Archived decisions

Contact: Tony Clatworthy, tel 01489 576 387

email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 This report summarises the activities and events on the River from 26 October 2005. Any incidents taking place after this report is distributed will be the subject of a separate annex to be distributed at the meeting.

2. Corporate Strategy

2.1 This report supports Aims 1 to 5 of the Corporate Strategy (Maximising life opportunities; Stewardship of the environment; Achieving economic prosperity; Building strong and safe communities; and Improving Services) by contributing to the statutory duties entailed in the management of the River Hamble.

3. Report

3.1 The River has been patrolled daily by the Duty Harbour Master from 0700 hours until 1830 hours under the winter routine.

4. Incidents

4.1 On 26 October bait diggers were reported at College Jetty and spoken to by the Patrol Officer. They left after an attempt to intimidate the Patrol Officer with harsh words and remarks.

4.2 On 29 October the Patrol assisted the Hamble Lifeboat after a vessel was towed into the River.

4.3 On 31 October:

(i) a vessel at moorings was found to be low in the water. A salvage pump was used and the owner informed; and

(ii) a vessel fouled its propeller on mooring lines streaming from a mooring buoy and the Patrol assisted.

4.4 On 2 November:

(i) a small boat was found sinking on Warsash Sailing Club Jetty and the Patrol assisted and pumped it out; and

(ii) mooring lines were checked and adjusted on four boats. A mooring line on one boat that had broken and left the boat swinging round on its stern line only was replaced.

4.5 On 3 November:

(i) a yacht that had lost its mast at its mooring was attended to and made secure and the owner contacted;

(ii) a 38 foot yacht on the visitors' pontoon that had broken its mooring warps and swung onto the next downstream boat causing damage was attended to. After the vessel was secured photographs were taken and a report written for an insurance claim;

(iii) a yacht was damaged at its mooring owing to poor mooring warps and insufficient fendering and was made secure; and

(iv) seven yachts were attended to for re-mooring and making secure and their owners contacted.

4.6 On 4 November:

(i) a yacht with broken lines was re-moored;

(ii) a headsail was re-furled; and

(iii) a yacht was recovered to mooring as its engine would not start on entering the River.

4.7 On 5 November a yacht was recovered to its moorings following engine failure.

4.8 On 6 November details of a collision were taken and information recorded for an insurance claim. A vessel making its way out of the River had hit a moored craft.

4.9 On 7 November an oil spill was reported by Police aircraft and the Coastguard informed. The spill was traced to a dredging contractor and the Environment Agency is dealing with the matter.

4.10 On 8 November three boats on mooring were attended to re-secure warps.

4.11 On 9 November an RIB was found sinking at its moorings and the owner informed, who dealt with the matter.

4.12 On 11 November there was a collision between a vessel underway and a moored craft which the Patrol attended.

4.13 On 13 November:

(i) a yacht was found laying into the main channel as one line had parted and the Patrol re-secured; and

(ii) a yacht disabled with a spinnaker around its propeller was towed into the River.

4.14 On 14 November the Electronic Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) was reported as in operation in the River. The Coastguard Helicopter traced the EPIRB to Port Hamble. A yacht was identified and with the Office of Communications (OFCOM) representative the Patrol broke into the vessel and switched off the EPIRB.

4.15 On 20 November parted mooring warps on a yacht were re-secured and the owner contacted.

4.16 On 23 November the pontoon section on the visitors' pontoon was replaced as the main frame had been damaged beyond repair during bad weather.

4.17 On 1 December:

(i) there was an oil spill on the land at Deacons. The Environment Agency is dealing with the matter; and

(ii) a 45 gallon oil drum with engine oil was washed into the River which the Environment Agency is also dealing with.

4.18 On 2 December there were winds of force 7 to 8 gusting 50 knots. A yacht dragging its moorings was attended; three boats were attended because of parted or loose mooring warps; and four boats were attended because fenders had lifted out.

4.19 On 3 December winds reached force 9 during the night and six boats with parted mooring warps were attended or rescued. Three tenders found sinking were rescued.

4.20 On 7 December a Brent goose was freed from fishing lines after reports were received from a member of the public on the footpath.

4.21 On 12 December the yachts `Reefer' and `Kattegat' were arrested for non-payment of mooring fees and harbour dues.

4.22 On 28 December the 20 foot tug owned and operated by ML Dredging Limited sank at its moorings in Universal Marina. The vessel was discovered at approximately 0900 hours and reported to the Harbour Office at 0930 hours. The Harbour Master carried out an inspection of the site and decided to put in place a tier one response which involved booming off the area and setting out oil pads to collect the oil. The booming was 99% successful and was fully recovered after the incident. The vessel was lifted from the water and place ashore in Universal Marina by 1500 hours. All costs, totalling approximately £2,000, will be paid by the owner of the vessel. The Coastguard and the Marine Accident Investigation Board were informed of the incident.

4.23 On 5 January 2006 three used solar-powered navigation lights were replaced with new units.

4.24 On 7 January a sector light at Warsash Sailing Club was found to be inoperative. A Notice to River Users was issued and the maintenance contractor informed.

5. General Operations

5.1 A piling barge is working in the River replacing Crown Estate mooring piles and carrying out general maintenance to moorings. The patrol is involved in removing boats and pontoons that have failed to be moved by owners.

5.2 Dredging operations are underway within Universal Marina and Hamble Point Marina, and are due at Hamble Yacht Services, with the barges Split One and Two operating in the main channel.

6. National Maritime Safety Committee (NMSC)

6.1 A meeting of the NMSC is reported below. The meeting was chaired by the Chief Executive of the Marine Coastguard Agency (MCA). Towards the end of the meeting, the Shipping Minister, Stephen Ladyman, made an appearance as a demonstration of the Department for Transport's (DfT) commitment to the safety objectives of the Committee. He made a few remarks which have been included here as Members may find them interesting, as follows:

(i) Registration of Leisure Craft On registration of leisure craft he said the concept "interests him" and the possibility that this raises of making leisure craft users pay more for the costs they generate was, in his view, an attractive one. He was not against the principle therefore of using registration to raise new revenue, it was just that he had not yet been offered a feasible scheme that would achieve this. As might be expected, the Royal Yachting Association, which had raised the question in the first place, was not too keen on this approach. In this connection he was asked whether it was possible to add a fee onto the cost of a radio licence - he rather side-stepped this and although he did not rule it out, steered the question instead to support for the current user pays system for light dues.

(ii) Compulsory Testing of Leisure Craft Mr Ladyman made similar remarks about compulsory testing for leisure craft users. He said that no persuasive case had yet been made to him, although he would not rule it out; as he saw it, the main problem was enforcement and monitoring. All in all, therefore, there is no great likelihood of change in this contentious area, unless someone comes up with a new scheme; but it is appreciated that many Members would be against such schemes.

(iii) Alcohol Testing of Leisure Users There was a strong plea from a police representative for introduction of alcohol testing by leisure craft users. The police said that they had been frustrated on many occasions - and they would provide details to the Minister - by their lack of powers and complained about the amount of time it was taking to resolve a very extensive consultation. This line is supported and it is intended to send a follow-up note to the DfT making the same point. Partly in connection with this, the MCA said there was a court case that had now gone to the House of Lords about whether a jet-ski is or is not a vessel. Apparently, the latest ruling is that it is not a vessel and the MCA is appealing to the Lords. The implication, which the Minister was very concerned about, was that if jet-skis are not vessels, their users cannot be prosecuted for alcohol abuse.

(iv) On Disposal of Pyrotechnics, a strong case was put for action as the MCA was not providing any input other than saying it was not its responsibility. The British Ports Association will follow up with further action on this matter.

7. Staff Training

7.1 Two Training Days have been planned in March 2006. The day will take the form of a liaison day and an opportunity to introduce each team to the assets and facilities available during a deployment or incident. The training will involve the following Emergency Services Assets:

(i) Marine Police;

(ii) Hampshire Fire and Rescue;

(iii) Calshot Inshore and Offshore Lifeboat;

(iv) Hamble Lifeboat;

(v) Coastguard Helicopter;

(vi) Coastguard patrol launch `Osprey';

(vii) Coastguard control room watch keeper;

(viii) Hill Head Coastguard volunteers and mud rescue team; and

(ix) Local Coastguard rescue and response teams.

8. Impact Assessments

8.1 This report provides a position statement only, therefore an impact assessment, in terms of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act, has not been undertaken.

Recommendation

That this report be noted.

750(B)/TC