more about pot bouys/other markers

[Scillypete]

Being a yachtie that also works a few pots, as much for the amusement of the kids as having something nice for tea, I thought about adding my thoughts to the last thread then decided against it but I shall try to make a few points here and no doubt be slaughtered for it.
as a matter of interest, how many of those that posted on the last thread about pot bouy problems have actually been entangled by pot markers and how many are just worried about them? I too worry when on an inshore passage at night but have never fouled one in over twenty years, lucky I guess.
Pots are generally laid near underwater features ie rocks, ledges and wrecks features which if are close inshore are avoided by the average cruiser. Some of these features are obviously in deeper water but are not usually fished by the amateur.
Is it known for sure what the plastic black/white gallon bottles (they are indeed a nuisance) are marking without having lifted them?
Divers are known to mark an area they want to return to for further investigation (professional outfits generally use a large pink bouy) also anglers may mark a productive spot in the same way.
Most pot fisherman mark their gear at both ends of the string (up to 200 yards, sometimes more sometimes less) that way if one end is lost they can retrieve from the other. Leaded lines are invariably used and this does help to keep the ropes down and clear from props.
Regarding Dartmouth, there are some boats fishing for whelks out of there and if they are using pots they may have them out all over but being professional their gear should be well marked, not much good in the dark I know but I don't have any answer to that one.
Having said all that I don't think the solution lies in taking potshots with air rifles or just cutting the gear off for the hell of it either. A bit of an understanding about where to expect to have to lookout for the gear could go a long way to avoiding problems.
Not much help there regarding those in the needles channel or Southampton water which by the accounts I've read have been laid recklessly.



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[Robin]

Just returned from weekend trip Poole to Lymington and back, taking the route of hundreds of boats daily. I counted 12 x 1 gallon containers, mostly dark blue or black but a couple of white ones. Also were over 20 pink buoys with pick-up buoys on floating lines around 10m long on 50% and 2mts long on 50%. There were many many others on just plain pink buoys that were no real risk. Most are on rocky patches, including Christchurch ledge, but these are very definitely where small boats regularly go, ie are NOT close inshore or over rocks.

On VHF today was a call for assistance to a yacht entangled/ unintentionally anchored in the tide off Cowes. We have picked up pot lines in the past, we do have a rope cutter on the prop which works well. We have also picked up ropes twice in the past between hull and rudder where the cutter is no help, we were lucky both times. On one occasion the line broke whilst momentarily jamming the rudder, causing the steering gear chain to jump on the drive sprocket with trhe wheel now 30 degs off normal position, we were doing around 7.5 kts in a W33, heavy enough to break the line it was dark and wind around F6/7 in a strong cross tide. We also were entering Alderney one time whilst the lifeboat was attending a Centaur with a jammed rudder (pot line) just off the rocks - he could only motor or sail in circles!

Thing is we DO know where to expect to find them, but trying to see them in any kind of sea unless they are properly marked is a lottery around here. The floating pick-up line ones are really a concern especially at night and if you are on a north - south track since they lie across your course and tide is running up to 4kts. As was pointed out on the other thread, pots with floating lines lying to tide off Dartmouth will inevitably lie right across your course as you arrive from Portland and points east.



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