Rafting Etiquette

Top tips for motor cruisers and powerboats

In the height of summer mooring spaces alongside pontoons are gold dust so be prepared to raft up.

Rafting can test the patience of the most placid motor cruisers and powerboaters. So how can you ensure you and your temporary neighbours stay on good terms?

“Rafting, in principle, is a basic skill,” explains Vaughan Marsh, the RYA’s Chief Instructor, Sail and Motor Cruising, “And the manoeuvres required to put your vessel outside of another boat are no different to coming alongside a pontoon.

“But if you’ve never had to do it before, would you know what to do and say before you started moving across another boat? Rafting is expected, and most people are fine about it, but refreshing your rafting etiquette is never going to do any harm.”

Top rafting tips

Size matters 

Because of the way you need to tie your lines to the other vessel and shore (more on that later), find a similar size boat to yours. If you don’t have that luxury, and find yourself as a bigger vessel alongside a smaller one, see if the boat inside might swap positions before you settle in. A smaller vessel rafted alongside a larger inside boat isn’t so much of an issue, but as you will be stepping off to go ashore, being roughly the same height is useful. This is why motor cruisers largely raft with motor cruisers, powerboats with powerboats, RIBs with RIBs and yachts with yachts.

Get the okay

Set your fenders at the right height. The inside vessel may already have fenders out, partly to signal they are happy for a rafter to join them, but, as the rafting craft, fendering is ultimately your responsibility. Look out for any superstructures on top of the boat too. This is generally less of an issue on power than sail vessels, but if there is something that might touch in a bit of swell position yourself fore or aft of it.

Fenders at the ready

Before you come alongside, motor past and hail the vessel you’re looking to raft to see if anyone is aboard. In a marina the staff may already have somewhere they want you to go. But if not, if you can find a vessel with someone to ask the permission of it could save an awkward conversation later. If you have no choice but to raft with an empty craft, look out for when the crew return, introduce yourselves as soon as possible and find out when they intend to leave.

Line up 

Get the lines on ASAP. Firstly secure yourself against the inside craft using your bow and stern lines and springs, then use longer lines and take extra bow and stern lines ashore to hold the weight of your boat. Let the inside boat know when your shore lines are on to reassure them they aren’t taking your vessel’s weight on their lines and cleats. You might also need to adjust your lines at high and low water, so you don’t end up either squeezing the inside boat or the lines being ineffectual and having all your vessel’s weight on their lines. If using shore power you will need to ensure this isn’t a trip hazard and possibly adjust with the tide too.

Forward thinking 

Once safely tied on and you want to venture ashore, it’s courtesy to traverse the inside boat across the foredeck. Nobody wants strangers peering into their hatch as they traipsed across the stern! When tying on the stern shore line you might have to go around the back of the inside boat, so check it’s ok first.

Different strokes 

You may be happy having heels or soles that could mark on your deck, but it’s only polite to walk quietly when crossing someone else’s boat or to take off your shoes if they could mark. Likewise, if the kids have been to the beach and are covered in sand, rinse them off with a bucket of water before getting back aboard. The inside boat is going to end up dirtier as people cross it, so try to keep that to a minimum.

Time to go

If you’ve kept communication open with the inside boat, there should be no surprises when they want to head off. There are two possible scenarios.

If you plan to leave after them, be on deck before their planned leaving time, with enough crew to move your boat and assist them if needed. Once they are ready to slip simply motor away, let the inside boat leave and then you can come back into the vacant space. Remember, you may need to adjust your fenders.

Alternatively, adjust your lines so they can leave with your vessel still attached to the shore by a shore line. They will need to nominate if they are leaving forward or astern. For this scenario, let’s presume they have elected to reverse out. If you have enough crew, and are comfortable doing it, remove then re-rig your shore stern line so it runs from your stern in front of their bow and back to where it was on shore.

Often sitting it on top of their anchor or bow whilst waiting for them to move is handy – this line must be tended at all times and not go under or be attached to their vessel. Then remove the (slack) redundant lines securing your vessel to theirs. Once they are ready to reverse out, remove all lines attaching you to them so you’re just secured to the shore by your bow line and the slack, very long stern shore line. You will need two or three crewmembers – one each on your shore bow and stern lines while a third with a roaming fender is useful.

As they reverse out, fender where needed and keep your lines quite slack if possible. As they move back, start pulling in on your bow line, without squeezing their boat, with a crewmember tending the stern line to make sure it doesn’t attach or go under the other vessel, and bring it in very slowly as they leave. Once they have gone, adjust your fenders then pull alongside the pontoon. Secure as normal, tidy away your long lines, then put the kettle on and prepare for someone to raft to you!

 

More boat handling tips – power, available here.

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Royal Yachting Association and British Ports Association welcome announcement of a new national alcohol awareness campaign

The Royal Yachting Association (RYA), which is recognised as the representational voice for recreational boaters, and the British Ports Association (BPA), representing over 350 ports, harbours and piers around the UK’s coast, have joined forces to welcome a ministerial announcement of an alcohol awareness campaign.

At the start of Maritime Safety Week on the 1st July, Transport and Maritime Minister Nusrat Ghani MP announced that her Department would be undertaking a campaign to highlight the potential dangers of drinking and boating. The announcement was a key part of the Department for Transport’s Maritime Safety Action Plan which was launched in London this week.

The RYA and BPA are members of a newly formed Alcohol Awareness Steering Group which will work with the Government and other parts of the maritime sector to develop the campaign aimed at recreational boat users. The campaign aims to improve safety on the water by highlighting the dangers of drinking and boating.

RYA Director of External Affairs Howard Pridding comments “Our message on this issue is clear- Don’t Mix Alcohol and Boating.

“We welcome the initiative that Government is taking and have been pleased to work with colleagues from the British Ports Association and other stakeholders to develop the campaign that will encourage all who enjoy their recreation afloat to boat responsibly.”

BPA Chief Executive Richard Ballantyne said: “Although many recreational users enjoy boating responsibly, sadly it’s believed that the issue of drinking in the marine environment has contributed to incidents and accidents around our coast. However as a sector we are alive to the problem and are using this campaign to create awareness and hopefully ensure people enjoy our wonderful coast and network of ports and marinas for the right reasons. As the key user representative body the Royal Yachting Association has a wide reach and it is great to link up with them to get this important message out.”

The Department for Transport’s Maritime Safety Action Plan underpins the Government’s Maritime 2050 Strategy, setting a vision for a safer marine environment and is available here.

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HM Revenue and Customs launches red diesel consultation


Implementation of the CJEU judgment on diesel fuel used in private pleasure craft

HM Revenue and Customs is inviting views on, and seeking information about, proposed changes to the rules for red diesel used in private pleasure craft as a result of the judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU).

In 2018, the CJEU ruled that the UK’s taxation rules for diesel used in private pleasure craft contravened the Fuel Marker Directive. The Directive is designed to ensure that any misuse of diesel crossing European Union internal borders can be detected given the variation in duty treatment in member states.

HM Revenue and Customs’ 8-week consultation sets out the changes the government intends to make to bring the UK’s practice into line with the Directive and seeks evidence about the impact of the changes on users of diesel powered craft and their fuel suppliers.

Consultation closes at 11:45pm on 9 September 2019.

The government intends to abolish the scheme introduced in 2008 that allowed users of diesel powered private pleasure craft (e.g. yachts, canal boats and motorboats) to purchase red diesel and pay the duty differential between red and white diesel on the fuel used for propulsion.

It intends to remove the right of operators of such craft to use red diesel for propulsion and mandate the use of white diesel. Users will be allowed to continue to use red diesel for on-board non-propulsion use where they have a separate fuel tank for this purpose. This means that craft with only one tank will pay more tax than they currently do as they will have to purchase fuel taxed at the higher white diesel duty rate for both propulsion and non-propulsion uses, and pay the standard rate of VAT as white diesel is not eligible for the reduced rate of VAT.

The consultation outlines how the government intends to implement the judgment by requiring private pleasure craft to use white diesel for propulsion, and seeks evidence regarding the impact this will have on users of diesel propelled craft.

The responses will be used to help determine whether a period will be required for suppliers, known as Registered Dealers in Controlled Oils (RDCOs), and users of diesel fuel to adapt to using only white diesel for propulsion of private pleasure craft and, if needed, the length of any such period.

RYA action

The RYA will respond to the consultation in line with policy on this issue agreed by its Cruising and Government Affairs Committee, setting out the many practical issues that implementation will bring and seeking a long transition period if the UK remains compelled to implement the judgement. This policy also urges Government not to implement the CJEU judgement in the event of a no deal Brexit.

The RYA has been part of a group of key stakeholders that HMRC has engaged with pre-consultation and a further meeting will be held shortly, which will provide the opportunity to reiterate our policy.

Boaters should experience no change in respect of their use of red diesel both in the UK and overseas until the UK Government makes changes to existing legislation. The RYA will be lobbying for any new legislation to include a transition period of sufficient length to recognise that changes will need to be made to the supply system and that the marker dye in red diesel will be detectable in boat fuel systems for a considerable period of time after the commencement date of any change to the use of white diesel.

The consultation is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/implementation-of-the-court-of-justice-of-the-european-union-cjeu-judgment-on-diesel-fuel-used-in-private-pleasure-craft.

Please respond to the consultation

The RYA encourages users of diesel propelled craft, particularly private pleasure craft, and those involved in the supply of fuel to UK craft to respond to the consultation. More detailed guidance on how to respond will be made available in due course.

Email to: gary.satchell@hmrc.gov.uk

Write to: Gary Satchell, Excise & Environmental Taxes Policy Design Team

HM Revenue and Customs

Room 3/36

100 Parliament Street

London, SW1A 2BQ

Telephone (Mondays to Thursdays only): 03000 585802

A summary of responses will be published after this consultation concludes. This consultation will inform when the changes will be brought into effect in legislation and whether any adjustment period is needed.

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Mooring Law

Laying of Moorings in Tidal Water

The foreshore, namely the ground between high water and low water, and the seabed extending twelve miles out to sea is primarily owned by the Crown Estate Commissioners (CEC), unless a statute, Royal Charter or lease has vested an interest in the foreshore and/or the seabed (i.e. the “fundus”), in another party.

The current legal position is that the owner of the foreshore and seabed may charge for the laying of moorings on their property. Prior to 1968 there is little or no evidence of landowners charging commercial rents for mooring rights on their fundus. In Fowley Marine (Emsworth) Limited v. Gafford (1968) 2 QB 618 however it was held that there was no common law right, therefore no public right, to lay or maintain permanent moorings, since it would be little less than fantastic that, in the absence of statute or proved local custom, the law should allow anyone navigating a ship or vessel, including every amateur yachtsman, to place bulky objects on another person’s land without permission and to retain them there, presumably forever, as being an ordinary incident of navigation. Since 1968, the practice has developed in nearly all mooring areas of landowners demanding, and mooring holders paying, a fee for the laying of permanent moorings.

Trespass

A person laying and maintaining a permanent mooring without permission may be trespassing and accordingly liable to the owner of the seabed, riverbed etc. on or in which the mooring is placed.

The Crown Estate Commissioners, the Duchy of Cornwall and the Duchy of Lancaster may bring an action for the recovery of land in the foreshore at any time before the expiration of sixty years from the date on which the right of legal action accrued, namely the date from when the mooring was laid without permission. Other owners of the foreshore and seabed must bring any legal action for the recovery of the property within twelve years of the legal action accruing.

Acquiring rights to lay moorings

As already stated, the current legal position at common law is that there is no general public right to lay and maintain moorings on another person’s land without their permission. It is possible, however, that a public right could be established in a particular location, for example if it can be demonstrated that the public have in practice laid moorings in that
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location “as of right” without interruption for at least 20 years, although this proposition is readily rebuttable by the owner of the foreshore or seabed.

It is also possible for the owners or occupiers of land adjacent to the foreshore or seabed to establish a private right to lay moorings on the adjoining foreshore or seabed, by way of “prescription”, if they can show that they have done so “as of right” without interruption for at least 20 years. Such a private right would accrue to the land adjacent to the foreshore or seabed but, again, this proposition is rebuttable by the owner of the foreshore or seabed.

The foreshore or seabed owner may also be dispossessed of their right to charge for the laying of moorings, by way of statute. An example of this is the Water Act 1973 which gave to Regional Water Authorities considerable rights previously owned by others.

In the case of Ipswich Borough Council v Moore and Duke (2001) EWCA Civ 1084, the Court of Appeal recognised that although the Council owned the area of foreshore or seabed on which moorings had been laid, any right to charge rent for such moorings which the Council may previously have had had been vested by statute in the Port of Ipswich Authority. It was accordingly held that Ipswich Borough Council had wrongly been charging yachtsmen for laying and maintaining moorings and the Council was required to refund all mooring holders who could be traced.

However, this case turned on the interpretation of several statutes peculiar to the Port of Ipswich and it is therefore unclear to what extent this case will have relevance to other cases where a harbour authority charges for licences to lay moorings and landowners also charge rent. In practice, the rights of the CEC are specifically preserved in many local harbour statutes.

Practical steps to lay moorings lawfully

A club seeking to lay moorings for its members should first identify whether the water in which they intend to lay the moorings falls within a statutory harbour authority area. If it does, the laying of moorings may be regulated by the harbour authority’s local legislation. The club should also contact the Crown Estate Commissioners to identify whether the foreshore or seabed on which the moorings are to be laid is controlled by them or has been leased to a tenant. Further, the club should identify any other local statutes, regulations or practices which may cover the intended mooring site.

Having clearly identified the status of the intended mooring area, the club will then know from whom they must seek permission to lay and use the moorings.

In addition to obtaining permission from the owner of the foreshore or seabed, the club may need to seek authority to lay the moorings from several other bodies, such as the harbour authority (if within a harbour area), the local Planning Authority and the Marine Management Organisation.

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Marine Management Organisation

Part 4 of the Marine & Coastal Access Act 2009 prohibits the depositing of any substance or object in the sea or on the seabed without holding a Marine Licence. There are a number of exemptions from this requirement to hold a Marine Licence and more information is available on the RYA website at https://www.rya.org.uk/knowledgeadvice/regulations/marine-licensing/Pages/hub.aspx

Planning Authority

The laying of a mooring can sometimes amount to development and therefore fall within the jurisdiction of the Planning Authority. Therefore, a Planning Authority may prevent a person from laying a mooring by serving an Enforcement Notice. Local Government areas are fixed by the Local Government Act 1972 and include every accretion from the sea, whether natural or artificial, and down to the medium low water mark. The medium low water mark is calculated to be the point of low water at a date halfway between neap and spring tides. An area may also be included within the parish either by historical settlement or because the natural line of a watercourse has changed. It is possible to check parish boundaries on some charts.

The case of The Fagernes (1927) 96 L.J.P. 183 considered the question of what land lay within the British jurisdiction. The court took into account the historical method of determining whether navigable water fell within a parish boundary, namely that the water will be within a county if a person standing on the shore can see what is done on the opposite shore.

That arm or branch of the sea which lies within the fauces terrae, where a man may reasonably discerne between shore, is, or at least may be, within the body of a county, and therefore within the jurisdiction of the sheriff or coroner.

Where different parishes are on the opposite shores, then, unless by other historical settlement, the boundary line extends to the middle of the water. However, the onus of proof that water falls within the planning authority will rest on the person asserting the fact. The recipient of a Local Council notice, such as an Enforcement Notice, may call upon the Local Council to prove that the fundus does come within their jurisdiction.

Development is defined in the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 section 55 as the carrying out of building, engineering, mining or other operations in, over or under land. The digging into the fundus of a concrete block or disc with an anchor bar to which the mooring line is fixed may be considered to be a development. The issue may not arise where the mooring rests on the fundus.

Harbour Authorities and marina owners

Harbour Authorities may derive their powers over harbour waters from Private Acts of Parliament or from the Harbours Act 1964 or both. Such Acts generally direct the Harbour
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Authority to regulate moorings and anchorage, and to charge for moorings. Therefore, the Harbour Authority will have the right to prohibit the laying of unauthorised moorings.

If you require further assistance please do not hesitate to contact the Legal Team Tel: 023 8060 4223 Email: legal@rya.org.uk .

RYA Responsibility Statement:

The RYA Legal Team provides generic legal advice for RYA members, affiliated clubs, class associations and Recognised Training Centres. The information contained in this Guidance represents the RYA’s interpretation of the law as at the date of this edition. The RYA takes all reasonable care to ensure that the information contained in this Guidance is accurate and that any opinions, interpretations and guidance expressed have been carefully considered in the context in which they are expressed. However, before taking any action based on the contents of this Guidance, readers are advised to confirm the up to date position and to take appropriate professional advice specific to their individual circumstances.

Note: The Carrick Castle Boat Club has a Moorings Licence XX34/343 from Crown Estate Scotland granted on 10th February 1989.

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Clyde Marine Planning Partnership Update

 

Notes from the Team
The CMPP is busy working on further plan development based on the feedback received through the pre-consultation. We are currently finalising the pre-consultation report, which will be published in due course. The report summarises the key messages coming out of the pre-consultation. We will be planning further stakeholder workshops and public dialogue sessions to contribute toward plan development. These will take place in the autumn.

If you have a business in the Clyde Marine Region, or work for a business in the Region, and would like to participate in interviews that will help assess the business and regulatory impacts of the Clyde Regional Marine Plan, then get in touch. Interviews are likely to take place towards the end of the 2019. There will be an interview selection criteria to ensure a diverse range of businesses and business sizes are included.

Updates from our Public Engagement Officer
We will be attending events around the Region with information and activities about the marine environment for all ages, come along and say hello! We’ve included some photos from the Tarbert Viking Festival in this newsletter. Our next event is in collaboration with the RSBP on:
• Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th July – 12:00 – 16:00 at Kelvingrove Art Gallery, Argyle Street, Glasgow. We are collaborating with the RSPB Giving Nature a Home Glasgow Team to share how we can protect marine life, including seabirds, from pollution in the marine environment. Join us to find out more and take part in our marine pollution themed family activities!
If you are interested in collaborating on an event or workshop about the marine environment of the Firth of Clyde (including science, nature, art or heritage themes) then please get in touch.

In Other News
The marine litter sink in Arrochar draws in approximately 62,000 pieces of litter a year due to a range of factors, including the shape of the Firth of Clyde and the predominantly south-westerly winds. The basin outside Loch Long receives two confluent flows of water, one from the Irish Sea outflow and the other from the River Clyde catchment area, both of which are thought to carry approximately 20 litter items per square kilometre of water. An estimate of 11 % of all marine litter entering the Clyde reaches Arrochar. This video illustrates how the litter is carried towards hotspots around Arrochar, Helensburgh and Lochgoilhead.

A partnership project was recently launched that will use space technology to protect Scotland’s historic environment from climate change impacts, such as coastal erosion. The project will build on the current use of innovative space and satellite techniques within heritage management to assist in monitoring and managing these impacts. One of the project’s case studies is the coastal site of Skara Brae in Orkney.

Your Stories
An appeal was launched in Glasgow to raise £2.3 million to help fund the work that is needed to repair the PS Waverley. Hopefully, the paddle steamer will be back in operation in 2020. Click here for more information.

The Ring Net Bus is a fishing boat on wheels that travelled around the Firth of Clyde and the rest of the west coast of Scotland last year. The interior of the bus was designed by artist, Deirdre Nelson, with help from children from Tarbert Academy. Photos from the bus can now be found on Deirdre’s website here.

What are we reading?
The RSPB mapped carbon- and nature-rich areas across the UK. These areas provide important opportunities to invest in nature-based solutions to contribute towards addressing the biodiversity and climate emergencies. Visit the Storymap for more detailed information.

Did you know that the Firth of Clyde Forum developed a Biosecurity Plan for the Clyde? The Biosecurity Plan uses a partnership approach and focuses on three strategic elements: prevention, rapid response and control and containment. The CMPP will be working on developing an updated biosecurity plan in 2020; we will keep you updated on any progress. In the meantime, you can still use the current plan and make sure you check, clean and dry your vessel!

Forthcoming events
The Scottish Government is inviting members of the public to The Big Climate Conversation public workshops to discuss action to tackle the global climate emergency. The first event was in Glasgow on the 16th July but if you missed it and are able to travel further afield, there are more opportunities for you to get involved:
• Stirling: 24 July at 13:00 to 15:00
• Aberdeen: 31 July at 17:30 to 19:30
• Portree: 6 August at 17:30 to 19:30
• Fort William: 7 August at 17:30 to 19:30
• Orkney: 14 August at 17:30 to 19:30
The events are free but they are filling up quickly, so make sure you register on Eventbrite.

CIEEM 2019 Scottish Conference Climate Change: Its Impact on Scotland’s Wildlife & Landscapes – 24th September. Register here.

Get in touch
Follow us on Twitter- @clydemarineplan
Email – info@clydemarineplan.scot
Phone – Sinead on 0131 314 6782

Copyright © 2019 CMPP, All rights reserved.

 

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Carrick Fayre, Carrick Castle on 14th July 2019

The committee of the Carrick Castle Boat Club were happy to support the Carrick Castle Community Trust by having their marquee at the Fayre and Jim Graham, our Moorings Officer is thanked for looking after the stand and welcoming members, those from the Lochgoil Watersports Club who attended the event with a muster and for one of our members for bringing their yacht close to the castle decked out colourfully with flags flying. The weather was perfect for the event and it was obvious that the Fayre was well attended and enjoyed by the the local community and those from Lochgoilhead and visitors from beyond.

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HM Coastguard and RNLI urge boaters to get on board with RYA SafeTrx

Taking the search out of search and rescue

With the sailing season now in full swing, the RNLI and HM Coastguard are reminding boaters that the tracking and alerting tool, RYA SafeTrx, is freely available to anyone who wants to be safer afloat.

A number of recent incidents around the country have highlighted the importance of keeping a friend or relative ashore appraised of your plans and having a suitable means of communication on board for routine messaging and emergency situations.

The RYA SafeTrx app allows you to enter your journey details directly from a smartphone and plan a trip knowing that should you not arrive by the time given, a nominated emergency contact will be alerted and advised to initiate appropriate action.

Where an emergency contact calls HM Coastguard about an overdue trip, they will have access to the boater’s location and SafeTrx trip data through a secure SafeTrx server.

Tangled with wind turbine

Last month saw a sailor have to be rescued after falling into the water when his boat ran into trouble and tied up against a wind turbine.

HM Coastguard and Margate lifeboat were called to the windfarm off the Thanet coast after a vessel was reported to be in difficulty and had lost a mast.

The lifeboat crew attended and towed the sailing boat back to Ramsgate Harbour after the boat suffered engine and rudder faults.

Windfarm staff alerted the emergency services and were first on the scene to help the man and locate him in the water before the lifeboat arrived.

Two lifeboat crew members were transferred to the sailing boat and the mast secured for the tow after cutting it free from the turbine before embarking on a “slow and uncomfortable journey” to Ramsgate.

Ian Lowe, Deputy Launching Authority, Margate Lifeboat said: “This was a long and tedious job for the volunteer lifeboat crew who assessed the yacht not to be adequately equipped for a sea passage. Our thanks go to the professionalism of the windfarm support vessel who quickly recovered the casualty from the water and transported him to medical care.

“We would recommend that any vessel putting to sea be properly equipped with lifesaving equipment ensuring it is fit for the intended passage including the competence of the crew. When undertaking a passage of any length consideration should be given to registering it using RYA SafeTrx.”

Picture: Mark Stanford

Ghost yacht prompts call for RYA SafeTrx

Swanage Coastguard have also urged boaters to join its voluntary boat registration scheme by signing up to RYA SafeTrx, after a ‘ghost yacht’ was discovered on the sands at Mowlem.

After reports came in of the washed-up vessel, two Coastguards in water rescue responder suits, and, protected by the rest of the team acting as spotters and armed with throwlines, walked out to the yacht, to check there was no-one in difficulty.

Having confirmed there was no-one on board, the team checked for any damage or resulting pollution and then tried to find the yacht’s owner. A note and phone number on the cabin door led HM Coastguard to a local person who was able to contact the owner, who attended.

Swanage Coastguard said: “We urge boat owners to join our voluntary boat registration scheme whereby they can their register details and, when a boat ends up in situations similar to the Swanage one, it’s easier for the Coastguard Operations Rooms to identify and contact them.

“Regular sailors may know it as the CG66 scheme, although these days the register is run in conjunction with the RYA and is called RYA SafeTrx. Since RYA SafeTrx periodically sends your location data back to a dedicated server, HM Coastguard’s response team can get help directly to you, and quickly,” said the Coastguard.

Picture: Graham Hunt

Capsized kayakers stranded off Essex coast

Two kayakers who capsized off the coast of Essex were also rescued after a lifeboat spotted an oar being waved. The coastguard received a call from one of the kayakers in the sea near to the Gunfleet Wind Farm, four miles south of Clacton.

Clacton RNLI was dispatched to find the stranded pair. On nearing the wind farm, a black dot was spotted towards the western end. The black dot turned out to be one of the oars being waved to grab the volunteers’ attention.

One kayaker was pulled to safety from the water while the other was found on top of his kayak.  Both were suffering from the effects of exposure and immersion, the RNLI said.

Adrian Rose, helmsman of the lifeboat, said: “We are glad we could help these two kayakers today and feel that their lives have been saved due to our ability to make a quick response, and that they managed to request help using a mobile phone.

“Due to their position they were unlikely to have been seen from the shore, and the wind today was pushing them further out to sea. We highly recommend the use of dedicated means of alerting distress, such as the RYA SafeTrx App which can save vital minutes in an emergency.”

Whilst components of the GMDSS system remain the preferred means for communication and distress alerting, the RYA SafeTrx app is a useful backup and particularly helpful for solo boaters and those on the many small craft that do not have the ability to fit or carry standard GMDSS equipment. RYA SafeTrx does not replace GMDSS, EPIRB, PLB or AIS.

Picture: Pete Inman

Visit the RYA safety hub to find out more about RYA SafeTrx.

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Day Skipper Theory Course

Are you interested in taking a Day Theory Skipper Course?  If so, contact the Three Villages Hall in Arrochar who are trying to run a course (October to December).

Contact: Three Villages Hall, Shore Road, Arrochar, G83 7AB – Phone 01303 702669 – http://www.threevillages.org.uk/.
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Three Visitors Moorings at Carrick Castle

A third visitors mooring, A0178 was laid on 7th June 2019 in approximate position N 56 deg 06.756′ W 04 deg 54.42′ just north and in a line with the club’s other two blue visitors moorings which is awaiting a new blue mooring buoy similar to the others, currently with blue/yellow and red pick up buoys. The visitors mooring fee is £10.00 per day/night, but free for lunchtime stop overs between 11 am and 2 pm only. Please note all visiting vessels are photographed using the club’s visitors moorings so please pay the mooring fee as the club is providing serviced, safe moorings for your use.

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Are you looking after the environment as well as your boat?

New green campaign focuses on antifouling

Boat owners are being urged to ‘Protect, Collect and Dispose’ as part of a new initiative promoting best practice for antifouling vessels.

The RYA and British Marine joint environment initiative, The Green Blue, has joined forces with the British Coatings Federation (BCF) and The Yacht Harbour Association in a drive to encourage boaters to seek the best method for protecting boats and the environment.

Launched today (April 25) at the 2019 Marina Conference in Bournemouth, the Protect, Collect and Dispose campaign offers plenty of advice for those who antifoul their own vessels, as well as for marinas and boatyards which offer professional antifouling services.

Kate Fortnam, Campaign Manager for The Green Blue, says: “We have developed guidance with the BCF for antifoul application, removal and disposal to ensure hazardous paint does not enter the environment during these processes. The guidance explains how to best protect yourself and the environment, especially with regard to collecting paint debris and disposing of waste.

“This isn’t just an opportunity for marinas and individuals to ensure they are adopting best practice but to encourage others to do the same and help raise awareness of the main environmental issues.”

While antifouling does a great job of keeping hulls clean and preventing the build-up of marine organisms, and even has some environmental benefits such as improving fuel efficiency and preventing the spread of invasive non-native species, it is toxic to aquatic life.

Since the banning of TBT in 1987, most antifouls are now copper or zinc based. Some of the compounds found in these antifouls can accumulate in marine organisms, and can find their way into marine wildlife further up the food chain.

Trevor Fielding, Regulatory Affairs Manager at the BCF, comments: “This new initiative is intended to raise awareness of environmental issues relating to antifouling amongst the boat-owning community and our UK boatyards and marinas. Everyone wants to do the right thing but either they don’t know how and/or they lack the facilities to do so. We hope that the information provided will help to improve the practices followed by DIY antifouling paint users, as well as those applying antifoul professionally.”

Look after your boat and the environment 

When antifouling your boat:

  • choose an appropriate well-ventilated location and follow marina and boatyard rules;
  • read labels and literature thoroughly;
  • wear all recommended personal protective equipment (PPE) and keep this on until the end of the application;
  • protect the ground and surrounding area;
  • keep dust to a minimum and capture all debris and scrapings;
  • minimise paint dust by using wet sanding techniques;
  • thoroughly clean up after;
  • wash skin with warm soapy water or approved cleaners;
  • dispose of all waste responsibly.

For further information and detailed advice visit the RYA website and The Green Blue website.

Help to deliver the message

An informative leaflet has been produced explaining how to best protect yourself and the environment, especially with regard to collecting paint debris and disposing of waste. A weather resistant poster is also available for display in chandlers, marinas and boatyards. For these and other awareness raising materials, visit http://www.safeantifouling.com

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