PaulGooch
Well-Known Member
Amazing the difference between some of the ships going to Ipswich. Some barely make a ripple and others create a Tsunami. Always made the mooring at Pin Mill "interesting"
Volunteer out yesterday chasing a speeder
- Thread starter davidwf
- Start date
Amazing the difference between some of the ships going to Ipswich. Some barely make a ripple and others create a Tsunami. Always made the mooring at Pin Mill "interesting"
WF36
Well-Known Member
Yes absolutely fine with me
I have a RIB so understand where they are coming from...
But also sail as well...
I would say its about using your head, and perhaps if you were stopped by the Volunteer, eat humble pie for a few minutes instead of "giving the the biggen"
sailorman
Well-Known Member
Volunteer exceeding the limit in the Stour 
Fire99
Well-Known Member
I'm not one to condone speeding but I find it 'uncomfortable' that volunteer, (excuse the pun) effectively civilian teams are used to Police the river.
If Policing is required on the river then there should be adequate provision (and funding) provided to the Marine Police.
When we have civilians policing civilians, it gets messy.
(No detriment to the Volunteer service though..)
If Policing is required on the river then there should be adequate provision (and funding) provided to the Marine Police.
When we have civilians policing civilians, it gets messy.
(No detriment to the Volunteer service though..)
Reverend Ludd
Well-Known Member
I'm not complaining about them, I just want to know on what basis the can enforce me to do anything. Not an unreasonable request I would have thought.
sailorman
Well-Known Member
Reverend Ludd
Well-Known Member
Yes absolutely fine with me
I have a RIB so understand where they are coming from...
But also sail as well...
I would say its about using your head, and perhaps if you were stopped by the Volunteer, eat humble pie for a few minutes instead of "giving the the biggen"
That's my question do I have to stop for them. They don't appear to have a blue light.
I have just emailed them to find out what powers they have.
I'll post the reply.
Reverend Ludd
Well-Known Member
WF36
Well-Known Member
They do have a blue light FYI.
Reverend Ludd
Well-Known Member
davidwf
Well-Known Member
The fact that the rib guys got aggressive with the volunteer crew says a lot in my mind. All they had to do was acknowledge they were exceeding the speed limit and I reckon all would have been dealt with amicably.
Don't forget a couple of years ago a girl on a doughnut was slammed into yacht, sometimes we all need to be saved from our own stupidity.
Don't forget a couple of years ago a girl on a doughnut was slammed into yacht, sometimes we all need to be saved from our own stupidity.
nigelm
Well-Known Member
As tragic as it was that accident was more likely a result of a poorly driven boat than excess speed .
There is or was a designated water sports area down stream from SYH.
davidwf
Well-Known Member
Lets get it clear there is a 6knt limit on the Orwell its posted at the launch sites and it's on all the charts.
Various posters are making Volunteer out to be the villans here, but they are acting on behalf of Ipswich Port Authority, before they did that it used to be a lot worse.
If you want to go fast use the water ski area or go out to sea it's that simple. Oh and why do yachts insist on entering the water ski area when there are skiers around? Surely thats just as bad.
Various posters are making Volunteer out to be the villans here, but they are acting on behalf of Ipswich Port Authority, before they did that it used to be a lot worse.
If you want to go fast use the water ski area or go out to sea it's that simple. Oh and why do yachts insist on entering the water ski area when there are skiers around? Surely thats just as bad.
Talulah
Well-Known Member
I sail no where near the Orwell but I suspect the volunteers do themselves no favours.
You only have to read their web site and look at the language used to make judgement on them, one way or the other. Terms like 'apprehended' and 'authority as bestoed on the FVCPRS by all relevant Agencies' indicates delusions of grandeur.
They need to specify what authority they have. I doubt it is anything more than "Assist and advise."
This is their mission statement.
It's mission as stated by the Charities Commission is: To promote sea safety awareness through education, and to protect and preserve life at sea by the provision of a Volunteer Coast Patrol Rescue Service within the surrounding areas, or wheresoever tasked by HM Coastguard.
Yet if you look at their graphic it states "enforcing speed limits." and "enforcing byelaws".
Where I do sail is Portsmouth and the QHM Volunteer Harbour patrol can be a helpful bunch. However, from some reports on here some of them need to reread their remit. "To assist and advise." Not police.
You only have to read their web site and look at the language used to make judgement on them, one way or the other. Terms like 'apprehended' and 'authority as bestoed on the FVCPRS by all relevant Agencies' indicates delusions of grandeur.
They need to specify what authority they have. I doubt it is anything more than "Assist and advise."
This is their mission statement.
It's mission as stated by the Charities Commission is: To promote sea safety awareness through education, and to protect and preserve life at sea by the provision of a Volunteer Coast Patrol Rescue Service within the surrounding areas, or wheresoever tasked by HM Coastguard.
Yet if you look at their graphic it states "enforcing speed limits." and "enforcing byelaws".
Where I do sail is Portsmouth and the QHM Volunteer Harbour patrol can be a helpful bunch. However, from some reports on here some of them need to reread their remit. "To assist and advise." Not police.
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davidwf
Well-Known Member
Talulah, as you don't sail on the Orwell I think you are being a bit unfair on the volunteers just by looking at their website, they are a really nice bunch and always happy to help anyone out. Perhaps their website is a bit over the top but then their main aim is to help people.
Ipswich Port asked them to look at speeding on the river after many complaints. In fact ABP did for a while try to manage the speed issue themselves with their launch tied up in the river but it was obviously more effective to ask the volunteers to do it for them.
Ipswich Port asked them to look at speeding on the river after many complaints. In fact ABP did for a while try to manage the speed issue themselves with their launch tied up in the river but it was obviously more effective to ask the volunteers to do it for them.
Reverend Ludd
Well-Known Member
Here is the reply from John Cresswell.
I can confirm that the FVCPRS is charged by local authorities, harbour authorities, and the police to monitor and control the safe navigation (speed restrictions) of leisure craft. To control all inappropriate, dangerous and anti-social behaviour. We are empowered to assist in this process and to take enforcement action against a breach of a bye law and to participate in specific surveillance exercises which may require written statements to be provided and evidence presented in Court. Our jurisdiction is within the area defined as the Haven Ports, its estuaries and rivers. The H.H.A. 'Harwich Harbour Guide' clearly states as such regard to the River Orwell. As an 'Accredited Waterborne Resource' for the Suffolk Constabulary it is an offence to: fail to provide an Accredited Person with your name and address, assault or obstruct and Accredited Person or a person assisting them. Legislation states that a person guilty of any offence shall be liable, on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a fixed term not exceeding six months or to a fine or both. In recent years there have been some twelve prosecutions of offenders in Harwich Harbour and three in the River Deben. However the present policy by ABP Port of Ipswich is to give persistent offenders in the River Orwell a total ban from the river and its marinas, three craft have received such a ban.
We would much rather see a voluntary code of conduct rather than see recreational mainly law-abiding power boaters have legislation imposed on them. However in recent years there has been a drastic increase in powered watercraft incidents in our local waters. These range powerboats, personal watercraft flouting speed limits, disregarding byelaw's, to dangerous, reckless and anti-social behaviour. The Suffolk Coastal Crime and Reduction Partnership take anti-social behaviour very seriously including such behaviour on the water.
WF36
Well-Known Member
Unless you use the recreational area by Levington at high tide its useless... at low tide both of the yellow buoys sit high and dry on the mud...
So, if it went to court, how could they proove you were speeding?
So, if it went to court, how could they proove you were speeding?
Talulah
Well-Known Member
The only power I can see in the above response is the requirement to provide Name and Address. Nothing else. However, some terms used are ambiguous. i.e 'control'. I cannot imagine 'control' being delegated. All public are empowered to assist, provide evidence etc.
It would be helpful to read the byelaws and view a list of accredited waterbourne resources and what duties were specifically delegated. However, I can't find these or the Harwich Harbour Guide online. So whilst the response is helpful the devil is in the detail.
Otter
Well-Known Member
Damned nice to have them out and about. I can't see what the beef is with them? They are a ubiquitous weekend presence on the Orwell, Stour and Deben. The fact that they also work to keep idiots from speeding is an added bonus and costs the tax payer nothing.
PaulGooch
Well-Known Member
I'm not 110% sure i'm comfortable with "private" entities having "police powers", but then we do have private companies running security for the Olympics, prisoner transport etc etc
That said, i think the guys on volunteer provide a good and valuable service. They will often be on the scene of an incident before the RNLI could even get a call out on the pagers. I've heard them respond to incidents really quickly. We once listened to them respond to a yacht with a rope around the prop, they promptly towed it back to SYH and then had a diver in the water to remove the rope. Not bad for a freeby, IMO.
I'd hope that their first line of "attack" with speeding boats would be a polite reminder of the speed limits, rather than anything heavy handed.
That said, i think the guys on volunteer provide a good and valuable service. They will often be on the scene of an incident before the RNLI could even get a call out on the pagers. I've heard them respond to incidents really quickly. We once listened to them respond to a yacht with a rope around the prop, they promptly towed it back to SYH and then had a diver in the water to remove the rope. Not bad for a freeby, IMO.
I'd hope that their first line of "attack" with speeding boats would be a polite reminder of the speed limits, rather than anything heavy handed.