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THE PBO EXPERTS To ask a question email [email protected] and include your address. Pictures are helpful
CRUISING
Stuart Carruthers
is the RYA Cruising
Manager and has
sailed extensivelySAILS
Ian Brown of the
International
OneSails loft group
is an expert on sailsELECTRICS
Paul Holland is
part-chair of the
BMEEA and MD of
Energy Solutions
(UK)MASTS & RIGS
Mike Coates worked
in the spar and
rigging business for
many yearsENGINES
Stu Davies has
a background in
engineering in the
coal and oil field
industriesSURVEY AND
CORROSION
Colin Brown runs
a marine survey and
consultancy company,
CB Marine ServicesSEA SAFETY
Keith Colwell is
author of the
RYA Sea Survival
HandbookSEALING AND
BONDING
Gareth Ross is
Sika UK’s Marine
Market Field
SpecialistDIY dredging
Q
I’d like some advice on
removing silt from my
tidal, bank mooring. Does
using the wash of a
propeller or high pressure
water jet to move the silt
away from my mooring (as
opposed to physically
removing by pump or
excavator and dumping
elsewhere) contravene any
laws or regulations? I
appreciate there’s a risk this
could add silt to the main
channel, but I know
someone who has done this
successfully and has
offered to do mine for a
small fee. Does the legality
change if he is charging for
this service?
I have been told you’re
legally allowed to remove
100m^3 of silt a maximum of
100m in distance without a
license/district planning,
etc. – but is this true?
Lucy Ferson
SouthamptonEMMA BARTON, RYA
PLANNING AND
ENVIRONMENTAL
MANAGER, REPLIES:
The Marine and Coastal
Access Act 2009 made it a
licensable activity to carry out
any form of dredging (different
rules apply inland), whether or
not involving the removal of
any material from the sea or
sea bed.
The Act defines dredging
activities as ‘including any
device to move any material
(whether or not suspended in
water) from any part of the sea
or sea bed to another part’.
The Marine Management
Organisation (MMO)
administers marine licensing in
England and the requirement
applies whether or not you are
paying for the service.
There is a difference in terms
of the exemptions that can
apply to this for low volume
maintenance dredges,
depending on whether theactivity has been carried out
before (in the last 10 years),
however the exemption must
be registered with the MMO
prior to works taking place.
There are also options for
higher volume maintenance
dredges where the licence
can be cheaper if the activity
meets certain criteria. If the
dredging hasn’t been carried
out before then it could be
categorised as a ‘capital
dredge’ and therefore requireMOORING
DAMP
Heaters vs dehumidifiers
Q
I keep my Bavaria 30
ashore during the
winter months and usually
leave a small electric heater
on to keep everything dry
and in working order.
However, many people
seem to use a dehumidifier
instead of an electric heater,
I think for the samepurpose, so I’m confused
as to which is best?
Mike Sinclair
West SussexRUPERT HOLMES REPLIES:
There are a number of
reasons boat interiors get
damp in the winter. One of
these is indeed lowera full marine licence.
There is also a self-service
licence option but that only
applies for non-navigational
clearance dredging (for
operational purposes) – the
removal of material which has
accumulated around/within a
structure described in the
associated application, that is
clearly impacting the structure's
ability to operate, subject to
the criteria and conditions
contained in the licence
document. This may include
but is not limited to removing
silt from: intake pipes, outfalls,
valves or beneath pontoons.
Further details of the
exemptions and other licence
requirements can be found on
the RYA website (www.rya.
org.uk/go/marinelicensing ) or
the MMO website (www.gov.
uk/guidance/do-i-need-a-
marine-licence ). You can also
call the MMO for advice.Mud berths can only be dredged
by a licensed operator
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