Studland Bay - what you need to do

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Tranona

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Just read that MMO have written to the RYA of their moderate approach to management plans for Studland Bay.
Studland Bay: RYA receive reassurance from MMO of moderate approach to management plans (sail-world.com)
Feel this is more due to the efforts of the Boat Owners Response Group's efforts. So, a big thank you from me even though I have never anchored in Studland Bay. You have set the standard of defending the use of our coastal waters for boats and questioning the so called science used by conservationists.
Hopefully we will hear more detail from oldharry in due course. I have anchored there several times in recent weeks and much less activity than normal - but of course not normal times.

Will spend tomorrow night there ready to take the morning tide on Thursday up to the Solent.
 

Blue Sunray

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Studland Bay 'eco-moorings' set up to protect seahorses.

Neil Garrick-Maidment, from the trust, said it was "vital" the area was "effectively protected" and used "responsibly and sustainably".

Chris Packham called the project "significant progress". "It is hoped that following the first 10, that more of these environmentally responsible moorings will eliminate anchor damage and preserve the seabed for these charismatic creatures," he wrote.

Last year, the largest number of Spiny Seahorses were recorded in the area since 2008. It was attributed to the reduction in people, boat traffic and anchors during lockdown.


1627494790270.png
 

Robin

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I have never picked up a mooring there in over 50years and will anchor using my own tried and tested gear as always. Are they covered by liability insurance? Howmany and where are they in the bay,? Are they intended for visitors or just to replace the existing local's moorings? Is this the BBC yet again simply reprinting verbatim a SHT/NGM press release unquestioned?:mad:
 

Blue Sunray

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Is this the BBC yet again simply reprinting verbatim a SHT/NGM press release unquestioned?:mad:

Of course, but the RYA seem to be doing much the same, certainly not contradicting them. Aren't the talking seahorse and swans in the picture sweet though?
 

Babylon

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And the same press release found its way into The Times as well, from which:

“Sea grass is so valuable,” Garrick-Maidment explained. “It’s a wave diffuser, stopping the beach and cliffs being eroded, and more importantly it’s this incredible carbon sink. Along side that, you’ve got spectacular species like the spiny seahorse.”

A meeting with Michael Gove, the then environment secretary, allowed the conservationists to make their case for a marine conservation area. Garrick-Maidment recalled: “His last words to me were ‘I totally get seahorses. We’ve got to do something about them’. And he was true to his word.”

But he and his team of divers have experienced death threats and abuse.
“We had one woman in a boat who literally tried to run us over,” he said. “We always fly dive flags, and we were shouting at her and she said: “This’ll teach him” and reversed the boat over him. He’s still got nicks on his cylinder where the propeller went over him.”


What truth there is to this allegation is anyone's guess, but it certainly makes good copy....!
 

ryanroberts

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And the same press release found its way into The Times as well, from which:

What truth there is to this allegation is anyone's guess, but it certainly makes good copy....!

This chap plainly has a little dose of Walter MItty about him. I'll make sure to try to board him waving a cutlass.
 

Blue Sunray

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And the same press release found its way into The Times as well, from which:

“Sea grass is so valuable,” Garrick-Maidment explained. “It’s a wave diffuser, stopping the beach and cliffs being eroded, and more importantly it’s this incredible carbon sink. Along side that, you’ve got spectacular species like the spiny seahorse.”

A meeting with Michael Gove, the then environment secretary, allowed the conservationists to make their case for a marine conservation area. Garrick-Maidment recalled: “His last words to me were ‘I totally get seahorses. We’ve got to do something about them’. And he was true to his word.”

But he and his team of divers have experienced death threats and abuse.
“We had one woman in a boat who literally tried to run us over,” he said. “We always fly dive flags, and we were shouting at her and she said: “This’ll teach him” and reversed the boat over him. He’s still got nicks on his cylinder where the propeller went over him.”


What truth there is to this allegation is anyone's guess, but it certainly makes good copy....!

Well, he has incredible experience and a story well worth listening to according to a well known marina company.

Folk Tales Episode 17: Getting to know Neil Garrick-Maidment | boatfolk
 

Norman_E

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All over BBC Breakfast this morning with the BBC letting the Seahorse Trust go completely unchallenged. As for the idea that seagrass is a "wave diffuser" nobody ever seems to challenge such nonsense. Has nobody ever noticed that the seagrass is mostly well below wave level?
 

laika

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I’m not seeing any mention of the advisory no anchoring zone on freshly updated navionics. It says “Marine Conservation Area” but the little anchor symbols are still there. I thought the restrictions (even if advisory) were supposed to be in place by now
 

bedouin

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All over BBC Breakfast this morning with the BBC letting the Seahorse Trust go completely unchallenged. As for the idea that seagrass is a "wave diffuser" nobody ever seems to challenge such nonsense. Has nobody ever noticed that the seagrass is mostly well below wave level?
I noticed that nonsense and was considering making a complaint. At lot of what was said seemed to be nonsense or downright wrong.
 

Robin

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I noticed that nonsense and was considering making a complaint. At lot of what was said seemed to be nonsense or downright wrong.

It was on ITV Meridian news too last night complete with self professed 'expert' NGM doing the presentation with diagrams, not a journalist investigated report so straight out of his SHT publicity pages. No mention of where or what restrictions on usage might apply. According to him nothing lays on the bottom it just stretches to adjust to tide range using elastic. No way will I trust something that has potentially been stretched even more multiple times by 2 metres tide range plus any swell/wash factor let alone the snatch loads of a strong gust or three on a raft of day out boats from Cobbs.
 

st599

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It was on ITV Meridian news too last night complete with self professed 'expert' NGM doing the presentation with diagrams, not a journalist investigated report so straight out of his SHT publicity pages. No mention of where or what restrictions on usage might apply. According to him nothing lays on the bottom it just stretches to adjust to tide range using elastic. No way will I trust something that has potentially been stretched even more multiple times by 2 metres tide range plus any swell/wash factor let alone the snatch loads of a strong gust or three on a raft of day out boats from Cobbs.

In the Australian design that I saw under test, the elastic is not part of the connection between the boat and the ground tackle - it's there to prevent the chain drooping. Advanced Mooring Technology - How It Works

The alternative seems to be that we're barred from every area used in the Government's sequestration scheme. And as that plan seems to eventually cover every patch of water less than 10m deep, finding an alternative is important.
 

Bodach na mara

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I saw an item on the BBC News yesterday about a new mooring system that protects the grass. Apparently it is not only anchoring that damages the bottom flora, heavy mooring chains do so as well. The latest idea is to screw long anchors into the seabed, and attach a length of rubber "rope" to the top. This is kept clear of the bottom by floats attached to the top end and the system continues to the surface with conventional multiplait and a surface floating buoy. The Seahorse Trust has not gone away.
 
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