Admiralty Pilots - Appalling Example

[Rob_Webb]

Heard on Ch11 (QHM Portsmouth Harbour) on Sunday afternoon:

Yachtie: "QHM, I'm in the harbour entrance and just been passed by an Admiralty Pilot launch doing about 11-12 kts and kicking up a HUGE wash. Can you please confirm he is on active duty".

QHM: "Affirmative, he is on duty".

Yachtie: "QHM, it's very busy here and I think we would all appreciate it if you could ask him to slow down a bit more next time please?"

QHM: "QHM to Admiralty Launch, did you copy that last transmission?"

Admiralty Pilot Launch: "Roger that - but we all have a job to do".

QHM and rest of world: stunned silence.........

Verdict - absolutely astonishing and disgraceful. Having a "job to do" is never an acceptable excuse unless it involves a life-saving mission - and this did not.

Given the trouble that we all have with irresponsible use of speed, I would have expected better from an official vessel...... shame on you Admiralty Pilots.

 

[oldharry]

I actually witnessed this episode, having taken a position just outside the entrance to the harbour. The Pilot launch was inbound just outside the round tower, on the Portsmouth side and going flat out. Its wash was such as to cause one of the smaller Tall Ships to dip its bowsprit as they passed. I was under the impression that it was this boat that originated the radio call to QHM, though I could not see its name. They most certainly had grounds for doing so.

It was difficult to see clearly, but I would be very surprised if the Pilots wash did not also wet a number of spectators on the beach at the Sally Port - we certainly could see that a number were having to run up the beach to avoid it.

I can think of nothing more irresponsible than running at speed close inshore to a beach, crowded with children as it was that afternoon - it could so easily have wrecked the whole day with a drowning. All because he '....had a job to do!'