Cowes Speed Weekend

[Boat44]

I see the Cowes Speed Weekend has returned.

Having spent the weekend down there it seemed more like a free for all than any sense of a regulated harbour!

Whilst we had the delights of the Red Arrow, always very good, Cowes Harbour had clearly lifted the speed restrictions on the water as well.

Lovely slalom course for the ribs up by the Fowley, whilst we had a lovely display by the jetski stunt boys out by the Yacht Haven doing bunny hops etc.

Thing was this was not isolated instances and went on day and night regardless. Talking to regular berth holders, the Harbour Master shows little interest in any of this. Not sure what the 6 knot restriction is for? The fish?

Still, maybe the Medina river is trying to take over where Lake Coneston etc left off.

Anybody else enjoy Cowes Speed Weekend?

 

[l'escargot]

[ QUOTE ]
...the Harbour Master shows little interest in any of this...

[/ QUOTE ]
But he will soon appear if you should dare to cut through the moorings.

 

[Pete7]

[ QUOTE ]
But he will soon appear if you should dare to cut through the moorings.

[/ QUOTE ] Not on Saturday he didn't as we cut the corner. His funny coloured rib was 50 yards further out to sea chatting to some folk on a yacht, probably full of totty.

Red Arrows was good though and we even managed a table in the Folly.

Pete

 

[srp]

Just got back from the Folly - spent much of the weekend rocking and rolling on the mooring, mainly due to idiots in ribs who think that '6 knots and no wash' doesn't apply to them, either that or they can't read. The Earl Mountbatten was tied up at the Folly Light for about an hour this morning, which had a calming effect as long as it was there.
As to cutting through the moorings, I always take a short cut when approaching from the East as it's the obvious sensible thing to do in a small boat - by doing so you completely avoid the Red Jet, and only have to deal with the car ferry when it is moving relatively slowly and creating little wash. It also gets round the problem of being swept off to Gurnard when the tide is running hard. Apparently, there are plans to introduce a small craft channel through the moorings in the future.

 

[l'escargot]

I have cut through the moorings for the last 20 years or so but sensible or not there is now a LNTM specifically prohibiting it: LNTM 05 (T) of 2009 hence the HM's interest. It also prohibits coming inside of the moorings along the green as well.

The proposed small craft channel will only come about if they build the new outer breakwater and move the moorings

 

[fireball]

it is requested .... not instructed then!

 

[l'escargot]

The LNTM states "request" but the byelaws (it mentions No 15) can be enforced. That's the dfference between "Notices" and "Byelaws".

 

[Boat44]

They seemed more interested in collecting fees from boats moored up than stopping the Poker Race that was being run up and down the Medina River!!

Still if they can't enforce a simple 6 knot limit we have no worries over eborders or drink drive liits fro boats!