Boating officially open says DEFRA

  • Thread starter Thread starter Deleted User YDKXO
  • Start date Start date
It's all a bit of a mess at the moment.

Hamble says its open.
Cowes says not.
Lymington is not commiting yet.

I guess they might agree a common response by the end of the week
 
From Plymouth Yacht Haven this morning:
Following further clarification from the government, I am very pleased to confirm that from today you will be able to once again enjoy your boats out on the Sound and beyond. All forms of water sports practices on open waterways, including sailing and the use of privately owned motorized craft are now allowed. There are no restrictions on how far you can travel to get to the marina. However, you cannot stay overnight at a holiday home or second home which we are taking will apply to boats also. This means that for now boating is limited to day trips where you can return to the marina and then home afterwards.
Please will someone explain to me how staying overnight on a boat increases the risk of spreading the virus. I am not clever enough to work this out for myself. Perhaps someone from the government knows why staying overnight on a boat increases the risk.

From British Ports Association:
And although ports have been looking at this since Monday, that may be too short a time to get ready.
They've had over 6 weeks to think about how re-opening will take effect. Why did they only start on this on Monday? Any special reason why they couldn't start thinking about it earlier? It's not as if the government guidance is rocket science - all the components (distancing, cleaning, etc.) have been known for weeks. There's no new science or anything.
 
>>Please will someone explain to me how staying overnight on a boat increases the risk of spreading the virus.
Clearly it does not, if you remain entirely self-contained - the rules are a broad brush.
But Marina Shower blocks?
Fray Bentos onboard every night?
People that want to spend weeks onboard?

It's also about not wanting people to migrate to their second homes (or boats) yet.

Personally I am happy enough for now to be able to work on the boat, get it launched, and go for day trips, but Portsmouth Harbour isn't looking very open yet:

Leisure User | Royal Navy
 
FlowerPower said:
>>Please will someone explain to me how staying overnight on a boat increases the risk of spreading the virus.
Clearly it does not, if you remain entirely self-contained - the rules are a broad brush.
But Marina Shower blocks?
Fray Bentos onboard every night?
People that want to spend weeks onboard?
It's also about not wanting people to migrate to their second homes (or boats) yet.
Personally I am happy enough for now to be able to work on the boat, get it launched, and go for day trips, but Portsmouth Harbour isn't looking very open yet
Click to expand...
I still don't get it. Boat overnights are not allowed because they are seen as second homes. How does staying in a (land) second home increase the risk? And if the boat is self-contained (ours is) how does being on board overnight increase the risk?
Why is the use of showers more risky than the use of loos? Exactly how does the use of a shower increase the risk of spreading the virus?
Where does Fray Bentos come into it? Just asking.
Staying weeks on board - again, how does that increase the risk? Stay for weeks at home... why is that less risky than staying for weeks on a boat?
How come it's riskier to "migrate" to second homes than to "migrate" to destinations for exercise.

I'm not being vexatious or facetious. The entire "roadmap" which we are supposed to be following is based on risk assessments. The government sectoral guidance emphasises that employers will be dealing with the end of lockdown using ordinary risk assessments under the Health & Safety at Work Act, but with some additional features directed to preventing the spread of the virus. I just do not see how there is any increased risk from staying overnight on a boat and therefore I think the continuation of this restriction is otiose. I don't think the factors you have suggested amount to a serious risk and I think my question stands.
 
Which legislation says that I can't stay on my boat then?

It's not a holiday home nor a second home. On a day trip I will use the pontoon twice with the attendant risks - on a 3 day trip anchoring overnight I only use the pontoon twice as well!

Or is this gold plating by the "higher ups" at the harbour authorities?
 
TwoHooter said:
Boat overnights are not allowed because they are seen as second homes
Click to expand...

This is not correct. I am indebted to another forumite for an explanation of the legal situation and I will try to explain it as best as I can. It is true that leaving your home for the express purpose of staying in your 2nd home for a holiday or other purpose is not allowed. BUT if the other purpose is a valid reason for being away from home ie boating, then you have a valid reason for staying in your 2nd home ie boat or accommodation near your boat. It hinges on your main purpose for leaving home. Go boating and stay on your boat - allowed. Only stay on your boat - not allowed

I hope I've got that right. In all honesty I dont think anyone is going to care what you do anyway. At the very worst youre going to have a conversation with some jobsworth who thinks he knows better than you but you can tell him or her to 'eff off
 
TwoHooter said:
I still don't get it. Boat overnights are not allowed because they are seen as second homes. How does staying in a (land) second home increase the risk? And if the boat is self-contained (ours is) how does being on board overnight increase the risk?
Why is the use of showers more risky than the use of loos? Exactly how does the use of a shower increase the risk of spreading the virus?
Where does Fray Bentos come into it? Just asking.
Staying weeks on board - again, how does that increase the risk? Stay for weeks at home... why is that less risky than staying for weeks on a boat?
How come it's riskier to "migrate" to second homes than to "migrate" to destinations for exercise.

I'm not being vexatious or facetious. The entire "roadmap" which we are supposed to be following is based on risk assessments. The government sectoral guidance emphasises that employers will be dealing with the end of lockdown using ordinary risk assessments under the Health & Safety at Work Act, but with some additional features directed to preventing the spread of the virus. I just do not see how there is any increased risk from staying overnight on a boat and therefore I think the continuation of this restriction is otiose. I don't think the factors you have suggested amount to a serious risk and I think my question stands.
Click to expand...
Shower thing is creation of airborne droplets .So in a public setting if the first one in is infective the second in shortly after ( time frame unknown ) you can see the unnecessary risk .
But simply close them .....not the whole marina activity.
Apply common sense !
 
Whatever the legal position, you're not going to have a relaxing weekend if the Marina's interpretation of that is different.

"It’s no secret that people travel a long way to make the most of MDL’s beautiful marinas, so we were also careful to point out that, under the eased regulations, people are still not allowed to stay overnight on their boats."
 
I think the not staying in second homes thing is about people potentially putting strain on public services where they are not accounted for in planning. So our next door neighbours live in London and their house here is a second home. They are registered with a GP in London and are accounted for in public service provision in London but not here.

I guess the same thinking is being applied to people staying on boats. A bit of a shame for people like us who are local to our boats but I suppose it is easier to have consistent guidance that applies to everyone.
 
Well common sense is go for the days boating drop anchor enjoy peace go back marina next day, excuse me sir did you sleep on your boat last night , no dropped anchor swam ashore drove home back again this morning , swam to the boat and came back in the marina , ok sir thank you .
 
can i add my two pennies worth? we are at a MDL marina, we pay them for the birth, ie to tie our boat to their pontoon, how then do they have the right to deny me to sleep on my boat? they do not own the water or the space on which my boat sits? they can close the showers etc as we always use the on board facilities anyway, i can not see how they can legally deny my right to my boat now that ban on the pontoons denying access has been lifted. Id also say that fishing has now been allowed, then if anyone was to go out with a rod in hand then they ca not be denied their right of passage?
 
It would seem to me if Say QHM permits traffic out of Portsmouth harbour and then Living together crew spend the night on a buoy or at anchor you are not breaching marina rules or those of QHM as the marina s concern is for owners not to spend night on board at their marina. Osborne bay might be rather busy this weekend if weather is good ?
 
NathanEllis said:
can i add my two pennies worth? we are at a MDL marina, we pay them for the birth, ie to tie our boat to their pontoon, how then do they have the right to deny me to sleep on my boat? they do not own the water or the space on which my boat sits? they can close the showers etc as we always use the on board facilities anyway, i can not see how they can legally deny my right to my boat now that ban on the pontoons denying access has been lifted. Id also say that fishing has now been allowed, then if anyone was to go out with a rod in hand then they ca not be denied their right of passage?
Click to expand...

Apparently there was a bit of a commotion in the Marina yesterday with someone that had this point of view.
See earlier post about having a relaxing weekend.
 
I should have said being family crew we can be self supporting for showers and suchlike so would more than happy if marina closed these to avoid possibility of infection via this source.
 
FlowerPower said:
Apparently there was a bit of a commotion in the Marina yesterday with someone that had this point of view.
See earlier post about having a relaxing weekend.
Click to expand...

Yes, it would seem ar least one of the (commercial) berth holders are/was not at all happy in one MDL marina:

Zac Cairns - Skipper at Valkyrie
12 May at 16:48 ·
Very disappointing to see that northney marina opened up today a day before they was aloud.
Recreational boaters should have been turned away at the gate, but no they was welcomed in to flout the rules.
Was it a mass flouting by all MDL marina’s or was it just Northney involved in not following government guidelines? 
 
Living 4 hours away from my boat makes day trips pretty much impossible to be worthwhile, the below is the comment I got from Lymington Yacht Haven on how they interpret the current rule.

"At the moment the guidelines are that only day trips are allowed I’m afraid. If a boat was to stay out for 24 hours they would have to quarantine for 14 days."
 
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