New navigation marks in the Guadiana.

[jeanne]

The Portuguese authorities are marking the river upstream from Alcoutim with red and green piles. Some of the moored boats, who now find themselves inside the marked channel, are wondering if this means they have to move. I think not, mostly because of the example of places like the Hamble, which is wall to wall with boats. Also, on some reaches of the Guadiana, where there are no shallows, the piles are close to the the bank, and you couldn´t moor outside them anyway. Clearly, if one was laying a new mooring, one would go outside the channel, but lifting a mooring to move it is serious work, so most people would rather not.
Does anyone know the rules, especially the position of insurance companies. The river has no commercial traffic above Alcoutim, apart from the occasional trip boat.

 

[Graham376]

There was a rumour they are to mark and do some dredging as far as Mertola, any news on that?

 

[jeanne]

A LARGE dredger came up for a day last week, and tied to the Alcoutim ferry dock overnight. I don´t know if he did any dredging. If they want to make a channel to Mertola, they would need high explosives more than dredging. I´ve heard the same rumour, but not from any official sources.

 

[25931]

A LARGE dredger came up for a day last week, and tied to the Alcoutim ferry dock overnight. I don´t know if he did any dredging. If they want to make a channel to Mertola, they would need high explosives more than dredging. I´ve heard the same rumour, but not from any official sources.

There was a report in the Correio de Manha to that effect some time ago.

 

[Yngmar]

What's the reason behind such effort and expense? Surely not for the benefit of the handful of cruising yachts that wander up there? The only commercial traffic we've seen was a river tripper that went up and down the Rio once per day. It's a rather sleepy area (which is why we liked it so much).

 

[25931]

What's the reason behind such effort and expense? Surely not for the benefit of the handful of cruising yachts that wander up there? The only commercial traffic we've seen was a river tripper that went up and down the Rio once per day. It's a rather sleepy area (which is why we liked it so much).

The Alentejo is impoverished and underpopulated. The government is trying to encourage any sort of activity. When it becomes navigable again there will be more trips and, possibly other commercial traffic.

 

[Graham376]

The Alentejo is impoverished and underpopulated. The government is trying to encourage any sort of activity. When it becomes navigable again there will be more trips and, possibly other commercial traffic.

It was perfectly navigable before (except for a tricky area approaching Pomerao) provided the normal rules for following the outside of bends is observed and all the posts are an eyesore. They haven't even bothered to mark the shallow bank SE of the golf club pontoon (just through the bridge) which is well within the safe water marks.

 

[GHA]

It was perfectly navigable before (except for a tricky area approaching Pomerao).

Not so sure..... Ok to up past penha d'aguia then gets a bit more interesting, ive bounced off a few rocks andbhad the spreaders brushing through the trees on the bank trying to find the best water to get up to Mertola before chickening out at the first LW rapids. Then anchored with about 2.5m under the keel have the back of the keel rest on a pinnacle so it was don't even breath with the prop out of the water til the tide came back pretty wild up there, incredible watching the moon rise over the hills utterly silent with maybe a dog barking about 5 valleys away. Can't see how they could dredge solid rock, hope not. Jeannes hand written 'line up the big tree with tbe shack ' are invaluable

 

[Graham376]

Not so sure..... Ok to up past penha d'aguia then gets a bit more interesting,

From what I've heard, that's an understatement. I treat north of Pomerao much the same as "likely to fall off the edge of the earth" and don't go there.

 

[GHA]

From what I've heard, that's an understatement. I treat north of Pomerao much the same as "likely to fall off the edge of the earth" and don't go there.

If you're OK to Pomerao then it's fine til past Penha D'aguia. Think this is the nudge a rock then brush through the trees moment -- you plastic boat guys might want to chicken out before there

But really can't see how it would be possible to dredge up there, or why bother. Hope not.

 

[Graham376]

Think this is the nudge a rock then brush through the trees moment -- you plastic boat guys might want to chicken out before there

Maybe that explains why every time I pass your boat, you're welding bits of tin over the holes in the hull

 

[25931]

Toma