Can you close a beach? Totland no longer suitable for landing?

[onesea]

Stopped by a whilst back, the beach is buoyed off and in accessible for tenders

New measures help safe swimming in West Wight bay

A shame a stop I used to enjoy, the Waterside although no longer as popular will be loosing business…

 

[stranded]

Stopped by a whilst back, the beach is buoyed off and in accessible for tenders

New measures help safe swimming in West Wight bay

A shame a stop I used to enjoy, the Waterside although no longer as popular will be loosing business…

“a launching lane and extra buoys will be installed on the Totland side from June 21.”

 

[dom]

I think this is a great idea and Colwell Bay will adopt too.

Jetskis, ribs, high-powered tenders, etc. routinely rip up and down these beaches terrifying swimmers.

As an owner of two of these offending items I’d be perfectly happy to use a safety lane.

Well done IoW Council …..for once !!

 

[onesea]

“a launching lane and extra buoys will be installed on the Totland side from June 21.”

There was no sign of it on my last visit, only access to shore at about 1/2 tide was against concrete sea defences with no where to secure dinghy.

I should add I am not against the swimming areas, I do object to what has historically been safe access being blocked for boat owners.

 

[dom]

There was no sign of it on my last visit, only access to shore at about 1/2 tide was against concrete sea defences with no where to secure dinghy.

I should add I am not against the swimming areas, I do object to what has historically been safe access being blocked for boat owners.

Perhaps it would be okay to paddle in an inflatable paddle board, kayak, or even a blow-up tender?

It is propellers and fast moving vessels that don't mix.

And it is the swimmers and kids who carry all the risk of someone else's bad behaviour. .

Which is why I think buoyed off areas should be widely introduced on popular beaches, as of course they have in many other countries.

 

[onesea]

Perhaps it would be okay to paddle in an inflatable paddle board, kayak, or even a blow-up tender?

It is propellers and fast moving vessels that don't mix.

And it is the swimmers and kids who carry all the risk of someone else's bad behaviour. .

Which is why I think buoyed off areas should be widely introduced on popular beaches, as of course they have in many other countries.

The problem is the buoys are connected with ropes and smaller buoys on that baring off safe access…. Although some ignore.

Also making any attempts to go ashore or put dinghies in side the area look very shady…

 

[anoccasionalyachtsman]

The problem is the buoys are connected with ropes and smaller buoys on that baring off safe access…. Although some ignore.

Also making any attempts to go ashore or put dinghies in side the area look very shady…

What's the problem with the ropes? Tip the engine and paddle in and out.

 

[stranded]

What's the problem with the ropes? Tip the engine and paddle in and out.

Leave the engine on the big boat - it is surely engines/props that are the concern and relying on fine distinctions of engine size/performance is unlikely to go well.

 

[onesea]

As an owner of two of these offending items I’d be perfectly happy to use a safety lane.

THERE IS NO SAFETY LANE

What's the problem with the ropes? Tip the engine and paddle in and out.

The problem is I do not want to feel like a criminal every time I go to a beach. I agree with swimming areas and safety areas. However there should be sensible useable safety lanes, even if power still excluded with in them.

Where you can approach the beach and Get ashore, without breaking the signs that say no boats and is reported in the press as no boats…

We need to put to the council to put the safety lane in they said or next year there will be a man on the beach with a megaphone. Osbourne bay anyone? Weymouth. Beach?

 

[ashtead]

Not certain why a small elderly Avon under oars should be tarred with the same brush as a lunatic jetski with no insurance but the sad experiences well reported of jetski and swimmers probably make it on balance a worthwhile measure - be careful though as the new owners of priory bay hotel will have their security guards out enforcing a ban like this if given half a chance by the council.

 

[DJE]

Not certain why a small elderly Avon under oars should be tarred with the same brush as a lunatic jetski

Especially as some of the swimmers will likely be messing about on inflatable toys.

 

[onesea]

Not certain why a small elderly Avon under oars should be tarred with the same brush…………… be careful though as the new owners of priory bay hotel will have their security guards out enforcing a ban like this if given half a chance by the council.

Just the reasons approaches need to be made to Totland council now to establish a safety lane.

No disrespect to security guards but they have to work to rules…. How do you define between a jetski, tender and a large rib? Easy rule no boats!

Sadly to many examples out there of things being stopped little by little.

 

[Giblets]

Just the reasons approaches need to be made to Totland council now to establish a safety lane

Have you considered doing just that?

 

[anoccasionalyachtsman]

Just the reasons approaches need to be made to Totland council now to establish a safety lane.

No disrespect to security guards but they have to work to rules…. How do you define between a jetski, tender and a large rib? Easy rule no boats!

Sadly to many examples out there of things being stopped little by little.

Well rather than being overly pessimistic and whining on the interweb I 'phoned the lady responsible at Totland Parish Council. She's very friendly, and agreed that an inflatable being rowed is less of a threat than a paddleboard, and that I wouldn't immediately be machine gunned if I took one in to the swimming area. She did point out though that there's much more beach available outside her zone than there is inside it.

 

[Quackers]

Apart from the virtues or otherwise of the scheme can someone point out the legislation that allows the council to do this? Do they really have powers over the sea adjoining their party of the country or are they just putting up signs in the hope that people will follow them. I'm pretty certain that a private landowner couldn't legally do this sort of thing.

 

[Caraway]

Have you considered doing just that?

Yes. Onesea has started the Freedom for Boats campaign. Got a website and Facebook page and everything.

Oh.
Well, I thought he had .....

 

[Quackers]

Apart from the virtues or otherwise of the scheme can someone point out the legislation that allows the council to do this? Do they really have powers over the sea adjoining their party of the country or are they just putting up signs in the hope that people will follow them. I'm pretty certain that a private landowner couldn't legally do this sort of thing.

Answering my own question and to an extent the OP's it appears that one can.

The details of this one are on the MMO website under Case ref: MLA/2021/00088 Licence ref: L/2021/00063/1

 

[awol]

You soft southerners are never happy. The council lay buoys for you to tie up to and swim ashore and you moan.

Totland Parish Council will shortly have professionally installed, fully licenced and insured buoys to prevent boats from mooring too far inshore and to protect swimmers at both Totland Bay and the west section of Colwell Bay.
The Totland buoys in both locations will be professionally installed and insured – they are approved by Trinity House, are fully licensed and are heavy duty yellow marine compliant buoys which are anchored and chained. At Widdick Chine they will be tethered and roped together to form a barrier.

 

[dom]

THERE IS NO SAFETY LANE

Bear in mind:
(i) The IoW Council is skint.
(ii) It is trying to do the right thing by everyone - this will take a little time.
(iii) Even for those requiring 2-3m at LAT, the beach is sub-250m away.
(iv) There is a paddleboard rental place, "SupDog", on the south end of the beach so you won't be alone.

Re the saftey issue, only a few weeks ago I was anchored in Colwell Bay and I saw a number of jetskis anchored in groups about 10m from the shore, making a big display of zooming along the beach on departure. There were also kids using those inboard powered tenders flying around the swimming areas. It was an accident waiting to happen.

Obvious Solution: paddle ashore -- going over the safety ropes if you absolutely have to -- your paddleboard, tender, kayak, or giant pink inflatable water melon .

Basically, live and let live!

 

[Slowboat35]

And what jurisdiction does the council have off a beach? How far does their 'authority' extend?