Saturday, March 28, 2009

In praise of GOBA

Wow, I'm impressed. Everyone who visits or keeps a boat on the Great Ouse recommends joining GOBA, the Great Ouse Boating Association. So we just did.

I visited their website, had a general read and then joined on line, paying my £17 through Paypal and filling in a simple form with sensible questions. I got the usual email receipts and a welcoming mail saying the paper work should come by post with 28 days. It actually arrived in 48 hours - a membership certificate covering us immediately and until April 2010, a sticker for the boat and a very professional looking club magazine.

As members we get free use of 21 club mooring sites on the Ouse and its tributaries for 48 hours at a time, which is of course the reason for joining.

What impresses me most is that this is not a big business but a society run by unpaid volunteers. They could give a lesson in efficiency, value for money and customer care to a lot of the big boys.

2 comments:

Emma said...

GOBA are well worth joining, and excellent value for money.
We have been members for 5 years and have always been impressed with how well run the organisation in all aspects.
They have some fantastic moorings, and we certainly have our favourite ones to use while cruising, some more popular than others.
We'll give you a wave if we see you out and about as we head towards Bedford later this year on Kestrel.

Vallypee said...

Sounds like a great organisation!