Notice to Mariners - Week 52

[tillergirl]

UKHO and Trinity House Permanent/Temporary/Preliminary Notices:
1. ENGLAND - East Coast - Foul. - One new FOUL (position approximate) reported in 2024 has been found in the Southend Deep Water Anchorage in Sea Reach, River Thames. Unlikely to hinder leisure craft.
2. ENGLAND - East Coast - Buoy. - The Mid Swatch starboard hand buoy marking the south side of the Nore Sand has been temporarily moved approx. 0.6nm 290°(T). Worth noting.
3. ENGLAND - East Coast - Superbuoy. Automatic Identification System. - A new lighted Superbuoy has been placed north of the Sunk E TSS corridor (east of the Galloper Wind Farm). This is within the location of the intended Five Estuaries Offshore Wind Farm.
4. EAST COAST OF ENGLAND - Middle Cross Sand - East Cross Sand Lighted Buoy - Trinity House has reported today that the East Cross lighted buoy marking the eastern side of the Middle Cross Sand has been moved. The extent of the move is quite small so difficult (but not impossible) to illustrate!
Local
1. PLA - Christmas Drink & Drugs Awareness Campaign - As we approach the Christmas Season, the Port of London Authority (PLA) and the Metropolitan Police’s Marine Policing Unit will be supporting the Metropolitan Police Service annual ‘Christmas Drink – Drive’
campaign. This high-profile campaign highlights the dangers of driving whilst under the influence of drink or drugs – this message applies equally to the river as well as the roads, as the safety of vessels, passengers and crews is of paramount importance. The Marine Police Unit in partnership with the PLA will be supporting this campaign by raising awareness among River Thames users, and, in respect of commercial vessels will be exercising their powers under the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003. Under the Railway and Transport Safety Act 2003, master and members of the crew of a commercial vessel can be requested to take a breath test. A positive result or refusing to take a test, would initiate legal proceedings. Offenders would be liable to Fines or Imprisonment, as is the case for road users. In addition, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency may revoke your Boatmaster’s Licence upon conviction. Additionally, for non-commercial vessels, under PLA River Byelaws 9, a master of a vessel shall not navigate the vessel when unfit by reason of drink or drugs. If the Harbour Master has reasonable cause to suspect that the master of a vessel has drugs or alcohol in their body which may impair their fitness to navigate, the master will be directed to a berth until fit to navigate or until a suitable replacement master is in place. Failure to comply will result in enforcement action being taken. If you have concerns about crew members who might be under the influence of drink or drugs, please contact the Metropolitan Police immediately. This can be done as confidential and anonymous via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, or via secure online form through www.crimestoppers-uk.org. In urgent cases please call 999. If you see anything suspicious or potential criminal activity at marinas, moorings or on the water, please report it to Project Kraken either online or by calling 101. Alternatively, you can alert the PLA at London VTS on 020 3260 7711 for the upper reaches (Teddington Lock to Crayfordness) and 01474 562 215 for the lower reaches (Crayfordness to the Outer Port Limits). The Marine Policing Unit and the PLA will be highlighting this campaign with educational visits to marinas
and commercial operators throughout the port in the build up to and throughout the festive season.
2. Sea Reach - LGP Berth 4 - Scour Mattress & Cathodic Protection Installation Operations - from the 16th of December 2024, Scour mattress & Cathodic Protection installation operations will take place on the eastern 200 metres of berth 4. The vessels involved in the scour operations are as follows:
GPS Battler
GPS Arcadia
GPS 601 Barge
NP 639 Barge
Cathodic Protection Installation will take place from the Quay. Both these operations involve Dive teams in the water. All works will be conducted within the designated red section marking the footprint of the scour mattress operations and initial 200m of the Cathodic Protection Installation. During these operations, vessels will continue berthing at the western end of the berth. All vessels are required to maintain the following exclusion zones: A exclusion zone of 100m between any manoeuvring vessels and divers in the water (The manoeuvring vessel in this case is considered to be any vessel, including tugs assisting with berthing /unberthing). When diving is not taking place, an exclusion zone of 75m clearance of planned berth position of a vessel either berthing or unberthing at Berth 3 or the western end of Berth 4, as well as from barge and fixed structures. During manoeuvring in this case any assisting tugs are permitted to be within the 75m exclusion zone around the barge. All participating vessels will maintain a listening watch on VHF Channel 68 and will remain in direct contact with the London Gateway Harbour Master and shift managers. Mariners are urged to exercise caution and remain vigilant while navigating in the vicinity of London Gateway. For further information, please contact London VTS at 01474 562215.
3. Halfway Reach - Sediment Sampling - on or about Friday, 13th December 2024 contractors will be undertaking sediment sampling operations in the vicinity of Belvedere Power Station Jetty. Works are expected to take no longer than 7 days, in daylight hours only. Works are to take place over the slack water period only, with the vessel requiring anchor placement to hold position throughout. The chartlet shows the general location of the works, indicated by the red box. These works will be carried out from vessel “Coastal Surveyor” and will include the laying of anchors, lifting operations and the collection of core samples. Due to the nature of works and placement of anchors that at times may encroach on the southern edge of the authorised channel, vessels are to navigate with extreme caution ensuring vessel wash is kept to a minimum, with positive monitoring and execution of y VTS instruction. Any requirement to proceed with caution or at slow speed will be made in accordance with the procedure set out in the Port of London Authority’s Port Information Guide, under ‘London VTS’, ‘Section 4’. International Code Flags ROMEO YANKEE. The display of these signal flags will be in addition to any signals, lights or shapes specified by the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at sea and local regulations. London VTS will broadcast further information, as required, on VHF Channel 14.
4. Dredging Operations at Burnham Yacht Harbour - Burnham Yacht Harbour Marina Ltd will be undertaking their Annual Maintenance Dredging Operations in the approach to and within Burnham Yacht Harbour, Burnham on Crouch, Essex, between approximately 22nd December 2024 and 31st May 2025. Dredging Operations will be carried out by Motor Vessel BEAVER. Caution should be taken when entering and leaving the Marina whilst Dredging Operations are in progress. For additional information please contact: Burnham Yacht Harbour Marina Ltd Tel 01621 782150

Images at Notices to Mariners

That's it.

 

[PeterWright]

Thank you Tiller Girl for your wonderful service. Does this mean we will get 53 weeks this year?

Peter.

 

[tillergirl]

That's kind. No, I fear not. Today:



Now, dare I explain?

Today the UKHO issued a daily notice. Today is 16th December and it issued it today on line. But it is dated on 23rd December. On Monday 23rd December, the UKHO will issue a weekly notice which will include todays Notices and the 17th to 20th December's daily Notices. The Weekly Notice, whilst issued on 23rd December will be dated 2nd January, 2025. So that will be the first week of January, hence it is week 01 and not week 53 - 'cos we all know there are never 53 weeks in a year! T'is but a label! I suppose it could be labelled A, B, C etc. But that is handy because I never learnt my (or anybody's else) alphabet! That's because I changed primary schools. The old school hadn't reached the alphabet and the new school had done it. So I never learnt it. And so there it is

It's all logic (I think) because once upon a time the UKHO had to print weekly notices and distribute them to their agents. Every day they drew up Notices but time was necessary to set up the printers for a weekly batch of Notices and then send them out. Of course they have been issuing Notices on line for many years but the retained the process. I note the Echarts are updated weekly, not daily.

PS: there is nothing relevant to 'our' area in today's daily notices.

 

[tillergirl]

And to confuse dates even further - today:

 

[PeterWright]

Hi TG,

Thanks for the clear explanation which provides yet another example of the quirky use of language that surrounds all things maritime, at least for us English speakers. I know that some folk find it annoying but, for me, it just adds to the charm of messing about in boats. I haven't troubled to work out how your post of today fits into the logic.

Merry Christmas to you and all your many readers.

Peter.

 

[ex-Gladys]

The issue isn't just an NtM one. I worked for an organisation that used 4 weekly accounting periods rather than calendar monthly. The result is that once every few years you finish up with a week 53...

 

[PeterWright]

The issue isn't just an NtM one. I worked for an organisation that used 4 weekly accounting periods rather than calendar monthly. The result is that once every few years you finish up with a week 53...

I think there were many such organisations back in the 1960s/1970s. The one I worked for had two week numbering systems known as accounting week and engineering week which mostly were different. When one system had a 53 week year, you could be sure the other didn't. Several accountants and engineers tried explaining to me why there were two different systems and why their system was better but I concluded that the key reason was that the two disciplines were most comfortable when not communicating with each other. Somehow, I never found that to be quaint.

Peter

 

[AntarcticPilot]

The issue isn't just an NtM one. I worked for an organisation that used 4 weekly accounting periods rather than calendar monthly. The result is that once every few years you finish up with a week 53...

Every state pensioner is used to a 4-week cycle; that's how the State pension is reckoned. SO once a year you get two payments in a month instead of one. As everything else (including employment pensions!) is paid monthly, it always seems a weird anomaly!

 

[Puffin10032]

Every state pensioner is used to a 4-week cycle; that's how the State pension is reckoned. SO once a year you get two payments in a month instead of one. As everything else (including employment pensions!) is paid monthly, it always seems a weird anomaly!

I think in olden times state pension used to paid weekly, often in cash at the local post office. Maybe it was just easier to go to 4 week periods instead of calendar months?

 

[AntarcticPilot]

I think in olden times state pension used to paid weekly, often in cash at the local post office. Maybe it was just easier to go to 4 week periods instead of calendar months?

You're probably right. I can remember there being days when it wasn't a good idea to go to the Post Office because it would be full of OAPs collecting their pension.

But for those of us who have been paid monthly since time immemorial, it seems a bit strange - and sometimes inconvenient because all my finances are planned round a monthly cycle!

 

[Leighb]

I don't know if it still applies, but back in the 60/70s when I was in the forces we were paid by the day, and the monthly pay check reflected that, so in a leap year you received an extra days pay. Yippee!!

 

[AntarcticPilot]

I don't know if it still applies, but back in the 60/70s when I was in the forces we were paid by the day, and the monthly pay check reflected that, so in a leap year you received an extra days pay. Yippee!!

And what happened if you crossed the date line?

 

[geoid96]

And what happened if you crossed the date line?

I guess it depended on which direction you crossed it!

 

[AntarcticPilot]

I guess it depended on which direction you crossed it!

It's actually a minor plot point in one of the Jack Aubrey novels - the crew are in good heart because they are going to cross it such that they gain a day's pay without working an extra day!

 

[Leighb]

And what happened if you crossed the date line?

I was only ever in the UK and Germany so I don't know!!

 

[Gargleblaster]

And what happened if you crossed the date line?

In Australia where there is compulsory voting I was absent in teh South Pacific during some local council elections and didn't vote. I received a $10 fine. I argued that I had been crossing the date line from East to West on the day the elections occurred and therefore for me the day had not existed. It was a good enough excuse for the fine to be cancelled. And before anyone says I cheated I had actually crossed the date line on the day of the election.

 

[ex-Gladys]

Every state pensioner is used to a 4-week cycle; that's how the State pension is reckoned. SO once a year you get two payments in a month instead of one. As everything else (including employment pensions!) is paid monthly, it always seems a weird anomaly!

My occupational pension from a public sector organisation is paid four weekly, as was my salary... The benefit I've found is that you can spread Direct Debits through the month without any issues.