Archived decisions

Contact: Tony Clatworthy, tel 01489 576387 email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 This report summarises the activities of the Harbour Masters staff, incidents and events on the River from 2 November 2007. Any incidents taking place after this report is distributed will be the subject of a separate Annex to be distributed at the meeting.

2. Recommendation

2.1 That the contents of this report be noted.

3. Report

3.1 The River has been patrolled daily by the Duty Assistant Harbour Master from 0700hrs until 1800hrs.

4. Incidents

4.1 3 November: Small outboard stolen from midstream mooring. Owner reported theft of engine to police.

4.2 4 November: Hamble Lifeboat recovered yacht to Warsash Harbour Master's jetty following engine failure of the yacht.

4.3 16 November: Harbour Master received a report of a collision that occurred between a moored yacht and a yacht transiting the River. After an investigation it was confirmed that the incident was caused through crew error and all damages were settled by the offending vessel's owner. There were no implications for the Safety Management System.

4.4 18 November: Patrol recovered a yacht with engine failure in the main channel.

4.5 19 November: Patrol recovered a tender found drifting in the main channel. Owner traced and tender returned to its mooring.

4.6 28 November: Patrol found a small yacht on a fore and aft mooring with a parted mooring line. New warp was laid and owner informed.

4.7 29 November: Patrol found a yacht on a mid-stream mooring that had been broken into. Owner informed and police informed through the owner of the vessel.

4.8 1 December: Following gales during the previous night the patrol checked the mid-stream moorings and attended to the following:

a. 8 yachts required fenders replacing.

b. 3 boats required warps replacing.

c. 2 boats required warps adjusting.

d. 1 boat with small hole in bow due to being moored incorrectly.

Owners informed by patrol.

4.9 Following the gales on the previous night and impending bad weather patrol again ensured all mid-stream boats looked secure at their moorings. A number of fenders were adjusted along with some loose lines. Sail covers on two boats were adjusted.

5. Harbour Authority Web-Site

5.1 The Harbour Authority web-site has recently been updated and a new Menu and Sub-Menu has been introduced, along with a rewrite of many pages. New features include a full explanation regarding consultation both for Harbour Works and the Safety Management System, an interactive reporting form to allow river users to report incidents or ideas direct to the Harbour Office, and a rewrite of the environment pages. The Patrol Team section will record a monthly diary and list incidents of note. Members of the public will be able to download waiting list and sub-let application forms.

5.2 Menu and Sub Menu

Welcome Page

Harbour Authority

Harbour Board

Board Members

Management Committee

River Management

Annual Forum

Navigation, Safety and Security

Navigation

Notice to River Users

Harbour Masters Directions

Consultation - Safety Management System

Designated Person

Marine Watch

Project Kraken

Fireworks Guidance

Personal Water Craft

Bye-Laws

Harbour Dues, Moorings and Facilities

Harbour dues

Visitors Moorings

Permanent moorings

Waiting List

Sub-Lets

Scrubbing and Wash Off

Environment

Natural Habitats

Hamble estuary Partnership

Environmental News

Port Waste Management

Get On Board And Recycle

Refuelling and Small Spills

Commercial & Recreational Fishing

Photo Gallery

Harbour Patrol Team

Patrol Team Diary

Incident reports

Harbour Patrol at night

Harbour Works

Streamline Consents

Current Applications

Consultation

Contact Us

Links

River Bus

6. Recycling Trial

6.1 New legislation introduced in late 2007 requires waste from commercial premises to be treated prior to disposal. It was thought that this was an ideal opportunity to introduce a full recycling scheme for the River Hamble. There are a number of difficulties involved in running such a scheme that must be overcome before a successful outcome can be achieved. Some of these difficulties are:

a. Lack of recycling disposal sites at riverside locations.

b. Differing systems on either bank of the River.

c. Difficulties in recycling aboard a small craft.

d. Lack of recycling sites throughout the Solent.

e. Changing the habits of leisure boaters.

6.2 A meeting has been held with the majority of the marinas, boatyard owners and managers regarding the scheme and much headway has been achieved. MDL and Premier are now running a recycling trial and the RYA Green Blue has been involved, both to provide advice and to use their publicity system. It is hoped that a skeleton scheme will be in operation before the summer season commences. The scheme will then be expanded as the season progresses to draw in all yards and marinas.

6.3 The Harbour Office are fully behind the scheme and have also introduced a number of related schemes to assist this process. The Harbour Office will be heading up a trial entitled `Get On Board and Recycle'. The aim will be to overcome the difficulties that some leisure boaters find in recycling on board. This will take the form of a trial involving 6 boats made up of:

a. Two boats from a marina - sail and power.

b. Two boats from yacht clubs - sail and power.

c. Two boats from mid-stream moorings - sail and power.

6.4 The trial will commence at Easter 2008 and continue through until approximately June or July. Each boat will record their progress or lack of progress on a website on a monthly blog. An example of a publicity flyer is attached to this report at Annex A. Our two main aims are to establish a consistent approach throughout the River and to help and assist leisure sailors to achieve recycling so the message to all River users this season is `Get On Board and Recycle'.

7. Sewage Pump out Station

7.1 Following a request by the Harbour Board for further information on the sewage pump out facility provided by the River Hamble Harbour Authority on their Warsash Jetty, the current situation is set out in Annex B

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.

Introduction

To assist River users in becoming more aware of the possibilities of recycling the Harbour Authority is facilitating a trial to help establish good recycling working practices. The trial will be centred aboard six small craft crewed by families or a group of friends who use the vessel at least three or four times a month, possibly more. The trial is to establish what it is possible to achieve regarding recycling aboard a small craft and how habits gained over many years may have to be changed or adjusted.

Hopefully it will point the way to good practices, hints and methods that can later be publicised to all River users and possibly manufacturers.

The Trial

The plan is for six crews or families to take part and be committed from Easter 2008 until July 2008. Those participating should be willing to write a short monthly diary that can be transposed onto a website every month.

It would be hoped that those taking part would see a marked improvement in their recycling habits enabling their experiences to be taken onboard by other River users. An ideal number of families/crews taking part would be six broken down as:

· Two boats from a marina - one power and one sail

· Two boats from mid-stream moorings - one power one sail

· Two boats from a yacht club - one power and one sail.

Possible Gains from the Trial

· Procedures to assist in purchasing supplies with recycling in mind.

· Identifying items or equipment that will help recycling on board.

· Identifying recyclable items to include varied requirements of disposal sites.

· Storage of items aboard.

· Identifying disposal sites in harbours and marinas.

· Transporting items ashore to correct disposal sites.

· Changes in the habits of crews to facilitate recycling.

· Did recycling and the dedication involve change the lifestyle and or enjoyment aboard a small boat and how much dedication is required.

· Information to Boatyards and Marinas regarding waste collection sites for their clients.

· Produce copy to be used by yachting press and the RYA (Green/Blue).

· Making the marine leisure industry and user more aware of the recycling possibilities and hopefully how easy it all is........!

Timetable

· 4 Jan 2008 - Advertise for volunteers.

· 14 February - Volunteers identified.

· February - Establish website.

· March - Produce a pack to give to each crew containing:

o Listing of recyclable good

o Different listings of goods for both sides of River.

o Format of website reports.

o Diary format for web site.

o Listings of known disposal sites in the Solent at this time.

o Listing of any goods or products already known

· 28 March - Publish a press release explaining about trial and details of website possible background to crews and those talking part with their initial thoughts.

· 29 April - Produced diary and update website.

· 29 May - Produced diary and update website.

· 26 June - Produced diary and update website.

· June - Establish how information gained can be transferred to local use - Mooring/berth holders/marine publications/yachting magazines. Green Blue - RYA publications.

· 31 July - final diary produced. (possibly a meeting of all crews who have taken part in the trial - press and other interested parties)

· As recycling sites come on line both in the River and throughout the Solent they will be listed and published on the recycling page on the Harbour Authority web-site.

Tony Clatworthy

Harbour Master

ANNEX B

Sewage Pump Out Station

This report has been written in response to a request by the Harbour Board for further information on the sewage pump out facility provided by the River Hamble Harbour Authority on their Warsash Jetty.

Discharging sewage from boats is illegal on inland waters and sealed toilets must be used, however, in coastal waters (for boats carrying under 15 people) it is up to boat user discretion. Best practise does suggest a boat must be at least 3 nautical miles from shore before discharging sewage but, unless byelaws exist, this is not enforceable. Larger ships are regulated for the prevention of pollution by sewage under Annex IV of MARPOL 73/78.

The RHHA has a responsibility to provide waste facilities for river users. The sewage pump out station was installed and paid for by Onyx in 2000. The pump was replaced when the Harbour Master's jetty was refurbished in January 2007. The cost to the RHHA was £6992.63 plus VAT.

The current maintenance contract is with Lee Sanitation. 6-monthly service visits cost £400 plus cost of any replacement parts, plus VAT. Emergency call outs are charged at cost.

The RHHA pump out station is free to users to encourage maximum use. The location and free use of the facility is publicised on various websites and also in a locally distributed leaflet "Navigate with Nature".

It is estimated that the facility is used approximately 150 - 200 times per year, with a more concentrated use during the summer season. If the pump is assumed to have a life expectancy of 10 years and an annual maintenance cost of about £1,000, it costs about £1,800 per year to run (including depreciation), which equates to a true cost to the Harbour Authority of between £9 and £12 per use.

Other pump out facilities in the Solent are located at:

Swanwick Marina (Premier), Hythe Marina Village, Lymington Yacht Harbour, Shepards Wharf Cowes, Chichester Harbour Conservancy, Chichester Marina (Premier), Port Solent Marina (Premier).

Chichester Harbour Conservancy and Yarmouth Harbour provide free pump-out facilities. All other pump out facilities within the Solent are provided by marinas and are either free of charge or included within a short stay fee except at Lymington Yacht Haven where the charge is £5 per use (data via telephone research, Jan 2008).

The RHHA officers would have concerns about charging for this service based on the assumption that boaters would be more likely to empty their holding tanks into the water if the pump-out was not free. This is of particular concern for Hamble based boats as many stay within Solent Waters and do not normally travel the minimum 3 miles from shore required to discharge holding tanks at sea.

AHM(E) 2nd January 2008