Major Catastrophe
Well-Known Member
I woke up this morning at 5 AM to check weather for my early fishing trip. It was a bit overcast and the boat was sitting firmly in its mud bath on the low tide, so after a quick look outside, I decided to wait until later.
Went back to sleep and woke up at eight. The smell of chemicals was overwhelming and I quickly got dressed and went on deck.
The entire marina was just full of a disgusting thick tar like substance. My fenders and water line was coated in the stuff, like crude oil.
I noticed that other people were up, so I made breakfast, despite the smell of chemicals, and cast off at 9.50.
Out in the strait it was just one sheet of oil slick. the tide was still going out, but I stupidly headed West and went out into Irish sea - five miles offshore and got on with some fishing. On the way out I trolled for Mackeral and caught a few small ones for supper and to use as bait for Tope.
At aroung midday, I noticed a lot of stuff on the radio and a lot of air activity, so feeling a bit of disquiet, I decided to head back, despite the blazing sunshine.
As soon as I got to Abermenai Point, the entrance to the strait, I found the slick again - and the smell. The slick lasted all the way back to Caernarfon.
On the way back to the marina the MCA was overflying the strait, sometimes at 100 feet in a twin engined plane and environment agency people were on the shore taking samples, the RAF were overflying and coast guard sealing off the slips.
RNLI were cautioning boats to return to harbours and advising everyone to dump any fish caught - so goodbye to my supper.
I went back, tied up, cleaned boat - not the waterline - and headed home.
Good thing though, roads were empty due to something laughably called a 'team' playing footie.
Not my best day.
BBC story here. But whatever they say, it wasn't a diesel spill. I know the main suspect is a factory and what they store after the manufacturing process has been released before and it is a 'cocktail' of waste.
And yes, I did have my camera to take pictures of all the activity and low flying aircraft and the slick itself. Battery was fully charged and the data card was safely attached to my home computer - at home!! Sometimes I just shouldn't be allowed out.
Went back to sleep and woke up at eight. The smell of chemicals was overwhelming and I quickly got dressed and went on deck.
The entire marina was just full of a disgusting thick tar like substance. My fenders and water line was coated in the stuff, like crude oil.
I noticed that other people were up, so I made breakfast, despite the smell of chemicals, and cast off at 9.50.
Out in the strait it was just one sheet of oil slick. the tide was still going out, but I stupidly headed West and went out into Irish sea - five miles offshore and got on with some fishing. On the way out I trolled for Mackeral and caught a few small ones for supper and to use as bait for Tope.
At aroung midday, I noticed a lot of stuff on the radio and a lot of air activity, so feeling a bit of disquiet, I decided to head back, despite the blazing sunshine.
As soon as I got to Abermenai Point, the entrance to the strait, I found the slick again - and the smell. The slick lasted all the way back to Caernarfon.
On the way back to the marina the MCA was overflying the strait, sometimes at 100 feet in a twin engined plane and environment agency people were on the shore taking samples, the RAF were overflying and coast guard sealing off the slips.
RNLI were cautioning boats to return to harbours and advising everyone to dump any fish caught - so goodbye to my supper.
I went back, tied up, cleaned boat - not the waterline - and headed home.
Good thing though, roads were empty due to something laughably called a 'team' playing footie.
Not my best day.
BBC story here. But whatever they say, it wasn't a diesel spill. I know the main suspect is a factory and what they store after the manufacturing process has been released before and it is a 'cocktail' of waste.
And yes, I did have my camera to take pictures of all the activity and low flying aircraft and the slick itself. Battery was fully charged and the data card was safely attached to my home computer - at home!! Sometimes I just shouldn't be allowed out.
