Notice to Mariners Week 44 late addition

[tillergirl]

It missed my Monday evening 'deadline' and as it is here this morning - and quite interesting:

The Crouch Harbour Authority

NOTICE TO MARINERS No 36 of 2018

NAVIGATION & SAFETY

Environment Agency Sea Wall Repairs – South Bank, River Crouch, Hullbridge
(Long Reach & Short Reach)

Mariners are advised, in particular windsurfers, dinghy sailors and canoeists of a potential navigational hazard from the placement of unmarked vertical posts projecting up from the seabed in the River Crouch at Long Reach & Short Reach following repairs undertaken by the Environment Agency to install rock and brushwood rolls (please see attached photograph).
Work will commence on the 5th November 2018 to ensure that the posts are all cut to the correct height and it is anticipated the work will be completed within the week.
Mariners are requested to keep a wide berth from the embankment until the Environment Agency has completed the work. The works will extend 3m from the bank toe and Mariners are advised that a 5 metre (16 feet) exclusion zone will be implemented.

CHA36 by Roger Gaspar, on Flickr

 

[PeterWright]

Hi Roger,

Thanks again for your wonderful service. Those stakes look horrendous for dinghy sailors and similar. I suppose the EA are exempt from the need to go through MMO authorisation for such riparian works so we don't get consulted before they do these things. It would be good to know whether they bothered to ask the RYA about their view of this new hazard before installing it, whether or not they had any statutory obligation to do so. After all, our government ministries are meant to be serving the community.

Peter

 

[tillergirl]

I don't know whether they have been to the MMO or not. I note the plan is to trim to posts down which is essential but it will hardly eliminate the risk completely.

 

[Jan Harber]

Let's hope that the Up River, Brandy Hole and Woodham Ferrers clubs are on the CHA mailing list.

 

[Gargleblaster]

Is it any difference to oyster beds? Up the Roach there used to be oyster beds that it was advised not to stray into but the oysterman or someone fortunately had marked them with a small green buoy which was a reminder not to go too close even if you did appear to have the depth.

 

[LittleSister]

Surely the title should read 'Notices to Mariners Week 44 1/2'?

 

[tillergirl]

Well certainly 'late addition' is not really the title. But then in Dutchland it is week 43 and really in the UK it's Week 45!

 

[PeterWright]

I don't know whether they have been to the MMO or not. I note the plan is to trim to posts down which is essential but it will hardly eliminate the risk completely.

It's a long time since I read the legislation establishing MMO's but, as I recall, "statutory bodies" are exempted from the requirement to apply to the MMO before undertaking works. I recall establishing that statutorily established harbour authorities are exempt, so they avoid the MMO process, the only bit of which that seems of any benefit to me, is the requirement for public consultation.

Good news that they plan to shorten the posts, but they will still be a hazard to any dinghy seeking to beach there. Seems to me that a hazard like this should be buoyed and shown on charts.

Well done CHA for issuing this NtM.