East Coast Boating News

11/01/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19J6ZLE5Aa/

Shotley Marine Services currently have a vacancy for a full-time marine engineer. Click the link to learn more. https://www.jobs24.co.uk/job/marine-engineer-124428256

07/01/2025

Two Month Closure Announced for Mutfod Lock

The conundrum of moving vessels onto and off of the Broads Navigational Area has been challenging over recent years - most notably because of difficulties passing Great Yarmouth and the limited opening of the town's Haven Bridge.

For many boaters, Mutford Lock has presented a more accessible and reliable way of moving vessels on and off the Broads to the sea, however, the need for repair work will see the lock being closed for a minimum period of 2 months.

The work, to replace sluices within one of the gate openings and a full inspection of the gates themselves, including the bottom brackets, is necessary.

An initial closure is therefore planned between Monday 3rd February and Friday 28th March 2025.

The Broads Authority, who manage and operate the lock along with the support of partners Suffolk County Council and Associated British Ports, have stated, 'It is hoped that the work is completed by the busy Easter period.'

20/12/2024

First Sunseeker and now Fairline - A good or bad thing?

The BBC understands several people have been made redundant and many more jobs could be lost.

19/11/2024

Does that mean if you hold this document you have the freedom of the port by default of grant??

A document giving the grant of freedom of Ipswich to Admiral Lord Nelson in 1799 is being auctioned in London on Tuesday 12th November at 10am Charles Miller Ltd - guide price £3-5k, very few original versions of such grants still in existence. (National Maritime Museum has a few). BBC Suffolk will be interviewing Ipswich Maritime Trust member Cathy Shelbourne about Nelson's connections with Ipswich. All About Ipswich Ipswich.Love Monumental Maritime Heroes The 1805 Club The Society for Nautical Research The Nelson

19/11/2024

There is alot of hype surrounding this article, firstly, there is a huge problem with eutrophication around waste discharges of the East Coast. There has been an increase in the occurance of Sargassum w**d growth monitored around the world and we are seeing newer variants of w**d around our own shores near to waste discharges but these are prolific and long-term discharges - this is a single, progressive discharge in an area of moving water yet this has not been discussed.

Whilst Ammonium Nitrate fertiliser can be dangerous, this is a port, like other East Coast ports, which handles and stores large quantities of this type of fertiliser regularly.

If a discharge and washing was decided, this undoubtedly would have been a multi-agency decision and certainly not a unilaterally taken one.

Any thoughts?

The load of ammonium nitrate was part of a 20,000-tonne load of the fertiliser on board MV Ruby, which was dubbed a 'floating time bomb' when it arrived in Great Yarmouth last month.

01/11/2024

Have your say regarding licensing of commercially operated PWCs, specifically jet skis

East Suffolk Council is seeking responses to its consultation regarding the licensing of commercial operators of personal water craft at https://bit.ly/3Yuv9yL

The consultation will run from 29 October until 26 November 2024.
Responses to the following questions should be emailed to [email protected] by
26 November 2024.

Whether the Council should licence Jet Skis?
What conditions if any should be imposed?
What minimum specification should be required?
Should zones of operations be imposed?
Should dates and times of operation be imposed?
How should the policy be enforced?
Any other comments?

01/11/2024

Sunseeker has been sold to international investors

Luxury yacht maker Sunseeker has been bought by two firms in America and Italy.

26/10/2024

Although not local, this is a very important case as it will affect the rights of many who live or keep vessels on land they own - as Riparian owners.

Former bank manager Dean is battling the Marine Management Organisation, Cornwall Council - and his neighbours in a picturesque Cornish hamlet. 'I get they've paid seven figures for their house. My mum grew up on this road, my grandfather owned properties here and kept his boat on this creek. It's d...

11/10/2024

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/one-missing-after-boat-capsizes-in-river-thames/ar-AA1s6alx?ocid=msedgntp&pc=DCTS&cvid=7eb5448e9e5845ffb9e3c886d7cfa3ee&ei=34

A boat carrying six people has capsized in the River Thames with a man in his 60s still missing. Emergency services responded to reports of a rowing boat in trouble near Sunbury Lock, close to Wheatleys Eyot in Surrey, at around 8.50am on Friday. Surrey Police said six people had been on the vessel....

11/10/2024

Broads Authority 8th October 2024

New study finds extra dredging in River Bure won’t resolve flooding issues

A new report has been published by the Environment Agency that examines whether additional dredging in areas of the Lower River Bure would alleviate flooding.

The £13,000 study was commissioned following a public meeting about widespread flooding during the winter of 2023/24. It was funded by a Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Grant in Aid.

The report used hydraulic computer modelling of different possible scenarios to determine the effect of additional dredging (beyond that undertaken by the Broads Authority for the benefit of navigation) of the area known as the ‘Bure Loop’. The modelling was based on dredging to depths of 2.5 and 3 metres, almost a metre below the current navigation waterways specification depth. A range of both fluvial and tidal events were explored through the model, as was data collected during Storm Babet.

The modelling report concludes that additional dredging in the Lower Bure does not reduce the risks from flooding in the upper part of the catchment. The most significant impact is an increased risk of tidal flooding at the lower end of the river.

Conservative estimates put the cost of the dredging for the Lower Bure beyond the current total annual Environment Agency maintenance budget for the whole of the Broads system. Furthermore, regular dredging would be needed to maintain the new depths.

The additional dredging would also need considerable licensing requirements and environmental considerations such as the disposal of large amounts of sediment that exceed those produced during the current yearly Broads Authority dredging programme for navigation.

The lack of significant benefits and high costs mean that the work is unlikely to be eligible for central government funding.

Graham Verrier, Environment Agency, East Anglia (East) Area Director said:

“We are pleased to have been able to deliver this report to explore the possible flood risk benefits of dredging in the Broads and thank our partners in the Broads Authority for their support. Where there is evidence that dredging will reduce flood risk to local properties, without increasing flooding downstream and that meets government criteria and is affordable, we will do it. If dredging isn’t the right solution, or costs more than the flood risk benefit it provides to properties, we will help communities and partners to look at other options to manage the risk of flooding.”

John Packman, Chief Executive, Broads Authority said:

“I would like to thank our partners at the Environment Agency who have swiftly facilitated such a thorough study. Whilst outside the current scope of work of the Broadland Futures Initiative (BFI), the findings will inform the strategic flood risk management approach for the Broads over the next 100 years.”

The report and associated documents can be found by following the links within the article below.

A new report has been published by the Environment Agency that examines whether additional dredging in areas of the Lower River Bure would alleviate flooding.

09/10/2024

Wishing Mark (Speedo) a very Speed(o)y recovery!

As many of our colleagues, friends and customers are aware our Service Manager, Mark (Speedo) was diagnosed with a brain tumour earlier this year.

He was operated on by Addenbrooks on Friday and we are delighted to report that the surgeons were very pleased with the results of the surgery. Mark is now back home and thankful for the care and skill of the theatre team at Addenbrooks for the first part of his treatment.

We have been overwhelmed with messages of good wishes for a very special man.

07/10/2024

How to get a 6 pin transducer working on a new Garmin https://youtu.be/PaRS3ld8uTI

04/10/2024

If ever you thought a job was too difficult - well sometimes that big job may actually be totally unnecessary!

S05 E87 - One day, our just stopped working. I could hear the solenoids clicking, but the windlass winch itself was not operating. As we are inland...

29/09/2024

The full briefing on the proposed recovery of lost tolls from exiting boat users can be found by following the link below.https://www.broads-authority.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0024/527307/Note-on-Navigation-Charges-for-2025-26.pdf

Briefing on navigation charges for 2025/26

The Authority is confronting a significant challenge in determining navigation charges for 2025/26.

A decline in boat numbers, coupled with inflation, has created a funding shortfall of £394,000. As a result, we have initiated discussions with our Members earlier than usual in an effort to reach a consensus.

As part of this process, we have produced a briefing note which sets out the current position of the Authority's finances and is relevant to all hire yards and private boat owners.

You can read it on our website here: https://www.broads-authority.gov.uk/news/briefing-on-navigation-charges-for-2025-26

Image description: An autumnal landscape scene at Cary's Meadow, with a tree that has colourful leaves seen on a bright sunny day

29/09/2024

EDP24:

Again the comments are interesting from 'dirty polluting boats vs traditional net-zero sailing craft,' and the necessity to fund the conservation of the area - lets not forget that the Broads were trading rivers and man-made lakes, as wind gave way to motor and the coming of the roads, the craft changed - up to, and including coastal trading vessels - and so, we do wonder why this idea that the Broads should be the preserve of sailing craft only - unless you pay exorbitant tolls, is the way forward.

Per navigable mile, the Broads are the most expensive inland waterways in the UK.

However, a rise of more than 10% again is unfathomable - yet it appears that several of the readership of this article approve of such a measure. One commenter stating, 'Given that the BA evaded full National Park status in order that the tourism industry could continue to be given precedence over conservation, the boaters need the think themselves lucky they are getting away with just additional charges. Anyone unfamiliar with The Broads who might fondly imagine it a place if quiet conservation and wildlife might be surprised by the sheer volume of motorised craft, both tourist company and private, and the size of some of it. Net zero does not seem to apply to the Broads except for all the traditional sailing craft, ' later adding, 'The BA was intended to care for the Broads, whether that has meant caring for the boat holiday companies at the expense of conservation is a different matter. There is no legitimate trading navigation for which the navigation rights existed, any more . If parish residents and boats trading with parishes were the only boats allowed access to moor at parish staithes it would meet the spirit of the navigation rights.'

Whilst the boat owners, who use their vessels minimally over the year may have a different opinion, with many having to pay a full toll for a vessel, even if it is not in the direct navigation - such termed 'adjacent waters.'

Over recent years, organisations such as the Broads Reform Action Group, have stated the case not to raise tolls to the degree the Broads Authority have proposed - even its own elected Navigation Committee proposed a lower level, but significant increases in tolls have been seen, way above inflation, over successive years - often to fill funding gaps for non-navigational purposes.

What are your thoughts?

The Broads Authority has issued a warning to Norfolk and Suffolk boaters that it may have to hike toll fees in order to plug a £394k shortfall in…