Portsmouth harbour patrol need to read own LNTM

Talbot

Talbot

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I entered Portsmouth Harbour this afternoon and as I approached Ballast Beacon there was a roadblock of Portsmouth Harbour Police stopping the inbound craft from passing to the east of the pile (see image extracted from LNTM 15/05)
LNTM_15_05.sized.jpg

When I queried this I was waved furiously towards the wrong side of the pile, and at the same time told that I have to leave it to Port. (yep go on the western side and still leave it to port?) - the only way I could have complied would have been to do a 180 and pass it whilst going astern! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Now if 4 seperate crews despite all the training that they have (see solitaires post on earlier thread) can still not get this right - what hope is there for the rest of us, especially as QHM in his wisdom has removed this particular LNTM from the website, despite it being in force until the end of this year /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

I have sent a suitable message to QHM.
 
In which case the search doesnt work very well cause I used the site's search engine to look for LNTM 15/05 and could only reach 14/05. - the links in 14/05 were not working either so I gave up!
 
from the very fact that you were able to provide a reference I was already convinced that it was there. However it does not come up on a search on LNTM 15/05 , and the links in 14/05 dont work, so there are some problems in the search system

All of which is somewhat secondary to my original point
 
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I beg to differ, I went into the search and put in "small boat channel" it came up first on the list.

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I think the issue is that if you go onto the QHM site and click on "Information for Mariners" then click on "Complete listing of notices in force" - LNTM 15/05 is not listed!

Luckily for me, I receive e-mail updates. How many boaters are even aware of the website?
 
But having got the "Complete listing ........" if you use the search facility there for "small boat channel" you find it!

I can't get to it from "search" on the home page and the search facility for any LNTM by numer fails.

What a mess!

If it doesn't appear in any of the lists of LNTM in force then it is fair to deduce that it is not in force. Visitors cannot be expected to comply with something that is apparently not in force.


Who is the new QHM? We have been lead to believe an appointment has been made. Time for him to put his head above the bulwarks! Where are the AQHM and the DQHM?

Perhaps on Monday morning one of the voluntary patrols would like to kick the door down point out the confusion that has arisen, as confusion there undoubtably is, and the mess the website appears to be.
 
Returned to Portsmouth Harbour this AM, left the new marker outside the entrance to port and continued towards the ballast marker as usual. Hanging around the ballast were two QHM patrol boats generally adding additional congestion to the traffic entering and leaving the harbour. Passed the ballast to port as a QHM boat passed right close accross my bow. What value do these supposed QHM Police add to the business of entering and leaving harbour ? Nanny state continues to expand into every part of life in the UK. Hey ho another 5 years of being looked after by our caring government!
 
Having come in to Haslar on Saturday and out again today I can see why QHM wants patrol boats out there... several boats ambled across into the main shipping lane, with the frequency of the fast cats and the wightlink ferry this isn't very clever. With the number of moorings and marina spaces within PH I'm not supprised that the entrance gets confused and congested.
 
Yes I did have that LNTM (and all the others that are sent on the normal email dist) and timed my return to be after the finish of the second event. There is no mention in that notice about changes to the small boat channel. There was no traffic at all in the main channel and only the normal yachts etc in the small boat channel.

I will admit that I didnt tune my vhf to QHMs freq inside the harbour, as VHF is above chart table, and I was singlehanding.
 
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Well - we didn't get a visit so I guess we did ok then! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif



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Yup! But as you saw it gets very busy. Most people only see the things that happen in the "micro" time they are in the area. We see it over a much longer period!
 
I have no difficulty with the concept of the patrol, and indeed welcome it, as I also welcome the new piles and the improved clarity of the regulation.
 
Can anyone post some photographs of Portsmouth Harbour and the Small Craft Channel, for those of us who aren't completely familiar with it? I can only ever remember exiting once, on a Nicholson 55, and entering once on HMS Brilliant!

Just seen some pictures on the other thread about the Small Craft Channel...
 
some of us watch from the round tower, and enjoy the hustle and bustle caused by the enforcment of the requirements over the small boat channel
 
Having been cut up twice this afternoon by overpowered types who don't know the difference between the Highway Code and the Colregs, I'm all for the volunteer patrol and PHP trying to keep a bit of order. QHM runs Portsmouth very well IMHO - it could all too easily become a nightmare of overcomplicated rules, no-go zones for private boats, etc etc.

But the QHM website has deteriorated in recent weeks. LNTM 27/05 - the one about the various harbour entrance closures for the IFR at end-June - is hopeless when printed out (even the "printable version") as it stands. I spent a good (bad) 10 minutes putting the columns right so as to be able to make sense of it. Surely someone in today's high tech navy can do basic webpage design?
 
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