Lockdown sailing

[chrisharris]

As D&C police were saying they would take action against people regardless of whether they were engaged in lawful activities or not, maybe they decided they might as well get on with it

New police guidance on driving to beauty spots

I wonder what people have been actually fined for, if I read the guidance correctly it's mostly about engagement, with reinforcement (fining) as a laste resort, so are the people being fined only the ones that argue? Would someone who has driven 2hrs for a walk be fined, without the engagement bit, or would they still be given the option of a conversation plus being sent back home? TBH the fines are not much, if any, of a deterrent, people either understand the ask, don't, or don't care.....

 

[Lucky Duck]

All very sensible but I found it a bit worrying that the guidance when first published said they would take action even when the a person was engaged in lawful activities

 

[chrisharris]

All very sensible but I found it a bit worrying that the guidance when first published said they would take action even when the a person was engaged in lawful activities

Agreed. At best this could only be a conversation, certainly not enforcable.....and potentially more harm than good...

 

[Stemar]

"It is also not within the spirit of what we are trying to achieve if you drive from Devon to the coast of Cornwall for surfing, regardless of whether that is 'lawful' or not."

However, this paragraph has now been removed from its FAQ guidance.

I should bloody well hope so. I hope that whoever approved the "'lawful' or not" bit got a good "interview without coffee"

However, I do get where they're coming from. It's one thing for me to get in my car and go to a pleasant place a mile or two away to exercise, it's quite another to drive half a day to go surfing, climbing or whatever, including, dare I say it, sailing.

The real issue for boats is that they, more than light aircraft, I would suggest, require regular checks and maintenance. Leave a plane unattended and What happens? It'll need a service, maybe a new battery? I don't know. Leave a boat with an elderly stuffing box, and you come back to a mast sticking out of the water.

 

[FlyingGoose]

What language was that?

Clearly you understood it to quote it back

 

[longjohnsilver]

Spot of gardening ?

That needs antifouling on all the areas above the waterline

 

[bdh198]

Throughout the UK lockdown there seem to have been an awful lot of Scandinavian boats stopping off in the Solent as they make their way back home. I suppose at least someone is enjoying our waters and the hospitality of our visitors’ berths even if ‘us locals’ can’t into, let alone get out of, our own marinas!

Let’s hope they don’t require the assistance of the RNLI while they‘re here.

 

[dom]

However, I do get where they're coming from. It's one thing for me to get in my car and go to a pleasant place a mile or two away to exercise, it's quite another to drive half a day to go surfing, climbing or whatever, including, dare I say it, sailing.

I too totally get where they're coming from, but by way of anecdote.

I just went for a daily spin on the bike: Weybridge Hampton Court, Kingston, Richmond and back, with good chunks along the Thames path. Total path width in many places is about 1.5 m, and the 2-way cycle-way in Kingston is 2m or less. The pedestrian way is right beside them. The paths converge into one at the many pinch points. So I asked a friendly Police Officer in Kingston what he thought and he commented that they didn't want people to act unreasonably, they absolutely don't want drinking by the river, and other than that people had to be sensible in light of their own circumstances.

All very reasonable and I fully support the new regulations and there intention. But a marina pontoon with its many fingers to temporarily step out onto would be nowhere tight in proximity, or as crowded as any of the aforementioned places.

Nowhere even close!

 

[GTom]

Throughout the UK lockdown there seem to have been an awful lot of Scandinavian boats stopping off in the Solent as they make their way back home. I suppose at least someone is enjoying our waters and the hospitality of our visitors’ berths even if ‘us locals’ can’t into, let alone get out of, our own marinas!

Let’s hope they don’t require the assistance of the RNLI while they‘re here.

Not sure if they are allowed to step ashore. As for rescue, they've done 1600miles afloat coming from the Canaries, double of that coming from the Caribbean. Doubt they'll need any...