Portsmouth Harbour Speed Limit & Hovercraft

[Guest]

Does anyone know how the Southsea/Ryde Hovercraft is able to visibly exceed the 10 knot speed limit in Portsmouth Harbour (which extends to 1000 yards from the shore line to Spit Sand Fort) on departure and arrival from its terminal at Southsea?

Are there special regulations in place that exclude the Hovercraft from prevailing speed regulations?

 

[markc]

Is there a problem though?! I think the major problem, having moored at Haslar, is smaller boats sticking to the 10kt speed limit inside the harbour area - I got sick of being throw around and moved the boat to Hythe!!

M

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

And collision regulations, come to that. I was motoring up the Solent the other weekend when a hovercraft came out of Ryde on a collision course. As the stand-on vessel, I maintained course and speed but he kept coming and coming until he finally veered astern of me at the last moment. Either he didnt see me until late or he was trying to make a point.
It occured to me later that there might be a local by-law which gives the hovercraft some special dispensation. Anyone know?

 

[KevB]

Don't commercial vessels have right of way over all pleasure craft? (including sail)

 

[Guest]

No. I'd suggest you get hold of a copy of IRPCS.

So far as sailing vessels are concerned, there are limited categories of motor vessels that sailing boats do have to give way too, notably: vessels restricted in their ability to manoeuvre (eg. trawlers with nets down, vessels constrained by draught), a vessel not under command, a vessel which the sailing vessel is overtaking.

 

[Guest]

Yeah, but what happens when the driver of a 100,000 ton bulk carrier borrows it for the weekend to take the wife shopping in Calais? How do you tell if he's commercial or pleasure?

 

[peterb]

Harbour Byelaws

Under IRPCS (Rule 1 (b)) port authorities may issue special rules for operations within harbours, etc. In many places these rules specify that pleasure craft shall not impede commercial vessels.

I'n not a South Coast man, but I suspect that in Portsmouth the Queen's Harbour Master will have issued regulations on the subject.

 

[KevB]

And also these vessels..........


Extract from Southampton Notice of Mariners No. 8 of 1996. "Notice is hereby given that the main navigable channel as defined on Admiralty Chart Nos. 1905, 394 and 2040 which lies between a line drawn from Prince Consort to South Bramble buoys and a line drawn between Black Jack and Reach buoys is designated as an 'Area of Concern'. All vessels of over 150m length overall whilst navigating in the 'Area of Concern' will be given a 'Moving Prohibited Zone' around the vessel of 1,000m ahead and 100m on either side. Small vessels of under 20m LOA will be prohibited from entering the 'Moving Prohibited Zone'. This measure coincides with the spirit of Rule 2 and the Steering and Sailing Rules of the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea 1972. Nothing in this notice shall relieve vessels of less than 20m in length or sailing vessels from their obligations under Rule 9 of the collision regulations not to impede the passage of any vessel which can navigate only within a narrow channel or fairway".

 

[Guest]

The exclusion zone where this rule applies is clearly marked on the Imray charts. Speaking from memory (I don't have the chart in front of me) it doesn't extend quite as far down the Solent as the hovercraft route out of Ryde. And hovercraft don't of course benefit from the rule anyway since they're not generally over 150m length.

In practise, of course, one should give large commercial shipping a wide berth wherever possible no matter what the rules say.

 

[Guest]

Re: Harbour Byelaws

Yes, although the question was in the context of meeting a hovercraft coming out of Ryde while proceeding down the Solent, which is a bit out of Portsmouth harbour authority's jurisdiction.

In any case the hovercraft is a high speed vessel and a sailing vessel at least could not do anything useful to keep out of its way even if it were obliged to (which it's not).

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Kev, the exclusion zone is a part of the fairway into Southampton Water from south of Bramble Bank and round Calshot Spit and was introduced because large commercial vessels have to make 2 tight turns to get in/out of Southampton Water. It is nowhere near Portsmouth and, as has already been pointed out, a hovercraft would'nt qualify anyway.
As far as I'm aware, there is no general regulation in the Collision Regs giving commercial vessels right of way over pleasure craft. All craft have to observe these Regs. It may be that due to certain circumstances ( eg constrained by draft, narrow channel, inability to manouevre etc etc) pleasure craft of all types may have to give way to commercial vessels but this would'nt normally apply to a hovercraft in open water because they are highly manouevrable and have virtually zero draft.
Visit the website for the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea for further info

 

[KevB]

Deleted User,
I understand the Colregs but I think I read in the Shell Pilots book that commercial vessels travelling between Portsmouth and Cowes have right of way over pleasure craft (local bylaw). I may be wrong, I'll check this weekend as the book is on the boat.

Kevin.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

If thats the case, I'm really interested to hear