Sturgess
Member
The Port of London (PLA) website has a notice about their proposed new Byelaws 2011:
“Notice is hereby given that the Port of London Authority intends to apply to the Secretary of State for Transport for confirmation of the Port of London Thames Byelaws made on 14 July 2011.
Any person wishing to make an objection to or representation about the confirmation of the byelaws may write to: Department for Transport, Maritime Commerce and Infrastructure, Zone 2/32, Great Minster House, 76 Marsham Street, London, SW1P 4DR (alternatively by fax on 020 7944 2186 or by e-mail quoting reference PCP 5/1/17 and stating the grounds of objection or representation on or before 2 September 2011. Responses may be shared or made public.”
I believe these new Bylaws, as proposed by the PLA, will stop recreational sailors and Yacht Clubs from racing boats on the lower Thames and make any non-racing sailing on the Thames far more dangerous.
Clause 9 of the proposed Bylaws states that a person must not organise a boat race without the consent of the PLA harbourmaster. Clause 9 states this PLA Harbourmaster demands four weeks notice and receipt of a comprehensive risk assessment report prior to his possible consent.
The effect of the clause 9 as written will be to make weekend racing by recreational sailors and members of the various yacht clubs on the Thames uneconomic as no recreational sailor will be able to meet the expense or comply with the demands of the comprehensive risk assessment report requirement.
Clause 24,(a) states that a vessel must not cross the river “as to obstruct another vessel proceeding along the fairway”. While the PLA may believe all the vessels on the Thames are power driven and moving “along the fairway”, sailing boats using the wind for propulsion and involved in boat racing frequently need to cross the river Thames. Crossing the river using the wind is fundamental to boat racing. The PLA wish to make this activity “an offence”.
Clause 16.3 (d.ii) deals with speed limits on the Thames between Cherry Garden Pier and Margaretness. This clause allows the Harbourmaster to issue “permits” to various chosen vessels authorising them to travel up to “30 knots through, on or over the water”. I believe the chosen vessels will include non-emergency use of the Harbourmaster’s own launches, the Police and of course the large Thames Clipper catamarans. These vessels travelling at 30 knots create dangerous waves and are a safety risk for small sailing boats and their occupants. These vessels navigating at 30 knots around bends and between other vessels on the Thames are a danger to all slow moving wind driven sailing boats.
It would appear to any reasonable person the new bylaws have been written solely to benefit commercial users of large power vessels and the PLA itself. I believe recreational sailors and powerboat users on the lower Thames are to discriminated against or excluded from the river altogether.
As a recreational sailor I have chosen to write to the Secretary of State asking that the PLA bylaws 14 July 2011 be rejected.
Kim C Sturgess
This Precious Isle
“Notice is hereby given that the Port of London Authority intends to apply to the Secretary of State for Transport for confirmation of the Port of London Thames Byelaws made on 14 July 2011.
Any person wishing to make an objection to or representation about the confirmation of the byelaws may write to: Department for Transport, Maritime Commerce and Infrastructure, Zone 2/32, Great Minster House, 76 Marsham Street, London, SW1P 4DR (alternatively by fax on 020 7944 2186 or by e-mail quoting reference PCP 5/1/17 and stating the grounds of objection or representation on or before 2 September 2011. Responses may be shared or made public.”
I believe these new Bylaws, as proposed by the PLA, will stop recreational sailors and Yacht Clubs from racing boats on the lower Thames and make any non-racing sailing on the Thames far more dangerous.
Clause 9 of the proposed Bylaws states that a person must not organise a boat race without the consent of the PLA harbourmaster. Clause 9 states this PLA Harbourmaster demands four weeks notice and receipt of a comprehensive risk assessment report prior to his possible consent.
The effect of the clause 9 as written will be to make weekend racing by recreational sailors and members of the various yacht clubs on the Thames uneconomic as no recreational sailor will be able to meet the expense or comply with the demands of the comprehensive risk assessment report requirement.
Clause 24,(a) states that a vessel must not cross the river “as to obstruct another vessel proceeding along the fairway”. While the PLA may believe all the vessels on the Thames are power driven and moving “along the fairway”, sailing boats using the wind for propulsion and involved in boat racing frequently need to cross the river Thames. Crossing the river using the wind is fundamental to boat racing. The PLA wish to make this activity “an offence”.
Clause 16.3 (d.ii) deals with speed limits on the Thames between Cherry Garden Pier and Margaretness. This clause allows the Harbourmaster to issue “permits” to various chosen vessels authorising them to travel up to “30 knots through, on or over the water”. I believe the chosen vessels will include non-emergency use of the Harbourmaster’s own launches, the Police and of course the large Thames Clipper catamarans. These vessels travelling at 30 knots create dangerous waves and are a safety risk for small sailing boats and their occupants. These vessels navigating at 30 knots around bends and between other vessels on the Thames are a danger to all slow moving wind driven sailing boats.
It would appear to any reasonable person the new bylaws have been written solely to benefit commercial users of large power vessels and the PLA itself. I believe recreational sailors and powerboat users on the lower Thames are to discriminated against or excluded from the river altogether.
As a recreational sailor I have chosen to write to the Secretary of State asking that the PLA bylaws 14 July 2011 be rejected.
Kim C Sturgess
This Precious Isle
