Practical Boat Owner — January 2018

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Regional News

SOUTH

POOLE’S NEW QUAY
NEARS COMPLETION
From January 2018, larger ships
carrying up to 1,000 passengers
will soon be able to dock at the
newly expanded South Quay in
Poole, Dorset.
The £10 million development is
the first phase of the Poole
Harbour Commisioners’ plan to
develop shipping and cruise line
arrivals at the port.
The newly expanded South
Quay will be 200m long x 40m
wide and be over 9m in depth. It
will be able to provide
accommodation for vessels up
to 200m in length.
This will increase the port’s
capacity for conventional
cargoes, and facilitate the
ever-increasing interest from
cruise ships wishing to visit
Poole and the surrounding area.
Construction of the new quay
required 1,700 tons of steel piles,
all of which were delivered by
sea. The civil engineering
company, BAM Nuttall oversaw
the project.

SOUTH-WEST

MYLOR SAILING
SCHOOL WINS GOLD
Falmouth’s Mylor Sailing School
has, for the second year running,
won a Cornwall Tourism Award
in the Access and Inclusivity
category – and this time it’s gold.
The school’s owner, Tracey
Boyne, was presented with the
award by Olympic rower, Helen
Glover MBE, during a ceremony
at the Headland Hotel in
Newquay on 2 November.
The school was also highly
commended in the Active &
Sporting Experience category.
Charity Mylor Sailability was
formed by Mylor Sailing School
to make sailing accessible to
people of all ages and abilities.

CHANNEL ISLANDS

ST HELIER MOVE TO
SPLIT FROM RNLI
Jersey’s St Helier Lifeboat crew
want to split from the RNLI and
become independent.

It follows a dispute over the

sacking and reinstatement of the

station’s coxswain Andy Hibbs

who was asked by the RNLI to

stand down due to alleged

breaches of the charity’s

volunteer code of conduct. The

rest of the crew resigned in

protest in April 2017.

Following an appeal, Hibbs

was subsequently reinstated in

July 2017 on condition that he

signed and adhered to the

RNLI’s volunteer code of

conduct. He was also offered an

apology by the charity.

But now the St Helier Lifeboat

crew want to become

independent, citing a breakdown

in trust between themselves and

the RNLI as a result of the

investigation and its aftermath.

Andy Hibbs said it was ‘with a

deep heart’ that he and the crew

had made the decision to

become independent.

‘The way we have been treated

over the last year is

unacceptable. Many UK stations

have been in contact saying this

not an isolated problem and that

other stations are also going

through this treatment,’ he said.

‘I feel we deserve a lot more

respect from an organisation for

whom we risk our lives, give up

our evenings, weekends and our

family time.’

Commenting, the RNLI’s

director of community lifesaving

and fundraising, Leesa

Harwood, said: ‘After listening to

the volunteers at St Helier

lifeboat station, who have said

they would like to explore the

option of setting up an

independent lifeboat station, the

RNLI is now considering the best

way forward.’

WALES

NEW CHAPTER FOR

CRICCIETH RNLI

A new boathouse has been

completed for Criccieth RNLI’s

Arancia Class lifeboat and its

new Mitsubishi launch vehicle.

The station was the first in the

UK to be allocated this type of

inshore rescue boat – which is

normally used for surf rescues

• because of the tidal areas
  around the Dwyryd and Glaslyn
  Estuaries, Cardigan Bay. The
  new boathouse is just across
  the road from the existing
  station, which houses the larger
  Atlantic 85 Lifeboat.
  The project has been paid for
  with a legacy and gifts from
  people who either live or have a
  connection with Criccieth. The
  new building, due for official
  opening in April, is fitted with
  solar panels which will power
  both boathouses.

IRELAND

TOP AWARD FOR

RACE VOLUNTEER

Ballyholme sailing volunteer and

regional race management

coordinator in Northern Ireland,

Robin Gray, is being recognised

for his commitment to the RYA

Northern Ireland (RYANI).

He will be presented with the

association’s Regional Award for

his work over the last 10 years.

Gray, who has also been

international race officer since

2015, was recently named Sport

Northern Ireland’s Technical

Official of the Year 2017.

At his home club, Ballyholme

Yacht Club, Gray has been

instrumental in developing a

race management team of

qualified race officers and mark

layers, has mentored many

regional race officers and has

identified and supported

potential national race officers.

NORTH-WEST

WIRRAL STATIONS

WORK TOGETHER

A severely seasick

septuagenarian sailor has been

rescued after running aground in

the Dee Estuary, Liverpool Bay.

Neighbouring Wirral stations

West Kirby and Hoylake RNLI

were both tasked by the UK

Coastguard to search for the

boat at 2330 on 25 October.

The solo sailor, who was on

passage from Liverpool to

Llandudno, was unaware of his

position, having become

exhausted through seasickness

and illness.

The boat was eventually

Poole’s newly

expanded South

Quay will open in

January 2018

RNLI/Ifer Gwyn

The new RNLI boathouse at Criccieth on Cardigan Bay