Practical Boat Owner – May 2018

Suhaili denied place on

historic ships register

MCA and the marina’s
owners to ensure the
clean-up progresses as
quickly and efficiently
as possible.
A spokesman for Stena
said a tanker had been
brought in to remove the
polystyrene pollution from
the marina, and would
‘continue round the clock
until all of the particulates
have been safely removed’.
Like other berth holders,
Fox suggested the use of
the marina by large
commercial vessels could
have played a role, with the
vessels’ windage a
contributory factor.
The Marine Accident
Investigation Branch has
confirmed it is not
investigating the incident,
as the vessels were not
operational at the time.
PBO tried to speak to
Holyhead Marina but was
told no one was available
as staff were concentrating
on the clean-up operation.
‘It is with deep regret that
we are having to report that
we have had catastrophic
damage in the marina over
the last 48 hours. Despite
our best efforts, the
weather conditions were
too severe and we were
unable to do any more to
save the marina without
risking the lives of our
staff,’ stated a post on the
marina’s Facebook page.
A Notice to Mariners has
been issued warning of
possible pollution and
sunken or floating debris.

S

ir Robin Knox-Johnston

says he won’t appeal a

decision by National Historic

Ships UK (NHS-UK) to

exclude Suhaili from the

National Register of Historic

Vessels. Boats on the register

have to be a minimum of

33-foot overall. Suhaili is

seven inches too short.

Sir Robin said he was “not

particularly surprised” his

beloved Bermudian ketch

didn’t meet the requirements.

“They have their rules and

Suhaili does not fit within

those. That’s it,” said Sir

Robin, although he highlights

that the register’s earlier rules

excluded boats built outside

the UK, although exceptions

have been made for HMS

Fordroyant and Sir Alec

Rose’s 36-foot Lively Lady,

which were both built in India.

“It’s not for me to decide

whether there should be a

change in the rules and I am

not appealing their decision,”

he stated, adding he wouldn’t

part with Suhaili until he

crossed “the bar”.

Sir Robin spent three years

restoring Suhaili in which he

won the 1968-69 Sunday

Time Golden Globe Race. He

loaned her to the National

Maritime Museum in

Greenwich in 1997 but

removed her in 2002 because

the controlled environment

meant her planking was

beginning to shrink.

Suhaili is already on the

National Small Boats

Register, which is maintained

by the National Maritime

Museum Cornwall.

An online petition has now

been launched calling on the

government funded NHS-UK

to make an exception for

Suhaili. To date, more than

4,000 people have signed.

The director of NHS-UK,

Hannah Cunliffe said Suhaili

‘could potentially’ be

recognised through the

National Historic Fleet which

are vessels of ‘pre-eminent

national significance which

merit the highest priority in

terms of conservation’.

She said there are plans to

review the fleet’s

composition, and, for the first

time, consider adding vessels

from both registers, making

them eligible for small grants

for maintenance and remedial

work and other initiatives.

Cunliffe stressed that

vessels on the register don’t

have statutory protection and

NHS-UK can’t prevent the

loss of a boat. She added she

would be happy to advise on

future options for Suhaili.

Jonathan Fox

Ajax news

Mandatory CO detector

call for inland boats

T

here are new calls to make

carbon monoxide

detectors mandatory on all

cabin boats that use inland

waterways.

The BoatCOSafe campaign

is being run by Niki Molnar.

She wants the UK government

to make it compulsory for

alarms to be fitted.

Under the Smoke & Carbon

Monoxide Alarm Regulations

2015, all rented properties

must have at least one CO

alarm, and Molnar wants this

extended to all closed-cabin

boats on inland waterways.

“Boats are naturally

enclosed spaces where

carbon monoxide can build

up very quickly – and as you

can’t smell or see it, you can

be affected by it before you

realise what has happened.

Alarms are so reasonably

priced these days that there is

no reason why every boat

owner should not have a

suitable CO alarm installed,”

stressed Molnar, who has

started an online petition at

petition.parliament.uk/

petitions/207382.

Molnar is also urging people

to check CO alarms have

been fitted and regularly

tested on closed-cabin boats

for rent before booking.

The Marine Accident

Investigation Branch and the

Boat Safety Scheme have

long campaigned for CO

alarms to be fitted on

recreational boats.

Practical Boat Owner • http://www.pbo.co.uk 7

NEWS

Boats and debris littered
the Holyhead Marina shore
after Storm Emma hit