Medway and Swale Boating Association
The voice of boating on the tidal Medway and Swale
With the rocketing price of diesel this was bound to happen! Several boats at Strood Pelican Cruising Club, near Rochester Bridge, have reported that fuel has been siphoned from their tanks. Please check your tanks and report to the police if you believe a theft has occurred. Also please inform info@msba.org.uk so we can share the information with other boaters.
A dinghy belonging to William Bourne disappeared from a Medway Cruising Club mooring (STA16) just downstream from PHB 26 some time between 2030 on the evening of Saturday 19 June and 1430 on the afternoon of Sunday 20 June. It may have come adrift on its own but it may have been stolen. It is a GRP white dinghy with a dark rubber rubbing strake. It is marked “Tender to Marlin” and has Medway Ports 2021 sticker on it. Inside it has William’s mobile phone number stencilled in it and a reward is being offered for the dinghy’s recovery.
UPDATE: the dinghy has been found. It was not stolen.
A dinghy was stolen from Upnor Sailing Club dinghy compound some time on Wednesday 31 March after 4.30pm. The police have been notified. It is scruffy, dark blue with a grey interior and marked NOC on the transom. The oars are marked NOCTURNE 34008.
If you see the dinghy or have any information, please contact info@msba.org.uk.
This is a sample of one of the new signs designed in partnership with the Personal Watercraft Partnership (PWP) and local authorities. The signs will be set up at known launching sites for jet skis (PWCs). Most PWC users are responsible boaters but an irresponsible minority spoil it for everyone else and will be liable to prosecution. Peel Ports will increase the number of patrols using a harbour launch or RIB, including holidays, weekends, and during heatwaves. The patrol personnel will be equipped with body cams.
This chart shows the zones where there are speed limits, yellow for 6 knots and red for 8 knots. The purple zone from Cuxton to Wouldham is where members of the Kent Boat and Ski club have exclusive permission to water ski.
Peel Ports have issued the following statement: “On the 26th of April 2020 a water craft collided with another vessel causing it to sink and causing serious injury to one of the occupants. Police attended the scene and the defendant was breathalysed and found to have a levels of alcohol in his system exceeding the amount permissible for driving a vehicle on the road, resulting in his arrest. The injured party maintained that the defendant had been performing ‘doughnut’ turns around her vessel but had lost control of his vessel causing it to collide with hers.
“The Port of Sheerness Ltd brought prosecution proceedings against the defendant pursuant to the Port Byelaws alleging that the defendant had failed to navigate his vessel with the requisite level of care and that he had been in charge of his vessel whilst unfit by reason of drink, contrary to byelaws 22 and 33 respectively. The defendant was summoned to appear before magistrates sitting at Medway on the 10th of December 2020. At this hearing the defendant pleaded guilty to both allegations and was ordered to pay fines, compensation and costs totalling £3,950.”
UPDATE: The “water craft” referred to in the Peel Ports Notice was a small motor cruiser, not a PWC (jet ski). The other vessel was a dinghy.
Welders at the Dockyard called these low, stable working platforms “soggy logs”. John Sutton, owner of the Russian submarine, lost his when it was “borrowed.” He says, “it was about 15ft x 6ft with low freeboard so ideal for working from, 4ft thick so very stable.” He asks if anyone has seen it or can offer him something similar. It doesn’t have to be quite as big as the one in the photo. Please let us know at info@msba.org.uk and we’ll pass on the message.
This little red boat called Glug Glug was deliberately cast adrift in the early hours of 24 August. It was attached to the fence outside Medway Cruising Club at Gillingham Strand. It probably drifted down the river and may be beached somewhere. If you have any information please contact info@msba.org.uk and we will pass it on to the owner.
UPDATE 26.8.2020: We understand from our friends at Queenborough Harbour that the boat was recovered from Darnet Ness yesterday and is now with Kent Police at Sheerness.
Dave Metcalfe of Lower Halstow YC informs us that Kent Police now have a new RIB called “Invicta”, based at Sheerness. It’s a 10 metre Parker Baltic Cruiser with twin 350hp outboards, which should enable them to catch some nuisance jet skiers. It even has a cabin. Here’s a video of one they prepared earlier…
Following the recent spate of incidents of irresponsible and illegal behaviour by users of PWCs, Tim Bell has sent us this video of two lads crashing onto a beach at Minster after losing control of their jet ski. The Medway Ports by-laws have strict limits on speed and where personal watercraft can be used on the Medway and Swale. Video by Denis Gordo.
Rachel Marshall, Ports Engagement Officer in the Frontier Engagement Team, advises that the Kent Police website has been revamped with some new facilities. The address is www.kent.police.uk and the home page has new options including report and Tell us about.
You can report crime, antisocial behaviour, stolen vehicles etc. If you click on the report tab, perhaps to report a crime, another box will come up fr you to live chat with someone in our Force Control Room. So this also gives another way of reporting without having to phone and you will get a human response.
On the Tell us about tab you can let us know about possible terrorist activity and there is information and a guide to assist people reporting.
The tabs are easy to follow and give different options depending on what you want to report but I thought it is worth telling you in case there is something you are concerned about.
On the home page if you type in campaigns it will show all the campaigns that are running and one of those is our “Don’t ignore it, share it” campaign. There you will find updated information and also our short film clips.