Notice to Mariners Week 26

[tillergirl]

Permanent

1. A new edition of UKHO Chart 1607 - Thames Estuary - Southern Part on 14th July;
2. East Coast - Ipswich - Dredged depth. Alongside depths - the port has dredged the river outside the Wet Dock 6.2m in the middle - berths of ships is quoted as well;
3. East Coast - River Thames - Yantlet Channel - Depth. - change of depth in the Shipping Channel with over 13m;
4. East Coast - Thames Estuary - Whitaker Channel - Less water reported just to the East of the Inner Whitaker. This was charted 3.9m - now reported less by Trinity House but not quoted.

Temporary

Repeat warning by Peel Port (Medway) of the Isle of Grain Exclusion area of the LPG jetties - threat of prosecution for breach of the exclusion zone which apparently has been breached.

That's it.

 

[FulmarJeddo]

Temporary

Repeat warning by Peel Port (Medway) of the Isle of Grain Exclusion area of the LPG jetties - threat of prosecution for breach of the exclusion zone which apparently has been breached.

That's it.

At a recent MSBA meeting Peel Ports were naming and shaming offending boats. Apparently there are sensors that set off alarms if boats stray into the exclusion zone. They were stating 150m if the berth is unoccupied and 250m if occupied. However that is not quite what the Peel Ports NTM states. The NTM states the 250m occupied zone is only applicable to vessels over 50m LOA. Probably best to keep well clear.

 

[NUTMEG]

Thanks Tillergirl. Didn't you want to borrow something off of me a while back? Can not,remember what it was....but you are welcome to it, whatever it was

 

[Cantata]

At a recent MSBA meeting Peel Ports were naming and shaming offending boats. Apparently there are sensors that set off alarms if boats stray into the exclusion zone. They were stating 150m if the berth is unoccupied and 250m if occupied. However that is not quite what the Peel Ports NTM states. The NTM states the 250m occupied zone is only applicable to vessels over 50m LOA. Probably best to keep well clear.

The original NtM was as you say and didn't mention leisure vessels. However they appear to have quietly edited it in the version they published now, referred to by TG, rather than publish an amendment, and it specifically says 'leisure vessels'.

 

[Pye_End]

The NTM states the 250m occupied zone is only applicable to vessels over 50m LOA.

I see what you mean:
'Whilst an LNG vessel is moored at the LNG Terminal no vessel greater than 50 metres LOA, other than service craft attending the LNG vessel which are authorised by the Harbour Master or the operator of the LNG Terminal, shall enter any part of the River Medway which is within an arc measuring 250 metres in any direction from the cargo transfer arms of the LNG Terminal (‘the Berth Exclusion Zone’) or pass the Berth Exclusion Zone at a speed greater than 7.5 knots through the water.'

has become....

'To summarise General Direction No 13

When an LNG tanker is berthed along side the LNG terminal all leisure craft must keep at least 250 metres clear of the LNG vessel.'

The summary also says specifically and only leisure vessels, implying it does not extend to any working craft! Rather poorly drafted summary. Perhaps they could re-issue their advice more concisely?

250m from the terminals puts leisure craft well and truly in the shipping zone. At night (especially a moonless one) it can be very difficult to make out other craft, channel markers and edge of channel, and on the other side of the river there are plenty of unlit obstructions. Their own recommended instuctions for entering the river puts leisure craft on the north bank when coming past Victoria. Having crossed the shipping channel once already at Garrison Point are they now asking craft to cross again at Victoria or just south of it? Perhaps a re-issue of their recommendations would be handy. It would also be good to know the reasoning behind their recommendations - terrorist? accident?

Personally I think 250m is unworkable if you are trying to stay out of the channel, and 150 is sometimes hard - if there are other working vessels in the area and you find that you need to stay clear (eg container ship coming in, 3 tugs in attendance, ship slows ready for U turn) it is all to easy to be within the 150m simply for your own personal safety, and I would certainly question the necessity for the regulation.

 

[Cantata]

I remember now that when I was rewriting the Medway chapter for our latest edition, I queried the exclusion zone rules with Peel Ports and didn't get any help from them at all - it appeared they were in denial that the wording of their NtM didn't actually cover leisure craft. So I put something in about the zone but didn't specify the distances. Hey ho, stand by for an ECP update...

 

[tillergirl]

That was jigging my memory of the verbatim regulation:

13. NAVIGATION OF VESSELS IN RELATION TO THE LNG TERMINAL
13.1 When there is no LNG Vessel berthed at the LNG Terminal no vessel shall navigate within that part of the River Medway which is within an arc measuring 150 metres in any direction from
the cargo transfer arms at the LNG Terminal,
13.2 Whilst an LNG Vessel is moored at the LNG Terminal no vessel of more than 50 metres Length Overall, other than service craft attending the LNG Vessel and which are authorised to be
there by the Harbourmaster, shall enter any part of the River Medway which is within the Berth Exclusion Zone or pass the Berth Exclusion Zone at a speed greater than 7.5 knots through
the water.
13.3 Vessels of 50 metres Length Overall or less may, if considered necessary by the Master or Pilot of such vessel for reasons of safety of navigation, and on permission of the
Harbourmaster, pass within the Berth Exclusion Zone; but not less than 100 metres from any LNG Vessel berthed at the LNG Terminal. Whilst within the Berth Exclusion Zone the speed of
such vessels shall not exceed 7.5 knots through the water.

Seems to be possible within the 'zone' with permission but nobody less than 100 metres. I haven't seen an amendment and that verbatim quoted right now.

 

[tillergirl]

Thanks Tillergirl. Didn't you want to borrow something off of me a while back? Can not,remember what it was....but you are welcome to it, whatever it was

I had an idea which required 'leathering' 0r to put it better I had an idea to invent a gizmo and it would need to be lined with leather. In the event I had other things to do with TG this winter (and a few things to sort me as well). I have a plan this winter and it would also be nice to 'leather' the jaws of the deck cradle for the enormously highly varnished 51 year old spruce spinny pole as well. Fingers crossed....

 

[FulmarJeddo]

The original NtM was as you say and didn't mention leisure vessels. However they appear to have quietly edited it in the version they published now, referred to by TG, rather than publish an amendment, and it specifically says 'leisure vessels'.

I was at the MSBA meeting on 6th June when Peel Ports were naming and shaming boats that had broken the rules. I rechecked the NTM after the meeting and it made no mention of leisure vessels. I see the current version is dated 17th June 2016, so they obviously edited it after naming a number of vessels.

Apparently gas is pumped around the pipes all the time hence the 150m zone when unoccupied. Even the Police are not allowed anywhere near the jetty as they use petrol outboards.