Peel Ports to clear debris from river today

After numerous complaints about the increased quantity of hazardous floating debris in the upper reaches of the tidal Medway, especially between Aylesford and Allington, we have just been informed by James Goodfellow that Peel Ports will at last be undertaking a river clearance today. Peel Ports have traditionally run regular rubbish clearance operations using the Medway Otter but this elderly vessel has had operational difficulties of late. The debris includes numerous large logs, several gas cylinders and floating rubbish of all kinds. Motor boaters, deterred from using the river for fear of damage to hull and propellers, have been deserting the non-tidal marinas because of the danger of passing this stretch of the river. A major rowing event was cancelled too.

2 thoughts on “Peel Ports to clear debris from river today”

  1. Having recently undertaken a weekend trip up to Maidstone from RCC to sample the refurbished moorings in Maidstone town centre, the amount of debris around Aylesford Priory was obvious. The normal mix of small branches/reeds and man made detritus was there but this does not present much of problem to the careful boater.
    Far more of a problem is the number of sawn logs floating around, much like icebergs,. these substantial solid lumps are mostly under water with only a small area above the surface and therefore hard to spot.
    When they hit your boat you know all about it,
    Curious to know just how this particular stuff got it the water and where it came from ?
    RCC are back to Allington in mid November, will see if things have improved.

  2. The ubiquitous sawn logs have always been a puzzle. There doesn’t seem to be an obvious source for them along the banks of the tidal Medway. At MRUA meetings (at Allington Lock) I have been assured that they could not have come from upstream, but I wonder…

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