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Cowes welcomes 2013

The recent snow certainly created some picturesque images of Cowes and underlines that we are in mid-winter. So it's a good time to start thinking about commissioning your boat for the coming sailing season. Our team at Kingston are already in full swing and busy working on a range of boat maintenance projects from full mechanical overhauls to routine replacement of anodes and anti-fouling. (There will be more in February's newsletter about this.)

As you can see below, Cowes lifeboat station is holding an Open Day on Saturday, 26 January. CHC are proud to have several members of staff volunteering with Cowes RNLI, including Dave Lewis as Deputy Launch Authority, Laurie O'Callaghan as crew, James Adams as shore crew and Anne Dines who is Treasurer. I do hope you can go along on the day to show your support for Cowes RNLI's vital life-saving work.

 

I am very pleased that we are starting the New Year in a positive and forward looking fashion and have commenced the statutory consultation process for the new General Directions which we plan to bring into effect on 1 April.

 

You may be interested to know that on 9 February Navitus Bay are holding a public exhibition on the proposed wind farm at Cowes Yacht Haven.

 

Finally, many congratulations to Roger Mathias on being re-appointed as our Chairman.

Best regards,

blue sig

Captain Stuart McIntosh,

Cowes Harbour Master

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Cowes RNLI SOS Day

The Cowes RNLI SOS Day is on Saturday, 26 January when the lifeboat station will be open to the public between 1030 and 1630.

 

SOS Day is all about having fun and raising funds. Lifeboat stations and RNLI supporters around the UK are holding lots of fun events, really brightening up this otherwise dull month!

CHC's Marine Officer Laurie O'Callaghan is a member of the Cowes lifeboat crew and told us: "There's lots going on with a launch and recovery of the lifeboat, man overboard demo, sea safety presentations and tours of the boathouse and station.

 

"Everyone is welcome to come along and there'll be activities for children, and home-made refreshments too. I hope to see you there!"

 

Read more on this on COWES.co.uk.

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Measures to keep your boat secure

We would like to pass on some helpful advice about securing property on your vessel over the remaining winter months.

Boat owners are advised to:

 

Safety checklist

- Remove all valuables from your boat.

- Leave nothing on display. Even waterproof clothing could tempt a thief.

- Close your windows and doors and make sure your vessel is locked securely.

 

Remember

- Always take a note of serial numbers. Take small outboard engines home.

- Fit a locking fuel cap.

- Ensure that the harbour master, marina, or club have your current contact details.

- Please report any suspicious behaviour around vessels to the police immediately by calling 101 or 999 in an emergency.

 

Read the full story on COWES.co.uk.

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Dredging License Application - 01/2013

An application has been submitted for a dredging licence at East Cowes Marina (ECM).

The area to be dredged includes the D&E basin and extends south to the H&J basin. The final dredge level will be to approximately 2.5m below chart datum (CD). The amount of spoil dredge material to be removed is approximately 7,000 cubic metres. The work is aimed to be carried out February or March this year. This will form the first phase of a larger three to four year project to remove 30,000 cubic metres of silt from ECM.

 

Hard copies of supporting drawings can be viewed at the Harbour Office, Town Quay, Cowes between 0900-1700 Monday to Friday.

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Cowes news for all

If you have friends or family who live or work in Cowes, come on holiday to Cowes, sail from Cowes or have an interest in the town's activities on and off the water, then please share this newsletter with them. They can register to receive CHC news here.

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Please keep in touch!

Don't forget that Cowes Harbour Commission is always happy to gain feedback on its services and on the issues it is tackling on your behalf. If you want to talk to the Harbour Master, Capt. Stuart McIntosh or to Rod Hodgson, the Deputy Harbour Master, please feel free to call into the Harbour Office on Town Quay, phone and make an appointment on:
01983 293952, or

Cowes Harbour Commission also owns and operates the following commercial services: Shepards Wharf Marina, Kingston Marine Services, Cowes Harbour Moorings and Cowes Harbour Fuels. 

You can keep up-to-date with all the news on our website:

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CHC Local Notices to Mariners (LNTMs)

Sailors and boaters using Cowes Harbour are advised to regularly check current Notices to Mariners.

Links to recent LNTMs:

No. 2 of 2013: Small Craft Channel Lights are Unreliable

No. 1 of 2013: Current Notices to Mariners in Force

No. 39(T) of 2012: Venture Quays Pontoons Removed and Fixed Red Navigation Lights Unlit

No. 38(T) of 2012: Small Craft Channel Conical Buoys Temporarily Extinguished

No. 30 of 2012: Diving at Work and Commercial Swimmers

No. 23 of 2012: Cowes Harbour Fairway

No. 20 of 2012: Approaches to Cowes Harbour

All current Notices are available on the CHC website.

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Above: CHC's Kingston Marine Services and Kingston Boatyard.
CHC Chairman re-appointed

Roger Mathias has been unanimously re-elected as Chairman of Cowes Harbour Commission from 2013 to 2016.

Commenting on his continuing role with Cowes Harbour Commission (CHC), Roger said: "I am privileged to be re-elected as CHC Chairman and thank the Commissioners for their continued confidence in me; I hope to be able repay their trust over the next three years. I enjoy the challenges in serving CHC and hope we are seen as continually improving our service to stakeholders. CHC is constantly evolving to ensure Cowes Harbour meets stakeholder requirements and is 'first in class' for current and future generations.

 

"As many of you know, CHC has, for a number of years, been active on planning for a protective Outer Harbour wall. One regret is that we have been unable, as yet, to confirm a financial vehicle to commence construction. In partnership with the Homes and Communities Agency, we now hope to see a start during 2013.

 

"I also look forward to helping CHC play a leading role in assisting Cowes to strengthen and fulfill its potential as a 'world class centre of yachting' through initiatives designed to encourage more major events and visitors to Cowes.

 

"As Chairman for Cowes Harbour Commission, I'm fortunate to have an experienced, skilled, and hard-working team of Commissioners who contribute a diversity of expertise. CHC is also fortunate in having a very professional management team led by Capt. Stuart McIntosh."

 

Read the full story on COWES.co.uk.

Feedback on new Cowes breakwater

CHC would like to thank everyone for the many letters and emails of support for the new Cowes breakwater that continue to come in to the Harbour Office.

Following an update on the Cowes breakwater project in our November 2012 newsletter, we hope to be in a position to give out more information soon, but please keep sending in your comments and messages of support.

Consultation on new General Directions

The statutory consultation process is now underway on the draft General Directions which CHC has been empowered to issue as a result of the new Cowes Harbour Revision Order 2012.

Cowes Harbour Commission has proposed that these new General Directions should be introduced on 1 April 2013, in time for the sailing season. However, before this can happen, the General Directions are subject to statutory consultation with the major stakeholder representatives on CHC's Advisory Committee (CHAC), including local government, yacht clubs, local business associations and major port users. The RYA and the Chamber of Shipping are also being consulted. The statutory consultees have until mid-February to make written representations on the draft General Directions.

 

You can read all about the Cowes Harbour Revision Order and General Directions on the CHC website, and also have your say. Harbour users should ideally be able to give comments on the draft General Directions to their representative on the CHAC. Otherwise, comments can be sent to CHC in writing (letter or email), and copied to CHAC as the statutory consultee, before 18 February. Please send letters to the Harbour Office, Town Quay, Cowes, Isle of Wight PO31 7AS, and emails to: [email protected], copied to [email protected].

 

Timeline
7 January 2013: Cowes Harbour Revision Order 2012 came into force.

7 January to 18 February 2013: Duration of statutory consultation process. Should any objections not be resolved then a 28-day formal adjudication process is defined in the Harbour Revision Order.

1 April 2013: CHC's aim is to introduce the new General Directions for the 2013 season.

Commissioner profile on Jeremy Lear

Jeremy Lear's ties with the Isle of Wight run deep after 35 years of racing at Cowes Week, family holidays spent in Seaview, a long involvement with Island businesses as a senior partner in a firm of chartered surveyors specialising in the marina industry, and currently as Cowes Harbour Commissioner for Port Development.

 

Jeremy joined a firm of south coast based chartered surveyors at the age of 18. Over the years, and through his liking for boating and the sea, the firm developed an expertise in waterside development, in particular all aspects of marina development.

 

In 1998 he set up Portsmouth Harbour Events Limited, a not-for-profit company supported by a range of marine-related businesses, to support his ideas for bringing more events to Portsmouth. He was also joint founder of the Trident Forum, a network of professional advisors working within the marine industry.

 

Jeremy is a strong supporter of the proposed new Outer Harbour breakwater for Cowes, which is: "the key component to making Cowes a sheltered harbour," and, he believes, "it's very important that we get the breakwater built in order to profit from the associated benefits that will arise for both visitors and Islanders, whether in the commercial or leisure industries."

 

An owner of a Victory one design keelboat, Jeremy began competing at Cowes some 35 years ago, and has only missed one Cowes Week in that time! He is keen to see that steps are taken to attract a greater number events to Cowes. "As a Commissioner, I was delighted by the endorsement of those attending the Cowes forum meeting last December and the positive initiatives put forward for increasing the number of events in Cowes. I am eager to see how we can progress this in the months to come."

 

Read the full story on COWES.co.uk.
Cowes Pilots at work

If you've ever wondered what it takes to be a harbour pilot and what the job involves, here's a short introduction to the work of Cowes Pilots.

 

Cowes Harbour has four authorised pilots with the Deputy Harbour Master, Rod Hodgson, carrying out the majority of pilotage assignments. All Cowes Pilots are Class 1 Master Mariners which is the highest Merchant seagoing qualification and have served at least 12 years in the Merchant Navy. Each pilot has undergone extensive pilotage training specific to Cowes Harbour and the Solent.

Vessels of up to 100 metres in length, 15 metres beam and 5.7 metres draught regularly use the commercial wharves in Cowes with cruise vessels of up to 150 metres utilising the anchorage in Cowes Roads. The cargo vessels predominantly import limestone and sea dredged aggregate for use in the construction industry and export grain and scrap metal.

 

Cowes Pilots are authorised to pilot vessels from the Nab Tower to the east and Thorness Bay to the west. Upon boarding a vessel the pilot completes a documented Master/Pilot exchange when manouvering characteristics and the vessel's passage plan, including the course, tidal flow and vessel movements, are discussed and agreed.

 

The pilot will take the control of the navigation of the vessel (The Con), directing the rudder and engine movements, ensuring that a safe course and speed is maintained and conflicts with other traffic are avoided - especially the ferries that run regularly into and out of Cowes.

 

Read the full story on COWES.co.uk.

 

See the COWES.co.uk Flickr page for photos of the coaster Ohlau under pilotage to Medina Wharf, November 2012.

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