NEWS
A
s the salvage and clean-up
operation continues at
Holyhead Marina in Anglesey,
plans are underway to rebuild
the facility.
Around 85 vessels sank and
catastrophic damage was
caused to the marina when
Storm Emma hit on 2 March
this year.
So far, around 30 boats have
been recovered, although
Holyhead Sailing Club (HSC)
has stated on its website that
boats still under the marina’s
equipment are not being lifted
out at this phase.
The removal of polystyrene
from the marina’s damaged
pontoons is continuing,
although it has now also
spread further afield.
Anglesey Council, which is
responsible for the clean-up
outside of the port, said it
understood more polystyrene
breached a containment boom
within the port and escaped
during recent strong winds.
According to Stena Line
Ports, which privately owns the
Holyhead Port Authority, more
than 25.3 tonnes of polystyrene
and 2,700 litres of oil have been
recovered from the harbour
area. A further 4 tonnes of
British Waterways Marinas Ltd
(BWML), which operates 18
marinas across England, is
up for sale.
A wholly-owned subsidiary
of the Canal & River Trust,
BWML manages 2,520 berths,of which 699 are residential.
The trust said it has already
been approached by a
number of potential buyers
and will be ‘exploring options’
before making a decision.
It added that the proceedsof the sale will be reinvested
in other ‘income-generating
assets’ to help it fund the
preservation of the waterways
it currently manages.
Accountancy and business
advisory firm BDO LLP and
property consultants Vail
Williams have been appointed
to handle the sale.
The managing director of
BWML, Jeff Whyatt said theprocess will not impact on
current operations.
“We are confident that
business will continue as
usual in the event that BWML
is sold to a new owner,”
he stressed.
BWML runs 16 inland
marinas, including London’s
Limehouse Basin Marina, and
two on the coast at Hull and
Glasson Basin, Lancashire.Salvage under way at Holyhead Marina
BWML’s 18 marinas are
on the market
polystyrene has been removed
from beaches by volunteers and
council staff.
Meanwhile the owner of
Holyhead Marina, Ed Hughes,
blamed uninsured boat owners
for the slow start of the salvage
operation, stating insurers ‘were
worried about who was paying
for what and who was
responsible for getting rid of
the wrecks.’Susan Glenny, the founder of
the female yacht racing squad,
The Sirens, has been named
the new skipper of the iconic
Whitbread Round the World
yacht, Maiden.
The professional
yachtswoman will take over
from Tracy Edwards, who led
the first all-female crew in the
1989-90 Whitbread race.
Maiden is currently
undergoing an extensive refit at
Hamble Yacht Services. The
58ft Bruce Farr-designed yacht
was shipped back to the UK
after it was found rotting away
in the Seychelles. Once she is
back in the water, Glenny, who
was inspired by Maiden’s
original crew, will skipper the
yacht on a three-year world
tour in support of promoting
girls’ education.New skipper for Maiden
He said the marina had ‘no
problem’ with the salvers as
long as they met the health and
safety conditions of the harbour
authority, and that divers had
informed him that the number
of boats still ‘mixed in’ with
marina equipment was
‘insignificant’.
Hughes, who said his
insurers were ‘happy’, stated
many of the pontoons haveMany boats still remain underwater
Christopher Middleton/Alamynow been salvaged and will be
repaired ahead of rebuilding
work this summer.
Mark Rosenthal, who lost his
Victory 42, Lily, said HSC has
agreed to increase its moorings
from 105 to around 170.
The club still intends to host
the start/finish of three Irish Sea
Offshore Racing Association
races this year, with the first
starting on 12 May.Tracy Edwards (left) and Susan Glenny