate enough to sail on the lake & hurt themselves because there were no rescue facilities, would sue the council.... The even madder thing is that they probably could!!

At the last cabinet meeting it was agreed that Sefton would provide a rescue boat. If they have not, (and I will be finding out) then I shall take it up with the relevant Councillors and officials and so should everyone else. All I can say is that an official called Alistair Robertson (sport and leisure dept)appears to have absolutely no intention of making it easy for windsurfers to use the lake. Watch this space.....