RNLI Innovations talk by Colin Brown, Strood YC, 14 Oct

The Kent & East Sussex Branch of the Inland Waterways Association
invite you to an open meeting on The RNLI.

Colin Brown is returning to give us the follow up to his excellent previous talk two years ago.

Thursday, 14 October 2021, 7.30 p.m. for 8.00 p.m.
at Strood Yacht Club, Knight Road, Strood, ME2 2AH.

All are welcome to attend whether IWA members or not, and we look forward to seeing you there.

In the event of any change in the Covid regulations necessitating the cancellation of the meeting, please check the IWAKES page on the IWA website before attending the meeting.

MBA Business Meeting, Tues 28 Sept, Zoom

Please ensure your club or organisation is represented at our business meeting on Tuesday at 7pm. If you haven’t received an email with the Zoom link and the agenda and minutes from our June meeting, please contact us on info@msba.org.uk

Include in our meeting will be a presentation on Medway’s bid for City of Culture 2025.

Monstrosity departs at last

This morning the huge, unprepossessing “accommodation barge” that has graced Rochester riverside for 8 years was towed away by GPS Marine to Upnor where it will be refitted. KentOnline reported that the vessel will be transformed into 400 “luxury” holiday apartments in Gibraltar by a mystery businessman.

Apparently, and not a lot of people know this, the barge is known as “Hillside” and was originally built for the Dutch navy. GPS has been maintaining the vessel since it arrived from Portsmouth where it was used by the Royal Navy for crews in the process of changing ships. It has three decks with air-conditioned rooms plus leisure and communal areas, including a bar, dance floor and had a cinema or lecture theatre.

Read more at KentOnline…

Active Thames Fund offers £5K grant for watersports development

Active Thames is a partnership programme to support the development of watersports on the tidal Thames and inland waterways in London, Kent and Essex.

The Active Thames Grant Fund, running from 20 September 2021-31 October 2022, is provided in response to findings from the recent Active Thames survey. We do not wish to be too prescriptive about sport, location or delivery, but the application should link to at least one of the objectives below:

  • Improve diversity of participation, particularly among under-represented groups including:
    • People with disabilities;
    • People with long term health conditions;
    • People from lower socio-economic groups;
    • Ethnically diverse communities.
  • Develop the workforce (coaches, volunteers and administrative support);
  • Provide new opportunities; perhaps funding the addition of a new sport, working with new audiences, or supporting a pilot programme.

Closing date for applications is 31 October 2021. For more information and how to apply, click here…

Peel Ports dealing with abandoned vessels

Whitstable Marine on behalf of Peel Ports lifted this sunken vessel yesterday at Rochester Pier. The wreck was moved to the Strood side of the river where it will be broken up and disposed of. If you have any information about the boat or its owner please contact adam.taylor@medway.gov.uk

Furthermore the obstruction near Sun Pier (at only 0.7m depth) has now been marked with an orange pellet buoy which says “wreck.”

We are pleased to see Peel Ports and Medway Council acting together to clear such abandoned boats which are an increasing nuisance on our river.

Mystery boat sunk on Rochester Pier

A vessel moored at Rochester Pier without permission, sank on Thursday 9th September.

We believe the boat was a liveaboard and would like to contact the owners.

If you have any information, please contact adam.taylor@medway.gov.uk

UPDATE 16.09.2021: The vessel was lifted yesterday by Peel Ports and moved across the river to the Strood side, where it will be broken up and disposed of.