Greetings,

The attached message just in from WI

Best Wishes,

Colin Becker
GMY Chang Sha
================begins=============
MARINE NOTICE No 65 of 2012
ALL NAVIGATIONS
Safe Havens

It has been brought to the attention of Waterways Ireland that on occasion
masters of vessels new to inland waterways navigation have been prevailed
upon by other masters not to berth outboard of their vessels in harbours
when all the alongside berths were occupied leading to masters departing the
harbour in failing light and deteriorating weather to seek shelter in
another harbour.

All masters are reminded of their duty to facilitate other vessels where
berthage is limited by rafting up , assisting others with mooring lines,
putting out extra fendering, ensuring safe access to the quay wall so that
that all can avail of a safe haven.

C.J.Lawn
Lt Cdr (rtd)
Inspector of Navigation
25 Jun 2012
Tel: 353 90 6494232
Fax: 353 90 6494147
================ends==============

Great to see this stated formally - for the first time?

WI should display this notice in their harbours.

Maybe I'll print it and keep on the boat....

John

Hi Folks,

A couple of things about that notice. It says:

It has been brought to the attention of Waterways Ireland that on occasion
masters of vessels new to inland waterways navigation have been prevailed
upon by other masters not to berth outboard of their vessels in harbours
when all the alongside berths were occupied leading to masters departing the
harbour in failing light and deteriorating weather to seek shelter in
another harbour.

The suggestion is that NEW Masters are asking other users to go away. This is not necessarily the case. Lets call it for what it is. Some of the nice shiny boats, many of whom proudly display their current IWAI membership sticker, actively discourage anyone from tying up outside them. They do this by tying up their own rib, tender, canoe etc amidships thus sending a message to craft entering the harbour to stay away.

Sometimes they will say things like "we will be leaving soon", or "we are waiting for our friends boat" or "we plan on leaving at 5.30am" etc.

This official notice also appears to make it OK now to raft up outside other vessels in places like say, Shannon Harbour, Richmond Harbour and other hard edged moorings on the canals system.

Or are WI displaying symptoms of schizophrenia?

Maybe I will tie up outside "Asieri" in Clondra and see what happens. I'll let you know how I get on.

Regards

Kieran (Kearns)

I think Kieran you have misread the Notice as it clearly says the opposite - i.e. established owners are turning away inexperienced skippers who must thereby leave the harbour in failing conditions and seek "shelter" somewhere else.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 25/06/2012 14:20 by Paul J.

Hi Paul,

Thats what happens when I read on an empty stomach. After having read your contribution a couple of times and then re-read the actual notice 3 or 4 times, I concede that you are right.

Your reference to the words "Established Owners" or "Inexperienced Skippers" helped me arrive at my revised interpretation.

Am I also misinterpreting the bit about now being able to raft up in Waterways Harbours, including those on the canals?
Regards

Kieran

Quote:

Kieran Kearns
Am I also misinterpreting the bit about now being able to raft up in Waterways Harbours, including those on the canals?

The boats you refer to are most likely unused for extended periods? The saying - "If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" would seem apt...

Paul said:

The boats you refer to are most likely unused for extended periods? The saying - "If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" would seem apt...

Whaaaaa?

Paul, Lets keep it simple!

If the harbour is filled with visiting boats when I arrive and I raft up outboard of one of them, is the nice man from Waterways Ireland going to have a coniption fit, wave the rule book at me, tell me I'm breaking the law and then take out his pencil and record my boat name in his notebook with a view to some impending doom to take place and if so, how does sit with the content of Marine Notice No. 65 of 2012 above?

Regards

Kieran

Kieran. The Notice seems perfectly straightforward to me.
It states that boats arriving in a Hbr *must* be facilitated by boats already present.

What part of the Notice do you find unclear?

All the best,
John

Hi John,

The Marine Notice, reprinted in full below, was issued by WI earlier this year. The second sentence of the second paragraph reads: Vessels should only moor directly onto quay walls and not double and triple berth
[i][/i]



MARINE NOTICE 19/2012

RICHMOND HARBOUR - 5 DAY RULE

Waterways Ireland wishes to remind all Masters and users of the Royal Canal that it is intended to enforce SI No. 24/1988: Canals Act, 1986 Bye Law (25, 1 (d)) on all hard edged moorings in the harbour area with effect from 17th March 2012.

This enforcement will facilitate the movement of visiting vessels. Vessels should only moor directly onto quay walls and not double and triple berth. Alternative berthing is available either on the River Shannon or further East on the Royal Canal.

Vessels in contravention of this bye-law will be moved out of the harbour. Non permitted vessels will also be moved.

Owners and Masters of vessels are requested to assist in this enforcement in order to open the area to more vessels and facilitate the proper use of the harbour.

Charles Lawn
Lt Cdr (rtd)
Inspector of Navigation
5 March 2012
Tel:


Regards

Kieran

Hi Kieran,
I see what you mean.

I suppose though that the idea of a safe refuge is less applicable on the canal system where you are only a few feet from land?

The picture painted in MN #65 is of a hapless novice cruiser turned away from (say) Mountshannon with night falling and the wind rising to a shriek... :-)

Not having to move a hundred metres down the canal? :-) :-)

Agree that there is the possibility of confusion though.

But mainly glad that the position re harbours on the lakes is now clear...

John

Quote:

Kieran Kearns
Hi John,
The Marine Notice, reprinted in full below, was issued by WI earlier this year. The second sentence of the second paragraph reads: Vessels should only moor directly onto quay walls and not double and triple berth
[i][/i]



MARINE NOTICE 19/2012

RICHMOND HARBOUR - 5 DAY RULE

Waterways Ireland wishes to remind all Masters and users of the Royal Canal that it is intended to enforce SI No. 24/1988: Canals Act, 1986 Bye Law (25, 1 (d)) on all hard edged moorings in the harbour area with effect from 17th March 2012.

This enforcement will facilitate the movement of visiting vessels. Vessels should only moor directly onto quay walls and not double and triple berth. Alternative berthing is available either on the River Shannon or further East on the Royal Canal.

Vessels in contravention of this bye-law will be moved out of the harbour. Non permitted vessels will also be moved.

Owners and Masters of vessels are requested to assist in this enforcement in order to open the area to more vessels and facilitate the proper use of the harbour.

Charles Lawn
Lt Cdr (rtd)
Inspector of Navigation
5 March 2012
Tel:


Regards

Kieran

The picture painted is of the hire boat cruiser/new shy boater whom has just made the bridge in portumna or the lock wherever,in my opinion all boaters should use the same welcome/manners as they would like to receive themselves.
Not once and I mean ever have we been turned away but I should mention we have also moved outside to accommodate barges,this I think stems from being a member and participating in cic's rallies etc..,
Which of course means you understand things and are out boating

yeahhhh, that blows the proposed plan for the new byelaws, and at last real sense has prevailed. Looking forward to tying up to a nice new shiny glass boat with me washed tyres, only joking, but at least now we have official approval to do so, and can advise those that refuse that they cannot. As a barge owner we almost always find ourselves with visitors outside us and it is a brilliant experience meeting new people. Anyway, the harbours at the moment are not too full and I don't see too many of the gin palaces around this year. Lots of older small boats though.
Anyway, great news..

Les 41M

Quote:

Les Saunders
yeahhhh, that blows the proposed plan for the new byelaws, and at last real sense has prevailed. Looking forward to tying up to a nice new shiny glass boat with me washed tyres, only joking, but at least now we have official approval to do so, and can advise those that refuse that they cannot. As a barge owner we almost always find ourselves with visitors outside us and it is a brilliant experience meeting new people. Anyway, the harbours at the moment are not too full and I don't see too many of the gin palaces around this year. Lots of older small boats though.
Anyway, great news..

Les 41M

Hi Les,
Not too sure about the quiet harbours,
Last weekend I was in Terryglass we were on the inside of two boats and the previous weekend we were on the outside of another boat.
WRT your nice shiny washed tyres, can I commision 41M to come alongs side me during the Rally and use the nice clean rubber to "rub-off" the newly aquired rusty streaks I will have aquired the previous week on the Estuary.....!

PS: Would generally agree with guideline presented in MN#65/12. I think general practice for most regular users anyhow but nevertheless good to have it stated.
PPS: I have never been refused a berth outside of another boat, I think Mags standing on the bow, rope in hand does the "can you help me please" look very well.......
PPPS: Mags if you reading this, its was meant as a compliment!!!

I'm glad this notice went out as there is nothing nicer than to arrive in a busy harbour and someone waving you over to moor alongside, helping with ropes etc.

I would have also added an encouragement to people in moored boats to offer to take ropes from incoming boats even when there is plenty of space. I have noticed boats struggling to moor in wind or heavy flows and those nearby avoiding eye contact while others dash from across the harbour to offer assistance.

Perhaps they think it would be offensive to offer to take a rope! I won't be offended if someone offers help.

It is a pity that this notice will not get to all masters.

Oh..... why all the references to "shiny" boats on this thread and others. Is it uncool to polish and look after a boat. Just curious......don't want to be uncool.

This is great and a very welcome development. It gives us something to quote to the extremely small minority who can spoil a perfectly good days cruise with the words " Your not mooring that here". Instantly insulting and vexing no mater how nicely put.
So Kieran please do not try and find a negative in this very positive move. If you only look for the negative that's all you will ever find.
Best regards
John Connon Jnr
Rambler

Hi Dominic, shiny was just a bit if banter since some barges ( not me) have bitumen on their hulls which rubs off onto fenders and is the divil itself to remove. Hence the reluctance, quite rightly to tie alongside. Thankfully a good few of us have painted sides and these are fine to run a fender against. There had been a growing group of celtic tiger boaters who would refuse point blank to have anyone outside them, but again this group seem to have reduced in numbers over the last few years and the river appears to be moving back to the friendly place it had always been, with offers to help the norm.
Certainly I have always welcomed boats alongside, and will continue to do so, and many offer to move outside me from a place on the quayside. Actually, a barge is a nice thing to tie up to usually, since it is effectively a floating jetty, has easy and wide decks to cross, and provides a level of security being off the quay directly, and of course, bargees are usually friendly easygoing people (comes with the slow manouvering), so a welcome is usually there as well.

Hope to meet you on the river, look out for the 41M.

Les 41M

A very welcome reminder to those who would get in on the wall...regardless of their experience or otherwise. With rights, comes responsibility and duty......respect them.....!!!

I rather think that Kieran is looking at the apparent contradiction between the 2 cited Marine Notices, John. Asking questions is not necessisarily a negative passtime.

M(W&W)F

Good notice. Despite the "all navigations" heading it seems clear and common sense to me.. The safe haven notice is clearly targeted at "Shannon" and "Erne" boaters. You don't need a safe haven from weather on a canal, but you do on the Shannon and Erne loughs. The other notice seems targeted at canal users where rafting can cause an obstruction on the narrow channel or smaller canal moorings. The notice is a request/recommendation to "facilitate" but not enshrined in a bylaw, but it's a good request and hopefully it will help more folk "facilitate" rafting and help our fellow boaters.

Often the "safe haven" issue is a hire vessel or newbie coming into a busy Shannon harbour, circling for a bit looking for an along side spot, nervous or embarrassed they leave rather than being specifically rejected a raft (or covertly rejected due dinghy alongside moored cruiser), whereas the private boats already in the harbour might instead offer them help to raft alongside or inside. And yes les the barge owners have a great reputation for helping folk looking for "safe haven".

OceanFroggie

Its interesting that you interpret "All Navigations" as being clearly targeted at Shannon and Erne users, Noel.

Whilst I would agree that weather will seldom be an issue on the canals, safe access ashore will very often be across a poorly defined bank edge, where reeds or long grass can hide where the land actually begins. It is therefore somewhat surprising to me, that WI would advise masters to moor outside of a lit up harbour, on a possibly poorly defined bank, rather than moor alongside another boat, in a lit up harbour.

The matter of mooring alongside, is allowed for in the existing canals bye-laws, but given the depth of the canals generally, especially at the sides, there are few places where one can moor alongside and still leave room for 2 boats to pass and repass other than, in the likes of Richmond and Shannon Hbrs.

On the matter of mooring alongside, especially in Harbours on the Shannon and Erne navigation, those who would refuse permission or block access, are'nt worthy of comment.....(on this forum).....!!!

M(W&W)F



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 26/06/2012 14:42 by Mick Farrell.

Hi Mick, sorry no exactly the opposite, I did not interpret "all navigations" to mean the Shannon and Erne, rather the title was confusing as the notice was meant primarily for Shannon and Erne users (ie safe haven) as opposed to disembarkation safety issues like the one you raised.

OceanFroggie