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WALES
Wedged yacht
Both Barmouth RNLI lifeboats,
the harbour master and
Barmouth coastguard team
attended when a 34ft yacht broke
its moorings and became caught
in Barmouth bridge, in Gwynedd,
north-west Wales. The inshore
lifeboat was launched at 6.29pm
when the call from UK
Coastguard came in on
21 August, followed by the
all-weather lifeboat at 6.45pm.
Given that there was no-one on
board the stricken yacht, a fast
flowing incoming tide, and the
fact the yacht was wedged under
the bridge, the decision was
made to stand-off until after high
water at 8.55pm.
The yacht’s rigging was caught
up in the bridge meaning any
recovery had to be taken slowly
to avoid endangering the
volunteer crew or the bridge itself.
At 9.43pm the mast on the
yacht broke under the pressure
of the changing tide. This
released the cruiser from the
bridge and enabled the inshore
lifeboat to guide the vessel to a
safe location.
Marina acquisition
The Marine & Property Group
Ltd has acquired the 180-berth
Port Dinorwic Marina, in
north-west Wales.
The group already owns
the 350-berth Cardiff Marina,
165-berth Aberystwyth Marina,
110 drystack spaces in Cardiff,
Cardiff Marine Village marine
business park, and boatyards in
Cardiff and Swansea.
The acquisition of Port Dinorwic
Marina, which includes a range of Lasting legacy for James Male
Barmouth RNLI stand by an unmanned yacht caught under a bridge
food and beverage outlets,
offices, shops and workshops, is
the most recent development in
an ongoing programme of
investment for the company. Last
year saw the company double
the size of its Cardiff boatyard;
purchase an outboard engine
company, a dredger and a
Sealift. Drew McDonald, director
of The Marine & Property Group
said: ‘We will be introducing a
number of initiatives to Port
Dinorwic Marina including our
Refer a Friend promotion and a
Visitor Exchange Programme
between our marinas in Cardiff,
Aberystwyth and Port Dinorwic.’SOUTH
Lasting Legacy for
cheeki rafiki creW
The legacy of Cheeki Rafiki
crewman James Male lives on
at the QE2 Activity Centre in
Hampshire.
A new wheelchair-accessible
powerboat has been launched
on the River Hamble, named
after the sailor who was among
four people lost during an
Atlantic crossing in May 2014.
Graham and Lorraine Male
raised almost £13,000 towards
the cost of the Wheelyboat and
new kayaks for the centre in
memory of their son James.
The new Coulam Wheelyboat
V20 will supplement the centre’s
boating activities for disabled
people. The QE2 Activity Centre
prides itself in being fully
inclusive and the special features
of the Wheelyboat, developed by
The Wheelyboat Trust and
JM Coulam Boatbuilders, will
provide users with mobility
impairments with completeindependence as they explore
downstream and learn how to
drive and crew the powerboat.
Graham said: ‘It is an honour to
be able to leave such a fantastic
legacy for James.’SOUTH-EAST
coMMunity regatta
success
The Port of Dover Community
Regatta was hailed a success,
with glorious weather greeting the
10,000 attendees, who watched a
mock yacht rescue by Dover
Walmer RNLI, as well as
formation flights, victory rolls and
loop-the-loops by Spitfires from
the Old Flying Machine
Company. Rowing and sailing
races were held, including the
Royal Cinque Ports Yacht Club
Regatta, which was won by the
yacht Black Diamond.
Ashore, the event had more
than 90 stalls and more than 80
vintage vehicles provided by
Dover Transport Museum. The
regatta raised money for Kelly
Turner Fundraising, in support of
a Dover teenager who needs
£1 million for specialist cancer
treatment in America.SOUTH-WEST
neW PenLee station
PLans unveiLed
The RNLI has submitted a
planning application for a new
Penlee lifeboat station building at
Newlyn Harbour.
The proposed new station would
house a larger crew/operational
room, training room, changing
room and workshop, along with a
visitor engagement area.
The two-storey building would
be built on the same site as the
existing station, which will operate
from temporary facilities during
construction. Features would
include solar panels on theharbour-side canopy, timber
cladding, a monopitch roof
and large timber windows,
enabling the RNLI to survey
Newlyn Harbour and well out
south and east into Mount’s Bay
and beyond.
Penlee’s current lifeboat station
in Newlyn was built in 1983 as a
temporary measure and is no
longer fit for purpose. With
approximately 25 volunteer crew
and additional shore crew as
well as fundraisers using the
building, there is an urgent need
for more space.CHANNEL ISLANDS
Wash concerns
Guernsey Harbour Master has
published a report following an
investigation into allegations of
extreme wash at La Valette
Bathing Pools, Havelet Bay.
At 1815 on 8 July 2017, police
and medics were called to the
bathing pools in St Peter Port due
to reports that the high-speed
Condor Liberation ferry had
caused a swell, which, due to the
height of tide washed into the
open air pools and knocked
swimmers into the walls.
Approximately six people were
injured, suffering abrasions to the
skin, ingesting seawater, an anxiety
attack and the effects of the cold.
The report found that following
traffic avoidance with the cruise
ship Adonia, the Master of
Condor Liberation had altered
course to less than 325°T to
regain track which is likely to
have generated of a wave of
approximately 60cm.
However this wave is unlikely to
have been of the magnitude
reported. The wash effect of
Adonia is likely to have reached
the pools at around the same
time, compounded by both the
Trident V approach to St Peter
Port and a large motor yacht
entering Havelet Bay at speed.
As a result of the incident and
investigation, Condor has
amended approach procedures,
additional warning signage has
been put in place and CCTV will
be used to monitor the pools
during the arrival and departure
of high-speed craft.