Practical Boat Owner – September 2019

Boat pollution under the spotlight

Emissions from recreational

boats around the UK coast

and inland waterways are to

be looked at by the

Government.

Boat owners, port and

marina operators, boat yards

and storage companies are

being asked to contribute

towards the Department for

Transport’s Call for Evidence

which will be used to better

understand the levels of

emissions from pleasure

boats and whether more

needs to be done to address

emission issues.

Details such as the number

and type of recreational boats

operating in UK waters, as

well as the age, engine size

and fuel used are just some

of the information being

sought by policy makers.

The consultation is part of

the Government’s Clean Air

Strategy, which was

published in January 2019,

and sets out the need to cut

emissions to improve air

quality. The consultation ends

on 11 January 2020, and a

summary of responses will be

published by April 2020.

To participate, go online and

visit the consultation site:

http://www.gov.uk/government/

consultations/domestic-

shipping-air-pollution-call-

for-evidence.

NEWS

Boaters who enjoy a drink
while cruising the waters
around the UK are to be
targeted in a new campaign by
the Department for Transport.
The Government has formed
an Alcohol Awareness Steering
Group with members of the
marine sector including the
RYA and the British Ports
Association (BPA). It will
develop the campaign, which
aims to improve safety on the
water by highlighting the
dangers of drinking afl oat to
recreational boaters.
Commenting on the
campaign, the chief executive
of the BPA Richard Ballantyne
said: “Although many
recreational users enjoy
boating responsibly, sadly it’s
believed that the issue of
drinking in the marine
environment has contributed to
incidents and accidents around
our coast. However as a sector

we are alive to the problem and

are using this campaign to

create awareness and hopefully

ensure people enjoy our

wonderful coast and network

of ports and marinas for the

right reasons.”

The BPA has previously

called for drink-driving laws to

be introduced for leisure

sailors. Commercial captains

can’t sail if they have 35

micrograms of alcohol in 100ml

of breath and the BPA would

like to see the same limits for

pleasure boaters.

Sailors who are under the

infl uence of alcohol can already

be prosecuted under the

Merchant Shipping Act 1995 if

they endanger other vessels,

structures or people.

Many harbour authorities also

have local bylaws in place

allowing recreational skippers

to be prosecuted if drunk in

charge of a vessel, although

the BPA argue that existing

laws do not account for

prescribed alcohol limits or

provisioning for sampling via

breathalysers.

Figures from the Marine

Accident Investigation Branch

show that between 2006 and

2012, 45 people died in

accidents involving recreational

craft in the UK where alcohol

was a factor.

The new campaign is part of

the DfT’s Maritime Safety

Action Plan, which includes

proposals to halve drowning

fatalities in the UK by 2026 and

to increase funding by £

million for the 2019/20 Rescue

Boat Grant Fund for non-RNLI

organisations.

New

campaign

highlights

the dangers

of boating

and alcohol

The campaign is aimed at

recreational boaters and is

part of the Government’s

Maritime Safety Action Plan

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Both coastal and inland boaters

are being asked to submit evidence

about emissions levels