Committee Members

Jonathan Saunders – Chairman

Jonathan started boating around 22 years ago and gained confidence and experience through cruising in company with CQBHA.  With guidance from members and training with CQBHA and through the RYA Yachtmaster course he widened his cruising area.  With the Association and others he has cruised to Caen, Torquay, Guernsey and Jersey, St Malo and Dinan and Perros Guirec amongst other destinations in the UK and France.  He is proud to represent the Cobb’s Quay Bertholder’s interests with MDL and others including the Bridges Operating Board etc.

Kevin Butler – Vice Chairman

Kevin started boating through canoeing, windsurfing, yacht crewing and then onto two ski boats, a Fairline Sprint, and a Sealine 290 before moving to his present vessel a Princess 38 Flybridge. He joined the association in 1996 to widen his cruising grounds with his then small children, who have both grown up at the marina. Kevin is a long serving member of the committee joining in 2000 and in 2001 he began to assist with the cruising role which he did, with a years break in between, for the past 16 years. Now retired from the cruising role he looks forward to supporting the membership and Committee in the future arranging the Social Events side of the CQBHA, with its ever-changing role. His aim has always been to help others make that daunting journey a “Reality”. Kevin is always happy to talk about the Association and give advice. He can be found on “Reality” D36 most weekends.

Association Secretary

Carol Turner – Association Secretary

Carol has been the CQBHA Secretary since April 2006, but a berth holder at Cobb’s Quay since 1995. She has a long history of boating – starting with sailing yachts. Her experience of motorboats began in 1987 with a small Fletcher Cruisette, kept on a trailer and launched at Mitchells Boat Yard. The boats have gradually got bigger and she is now crew on ‘Solaris’  – a Sealine S34 berthed on C35. With partner Ivor, she has participated in many CQBHA cruises – including their first Channel Crossing over 10 years ago.

Peter Buchan – Treasurer 

Peter commenced his interest in boating nearly 40 years ago. Initially we owned an Open Sport boat suitable for water skiing in Poole Harbour and Bay which we would trailer and then launch in the Back Water Channel. As the children grew older we drifted out of boating until returning to Cobb’s Quay with a Jeanneau Merry Fisher 895 in 2015. This was followed by a Jeanneau Velasco 37F for 5 years within which we enjoyed many local cruises. More recently we took delivery of ‘Shandy’, a Sealine F430, berthed on D39, in which we have already enjoyed many memorable cruises both across the channel and further afield along our splendid coastline.

Wally Gilder – Membership Secretary

Wally’s love of the sea and boating was inspired by Jacque Cousteau as a child and he went on to be a BSAC diving officer and instructor and spent a lot of time diving in and around Poole and Swanage in the 70’s/80’s with his own RIB and local charters. After a 30-year break and with retirement imminent, he decided to buy another boat and become a born-again boater. With all qualifications lapsed or forgotten he has recently taken RYA courses in Powerboating, Day Skipper (sail) in the Greek Isles and Day Skipper (Power) in Southampton. He has been a berth holder at Cobb’s Quay since 2021 and his current boat is a Four Winns 248 Vista on B77 but his dream boat is a Fairline Targa 34. Wally lives in Melton Mowbray with his wife and daughter who are both keen boaters, and spend a lot of time together in Poole with their newfound friends. They’re looking to gain cruising experience and confidence before venturing further afield.

Cruise Leader: Currently Vacant

If any member would like to help with this role we would be very grateful if you could contact the Chairman of CQBHA at chairman@cqbha.org

Peter Hayton – Webmaster & Co-opted Cruise Administrator

Peter, a marine artist, and his wife Anne, an accomplished marine photographer, have lived in Poole all their lives and have never been far away from the sea. In 1976 Peter took up scuba diving and skippered inflatable dive boats and steel work boats up to 75ft for over 20 years. He started sailing in 1984 and moved into powerboats and Cobb’s Quay in 1996 with a Mariah 18ft bowrider. In 1999 Peter and Anne bought a Mariah 25ft Cuddy joined the CQBHA committee and went on CQBHA cruises to the Solent and Weymouth, but found the seas a bit challenging at times and, in 2004, moved on to a Bavaria 29. Since then they have regularly cruised across the channel and along the south coast of England. In the 2018 Peter & Anne bought a Westerly Centaur which they sailed, along with motorboating and lead the CQBHA cruises until 2022, when they sold their Bavaria 29 and now fully enjoy sailing again. Peter would love to work towards Yacht Cruising for yachting members at Cobb’s Quay who could cruise seperately or in conjunction with the already succesful powerboat cruises. Peter runs the CQBHA website, helps with the Cruising administration and for a number of years published the CQBHA Horizons Magazine. Peter would love to hear from members with interesting articles or information for the website and who would be interested in the yacht cruising.

Jim Reynolds – Members Representative

Jim spent many years trailing boats from his Hertfordshire home before a ‘lifestyle’ relocation to Poole late 2006 and berthing at Cobb’s Quay, whilst upgrading to a Bayliner Trophy sports/day boat berthed on F163. As a keen fisherman he’s frequently out in Poole Bay chasing specimens or just chilling in the harbour with his family, or cleaning his boat! Joining the committee soon after arriving at the marina he assumes responsibility for writing and issuing the association’s newsletter, in addition to interacting with our Pontoon Representatives.

Emma Butler – Dry Stack Liaison & Facebook Editor

Emma has grown up at  the marina with her dad Kevin and mum Linda on Reality. She has met and continues to meet new friends through her boating and jet ski riding and has now taken on the role of members representative for the dry-stack.  Emma also runs the CQBHA Facebook pages & photo-blog and can be found around the marina or on “Reality” D36. She hopes to help the next generation enjoy the marina as much as she has and to enjoy boating and water sports in company and safety

Clive Snow – General Representative

Clive is a founder member of the Association. His boat Girl Fisher can be found at the head of F pontoon. Over many years he has continued to support the Association including accompanying our cruises across the Channel acting, as Clive would say, mother ship. Clive operates the local Sea Start vessel and is the guy you want to know when and if you have a problem. If he can ’t fix you, he knows someone who can!