Fareham's Pride

Re: Fareham wreck

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
That little boat I suspect was deliberately abandoned by a marina that I think I identified as having deliberately abandoned a dory earlier in the year & having informed the Queens Harbour Master about it he did something about it on that occasion or at least someone did.(I believe this to be an entirely irresponsible selfish act to just abandon yacht/boats just because the owners no longer pay the mooring fees & become a liability).



[/ QUOTE ]
This is appalling. Can you substantiate this? I'm sure the owners and insurers of any boats damaged by drifting wrecks would be keen to know.

Southern Water has a lot of problems with sewage in very heavy rain conditions, I imagine they are prioritising keeping it out of people's houses (with only limited success) over Fareham Creek.

[/ QUOTE ]

I am 99% certain that I saw the dory that I mentioned earlier moored at the marina I mentioned but am not so sure about the little yacht now.A friend told me it had been bought by two young men at port Solent & then abandoned when they could not find a mooring.That seems a bit implausible to me but I do not know the truth.
I am pretty sure that it was not moored to any of the independent tidal moorings as far down as the electricity pylons but it could have been tucked away on one of the marina births.

A few years ago there was a 16/18' fiber glass speed boat suddenly appeared at the public hard with a for sale sign on it.Simultaneously someone moored one of the big wooden dockyard pontoons just off the little beach that I love,the one with the triple si designated on it.Almost immediately that little speed boat was secured to it.A couple of days later the wooden pontoon seemed to have come down on it & crushed it.
I was amazed a couple of days later to see a couple of workmen in a little motor boat with the name of a boatyard concern emblazoned on the side casually unmoor that dockyard pontoon & casually remoor it about thirty yards further on down the creek.The wreck of that little speed boat was left behind where it remains as far as I know.
I did not take photo's or finger prints but I will happily swear on a stack of Bibles that is the truth.I am sure someone must know who that little boat belongs to & the name is "foam follower" should anybody be so concerned......
 
Re: Fareham wreck

[ QUOTE ]
Ah but the owner of that little yacht may either not be aware that it has cut loose or may be hearbroken because their pride and joy has disappeared, presumed stolen / sunk.

I think prosecution is a bit harsh in those circumstances don't you?

[/ QUOTE ]

No.It was first beached right at the beginning of this year in about January I think.It's hard to imagine that it has gone unreported all this time & anyway I reported it to the Queens Harbour Master months ago when the situation was salvageable.
 
Re: Fareham wreck

But does the owner know? How would they know. QHM would not necessarily know the owner from the boats name or description. Many boats are not registered in any way.
 
Re: Fareham wreck

[ QUOTE ]
But does the owner know? How would they know. QHM would not necessarily know the owner from the boats name or description. Many boats are not registered in any way.

[/ QUOTE ]

Do you not keep an eye on your boat for several months at a time?A few simple enquiry's around here should be able to find the owner (Fareham is part of the almost landlocked harbour that is Portsmouth Harbour) & I do not say that the Queens Harbour Master should know every name but I do believe he is responsible for the goings on below the high water mark & that must include preventing more wreckage & debris being thrown into the creek.Pollution etc etc.
 
Re: Fareham wreck

Try this.....

http://www.yourboatpix.co.uk/pixSearchService2.php?pixID=82010740&magicNr=1954

(what's missing is embedded in the mud for the most part on the far bank where that little yacht was originally deposited.As far as I could see it was complete to start with & I would have thought that a lot of people would have liked it.I know I would if I were without a boat in a few weeks time when hopefully the weather perks up).
 
Re: Fareham wreck

I know Fareham, and Fareham creek very well. My cousin used to live in a house backing on to the creek right up at the top just before the bridge by the roundabout which is pretty musch as far up as most boats go. We spent many happy days rowing around there.

And to answer you question I know where my boat is because it is either sat on my drive or in the dry stack. Not been windy enough (yet) to lose it from there!

There are plenty of small and large boats that sit on moorings and pontoons up the Itchen that do not move for many months. I know of several at a local boatyard where the owners pay their annual dues andonly visit the boats once or twice a year so they could easily go AWOL for months without the owners knowing.

As to who is responsible for retrieving / disposing of such flotsam I would not know. Just making the point that the owners may not know.

A few inquiries around Fareham might take some time. Not exactly a small place is it.
 
Re: Fareham wreck

Fareham is not the Itchen which is why I mentioned it is almost a land locked harbour.Most people know what is going on around them at least if you select the key people.A few discreet enquiry's should be able to come up with an explanation.For example in Fareham I would have a word with the proprietor of trafalgar chandlery,the motor boat & sailing club + a couple of bods connected with the local boat yards & I would be very surprised if that did not come up with the answer.(& by the way Fareham is a very small place if you look at it in these terms).
 
Re: Fareham wreck

Actally looking at those pics it makes a very sad sight doesn't it. What a shame for such a nice little boat to fade and die like that.

I'm suprised that some enterprising local lads didn't claim it for themselves and have some fun with it. I'm sure we would have done.

I suppose when you get into an area they are all made up of small sub communities. Fareham just seems to have expanded hugely from when I were a lad.

Not that any of this solves the problem which is that a small boat has been left to it's fate by an uncaring world. Maybe I'll venture upriver at the weekend and take into care.
 
Re: Fareham wreck

What a shame, but wonder if the owners realises that the cost to fix is probably more than its value. Alternatively perhaps the owner no longer physically able to get down to the boat. Have a look in the corner of Gosport boatyard, dozens of nice little yachts packed in tight because they just aren't going anywhere in a hurry.

A guess this one would be one from FSMBC they have lots of moorings in the creek, anyone a member?

http://www.fsmbc.org.uk/Moorings%20Map.html

Pete
 
Re: Fareham wreck

Mooring holders in Fareham come from all over the South. Not trivial to trace an owner. At least the boat has a name that is more distinctive than many. But does the owner want to be traced? He may have given up, died, claimed on insurance for its loss in a storm.... Most likely just lost interest, or its some older person who did not know when to sell up and just left the boat moored. It happens.
Some people just seem to hang on to dodgy old boats to keep their mooring which they know has value and took them years on a waiting list to acquire.

I would say the boat has got a value of nil or less as is, the cost of getting it sailable will exceed the cost of buying one in good order. Best thing would be to take off all the useful bits and chop up the rest unfortunately. Boats like this become liabilities when the cost of winter storage exceeds what you could get for it in the spring. You might get a few quid for the the mast and outboard bracket etc, but then you have to pay to dump the rest.
Hopefully, it served its previous owners well and has had a worthwhile existance, probably someone's pride and joy once, but probably game over now imho.
Several clubs end up putting this kind of thing on ebay, no buyer, strip it and skip it. I suppose we should not be emotional about it anymore than a ford fiesta or rusty pushbikes to be found elsewhere in the harbour.
Funny old world.
PS if you do 'rescue' it, FFS take care it doesn't sink in the way somewhere or cause any other incident, as presumably it won't be insured for your activity.
 
Re: Fareham wreck

It's pretty unlikely that I'd venture that far up the creek actually. Just fancy a little saily boat for a bit of fun. As you say the value is problalby less than zero.

I suspect I could pick up a going concern that sort of size for a few hundred.

I'm just a soppy old Hector really. I hate seeing abandoned things like that.
 
Re: Fareham wreck

When I first noticed it it was complete as far as I could tell & would have put the value at £750/£1000.I believe it was dumped deliberately & I think whoever did it should be prosecuted for polluting the environment as I have already stated.
Just for the record I also think the Queens Harbour Master should also be sanctioned for not doing his job properly.
No sentiment there!
 
Re: Fareham wreck

[ QUOTE ]
Maybe I'll venture upriver at the weekend and take into care.

[/ QUOTE ]

Looking at the tides you might just get to her on Monday lunchtime, I'll bring the camera to record the salvage operations /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Pete
 
Re: Fareham wreck

Well things are moving, not only the abandoned blue yacht. Just had a reply from Fareham Council. Mrs Holmes is the Estates Technical Officer (who also administers the Council Moorings) and wrote that:

"They were recently been made aware of a blue boat that appears to have been abandoned in the Creek. Fairweather Marine very kindly secured the boat for us last Thursday onto one of their pontoons. A notice for its removal will be displayed on it very soon".

I am sure Lee will be thrilled to have that taking up his pontoon spaces /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

I also raised the point about why we don't have some nice visitors pontoons to attract yachts up to Fareham and Mrs Holmes has passed this suggestion onto Mrs Rance in the Leisure Dept. I made the point that are Fareham businesses doing so well we can ignore viviting yachts and let them go to Bembridge, Cowes and Lymington instead? Afterall we have the perfect location and a suitable sea wall, just do something with it, include some pontoons and dig out the mud.

Finally she did admit the councils surf control blocked www.ybw.com so she can't see this thread at work /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Pete
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top