Hampshire Police boats up for auction

[Scarron]

I see Hampshire Police have decided to auction off their old Mitchell 31s now someone has convinced them to spend £1.2M on some whizz bang [cold wet impractical] black stealth Ribs so they can play dressing up games as a paramilitary force.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-21069374


I know which I'd rather spend all day long out on the water in all weathers..

And they still haven't found my trusty 12'6" tender some scrote stole from the Hamble Quay pontoon, they couldn't be bothered to look over the CCTV...

 

[prv]

I wonder what the FCO wanted a RIB for?

Pete

 

[epervier]

I see Hampshire Police have decided to auction off their old Mitchell 31s now someone has convinced them to spend £1.2M on some whizz bang [cold wet impractical] black stealth Ribs so they can play dressing up games as a paramilitary force.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-21069374


I know which I'd rather spend all day long out on the water in all weathers..

And they still haven't found my trusty 12'6" tender some scrote stole from the Hamble Quay pontoon, they couldn't be bothered to look over the CCTV...

That's probably because they're Special

http://www.hampshire.police.uk/internet/about-us/specialist-teams/marine-unit

 

[volvopaul]

Out of interest I wonder which company looked after the MITCHEL 31s for hants police?

 

[Sandyman]

And they still haven't found my trusty 12'6" tender some scrote stole from the Hamble Quay pontoon, they couldn't be bothered to look over the CCTV...

Dont expect them to either. My experience is they are a WASTE of space.

Have an oppo who is a PCSO in Fareham / Gosport and he works quite closely with them
and he says they are just a lazy bunch of wasters.

The pace of the leader is the pace of the pack......................................

 

[benjenbav]

Out of interest I wonder which company looked after the MITCHEL 31s for hants police?

Paul, I don't know. I often see Sword at Berthon but I think that she belongs to MoD, and is a 14 metre-ish Nelson (I think) hull.

So not very much like the Hants Police Mitchell 31s except for the word "POLICE".

 

[johnwest]

The £1.2 million that Hampshire Police spent was for the two ribs as stated, but also included a launch bigger than the Mitchells and a 40ft cat. If you see the equipment the two big boats have on board I think the money was well spent.
Have a look at the project Kraken website where all is revealed.
I have no connection with Hampshire Constabulary, but have been on board both the big boats and had guided tours. Lovely boats.

j

 

[Greg2]

The £1.2 million that Hampshire Police spent was for the two ribs as stated, but also included a launch bigger than the Mitchells and a 40ft cat. If you see the equipment the two big boats have on board I think the money was well spent.
Have a look at the project Kraken website where all is revealed.
I have no connection with Hampshire Constabulary, but have been on board both the big boats and had guided tours. Lovely boats.

j

Why spoil a good anti-police rant with some facts.......(which were actually in the original article)

Thought I had strayed into the Lounge by mistake

 

[burgundyben]

Of the new fleet, one has oil in the header tank and one recently suffered a failed skin fitting and substantially flooded engine room, apparently the builder is bust.

 

[volvopaul]

Of the new fleet, one has oil in the header tank and one recently suffered a failed skin fitting and substantially flooded engine room, apparently the builder is bust.

Hi Ben , what motors are in the big cat then, I presume that's what you are referring to.

Typical public money invested into a company that's gone bust, who built the boat?

 

[longjohnsilver]

The £1.2 million that Hampshire Police spent was for the two ribs as stated, but also included a launch bigger than the Mitchells and a 40ft cat. If you see the equipment the two big boats have on board I think the money was well spent.
Have a look at the project Kraken website where all is revealed.
I have no connection with Hampshire Constabulary, but have been on board both the big boats and had guided tours. Lovely boats.

j

More from what a Hampshire Police spokesman had to say.

Det Insp Dave Jackson said: "The investment is of course significant but the return is invaluable."

Replacement 'economical'
He added: "Our three launches were commissioned in 2001 and had a workable life of about 10 years before we'd need to start investing in terms of repairs.

"Mariner V will soon need its engine replaced so it will be a lot more economical to replace the vessels and ensure effective maritime policing resources until 2022 than fork out to keep fixing the existing craft at great expense until they deteriorate beyond repair."

Typical state employee justifying the spend of £1.2m against probably less than £100K to update the existing vessels. Most folk would be more than happy with a Mitchell 31. Surely all their boats are maintained on a regular basis? And who is the builder of the 40' cat they've ordered? I see that they also now have a Lochin 36, very nice boat, but was it strictly needed as a replacement for a perfectly adequate Mitchell?

 

[Scarron]

Details of the new fleet herehttp://www.hampshire.police.uk/internet/asset/2da50b73-559a-472a-9fbf-48b46225653L/Autumn%202012.pdf, it appears they have gone from 3 x Mitchell 31s to two ribs a large cat (apparently offshore capable for several days) and a Lochin. A rant maybe, but it seems a bit of mission creep has appeared?

Re-engineering the Mitchell's would have been £50-75k each?

The cat is from South Boats on the IOW who went pop recently.

 

[Greg2]

Of course public money should be spent wisely but that doesnt mean that assets shouldn't be replaced. Sure, re- fitting the Mithchells might have been an option but they have clearly enhanced their capability so the old boats may no longer have been fit for purpose. There is also a balance to be had in disposing of assets whilst they have some value.

I know the default position hereabouts tends to be to criticise the public sector but in my experience detailed business cases are required before serious money is expended and the level of scrutiny and accountability that applies is often way beyond that in the private sector.

Also not sure that predicting that a builder is likely to go bust is that easy.....important to exercise due diligence of course but sometimes s##t happens......

 

[epervier]

Details of the new fleet herehttp://www.hampshire.police.uk/internet/asset/2da50b73-559a-472a-9fbf-48b46225653L/Autumn%202012.pdf, it appears they have gone from 3 x Mitchell 31s to two ribs a large cat (apparently offshore capable for several days) and a Lochin. A rant maybe, but it seems a bit of mission creep has appeared?

Re-engineering the Mitchell's would have been £50-75k each?





The cat is from South Boats on the IOW who went pop recently.

Taken from your link:-

During Cowes Week Marine Unit officers accompanied
survey officers from the Maritime Coastguard Agency
on our police vessels as they inspected commercial and
leisure craft in the River Medina. It was an excellent
opportunity to stop over thirty recreational boat users
and advise them on issues such as appropriate
navigation lights for their vessels and the safe storage
and maintenance of safety equipment.

is this the thin edge of the wedge beginning to be hammered?

My belief is,... it is!

Are we going to need MOT type tests for vessels over 3years old? compulsory life jackets, life rafts,64 different ways to radio for help! this stems, in part, to the RNLI's stance on water users and their open media reporting on so called casualties.

They've just spent 1.2 mill they'll have to start dishing out fines to recoup the costs

 

[Greg2]

But it said that they advised recreational boaters......no prosecutions as far as we know and hopefully more people better equipped....what is the issue with this?

 

[epervier]

But it said that they advised recreational boaters......no prosecutions as far as we know and hopefully more people better equipped....what is the issue with this?

It also states they stopped over 30 recreational boaters, as I said earlier I believe this is the start of another agenda that is coming our way,legislation followed by registration equals taxation. but there's nothing wrong with that is there?

 

[Greg2]

I don't think so. Regulation/ enforcement follows policy and legislation not the other way round. Some joint working between the police and the MCA doesn't mean that we are on the slippery slope. The prominence of the counter terrorism agenda means that the police need to be more active and visible in the recreational boating community and combining this with some education from the MCA doesn't sound like a terrible idea.....

 

[epervier]

I don't think so. Regulation/ enforcement follows policy and legislation not the other way round. Some joint working between the police and the MCA doesn't mean that we are on the slippery slope. The prominence of the counter terrorism agenda means that the police need to be more active and visible in the recreational boating community and combining this with some education from the MCA doesn't sound like a terrible idea.....

Well, I'll settle for, we agree to differ in our outlook in the future of boating,

I've already bought skis for the slippery slope


But I'll take great pleasure in telling you I told you so, sometime in the not too distant future

 

[PilotWolf]

It also states they stopped over 30 recreational boaters, as I said earlier I believe this is the start of another agenda that is coming our way,legislation followed by registration equals taxation. but there's nothing wrong with that is there?

The MCA powers of inspection, arrest and detention (of vessels) already exists and is reported on their website. Maybe they are just using the police vessels as a tool to assist in the actual 'stopping' of the boats to be inspected and as a transport facility.

Not sure what the police could actually ticket you for other than the same thing you could be charged with whilst walking down the street?

Again in my limited dealing with the marine unit they have always been a good bunch of guys for a chat and a laugh with. There role goes beyond what I think they publish and I am 99% sure some of these generate an income for the police...

W.

 

[epervier]

I'm just an old cynic, we, the great unwashed general public have, and always will be a source of revenue to the establishment, the system will spend a thousand pound to get a penny in revenue just to make a point. I see these stop and search, sorry,stop and advise tactics as a preconditioning of boaters to get used to the fact that more rules are going to be implemented under the fight against terror/drugs/illegals/for our safety/or any other category of your choice.

Our freedom to go to sea unprepared, untrained, and put ourselves in harms way is not to be tolerated, it wastes time and resources so you have to be numbered and accounted for, god forbid you go sailing to get away from all this kind of ****, and enjoy yourself, that will never do.