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MRUA Page 5 Medway & Thames link
Selected Notices to Mariners on this page are reproduced by kind permission of the Port of London Authority. The MRUA can accept no responsibility for errors or ommisions contained therin. Further information can be obtained by contacting PLA. via www.portoflondon.co.uk
Notices to Mariners are now available from the Port of London website. Click the link below to view them.
http://www.portoflondon.co.uk/notice2mariners/index.cfm/site/navigation
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Notice to Mariners No.3 of 2007
RIVER
JENNINGTREE
POINT SHOAL
RELOCATION OF
JENNINGTREE BUOY
On or about the date of publication of this Notice to Mariners
Jenningtree Buoy will be moved to a new location marking Jenningtree Shoal as
follows:-
New
Position 51º
30´.247N 00º 10´.241E
The position is given in WGS
84
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Notice to Mariners No. U5 of 2007
Structural
Surveys
On about 5 March 2007, for a period of about 15 weeks,
structural surveys will be carried out on Cannon Street, Hungerford, Battersea
and Barnes Railway Bridges from a barge moored alongside either a pier or
abutment. Arches in which the barge
is operating will be closed to navigation.
Arches closed to navigation will be marked in accordance with
the
·
By day, three red discs 0.6 metres in diameter at the points of an
equilateral triangle with the apex downwards and the base horizontal.
·
By night, three
red lights in similar positions to the discs displayed by day.
The construction barge will display the lights and shapes as
prescribed in Rule 27 of the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions
at Sea 1972 namely:
·
By day, three black shapes in a vertical line the highest and lowest of
which are balls and the middle one a diamond.
·
By night, three
all round lights in a vertical line the highest and lowest of which are red and
the middle one white.
A safety boat will be in attendance maintaining a continuous
VHF watch on VHF Channel 14.
Further details will be broadcast by London
Persons in charge of vessels are to navigate with extra
caution and are to ease down when passing the works.
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Notice to Mariners No.U14 of 2006
11th September 2006
Mortlake
and Syon Reach
Navigation
in the vicinity of Kew Road Bridge and Pier
At times there can be considerable
activity in the restricted waters around the
The visibility on the bend in the
vicinity of
Power driven vessels are reminded
to sound one prolonged blast when approaching the bridge from either direction
(International Regulations – Rule 34a) and when leaving Kew Pier (
All craft are to keep a particularly good look out and navigate with
extreme caution in the area.
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Notice to Mariners No. U11 of 2006
Reduced
Depths
The
Water depths in the upper reaches of the tidal river
are dependent on the flow of fresh water coming downstream. River
users can expect depths to be significantly reduced from those charted, as a
result of the lower water flows.
In order to conserve water and maintain water levels
upstream of the lock, river users may be required to wait longer to use the lock
in order to keep the number of cycles to a minimum and to get as many boats as
possible into each lock cycle. Small
craft able to use the boat slide on the Middlesex shore are encouraged to make
use of that facility.
See:
Tide Tables and Port Information 2006 - Page 30
Permanent Notice to Mariners 2005 - P 28
River users
should navigate with care, particularly at times of Low Water and listen to the
routine traffic broadcasts from London
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RIVER
Mariners and berth operators are reminded
that certain VHF channels are used for berthing and tug operations in the
The following VHF channels are commonly used for tug operations on the
Tilbury
Docks 15 River - 17 in the dock
River
Berths
8, 13 and 72
NHCT
77
Vessels wishing to talk inter-ship or use an
on-board VHF communication system should, when in the
Masters of vessels are reminded that
inter-ship navigational messages should be passed on the port operations channel
appropriate to the location of those vessels. In
this way other traffic and the relevant
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Notice to Mariners No. 14 of 2006
RIVER
SPEED LIMITS
Masters of all vessels are reminded that an eight knot
speed limit applies in certain parts of the River Thames, specifically, upstream
of
Byelaw 48 of the
Speed Limits
48 (1)
The master of a power driven vessel navigating in a part of the Thames to
which this byelaw applies shall not cause or permit the vessel to exceed a speed
of eight knots through, on or over the water:
Provided that
this byelaw shall not apply-
(a)
where the vessel is being used for a fire brigade, rescue,
ambulance, law enforcement or police purpose or for a purpose of the Port
Authority’s harbour service, if the observance of the byelaw would be likely
to hinder the use of the vessel for the purpose for which it is being used on
that occasion or
(b) where-
(i)
the vessel (having for the purpose of this byelaw been approved by
a harbour master as one of which may exceed a speed of eight knots through the
water) is engaged in escorting a rowing boat in training;
or
(ii) the vessel is engaged in escorting a boat race or regatta; or
© where the
vessel is being used in connection with an activity mentioned in byelaw 51 (1)
below [Water-skiing, etc] when taking place in an area authorised by the Port
Authority under sub-paragraph (b) thereof.
(2) The parts of
the
(a) the
(b) Deptford Creek
(c) the River Lee or Bow Creek
(d) Barking Creek
(e) Dartford Creek
(f) the creeks to the north and west of Canvey Island and of the island known as Leigh Marsh or Two Tree Island, that is to say –
(i) Holehaven, Vange and Pitsea creeks north of line drawn from Holehaven Point on a bearing 270º reckoned clockwise from the true north point of the compass; and
(ii) Leigh Creek, Hadleigh ray, Benfleet and Easthaven Creeks west of a line drawn from Canvey Point on a bearing 000º reckoned as aforesaid to the Leigh-on-Sea shore and
(g) Yantlet Creek
Masters’ attention is also drawn to Notice to Mariners No 12 of 2006 which refers to vessels’ speed and potential wash damage to berthed vessels and installations and to Rule 6 of the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, which requires that ‘Every vessel shall at all times proceed at a safe speed………’
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Notice to Mariners No. 7 of 2006.
3rd April 2006
SAFETY ADVICE FOR THE
USERS OF RIBS
There have been a number of serious, and in some instances,
fatal accidents in UK waters in the last year involving RIBs and other
high-speed craft. The Marine
Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has investigated these incidents and made a
number of recommendations in its subsequent reports.
The Port of London Authority (
The
In particular, operators and those in charge of such craft
should, when underway:
Ø
Be competent in
and aware of the handling (and limitations) of the craft at differing speeds;
Ø
Ensure the
keeping of a proper lookout;
Ø
Be aware of other
river users, including the effects of their own wash;
Ø
Ensure the proper
use of appropriate personal safety and protective equipment;
Ø
Use an effective
‘kill cord’;
Ø
Ensure they have
a suitable means of communication on board;
Ø
Understand and be
familiar with the action to take in emergency situations, including: distress
signals and emergency communications, man overboard, fire fighting, disabled
craft and towing and being towed.
The
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BATTERSEA REACH
ST MARGARET'S REACH
River
Bed Obstructions
The surveys referred to
below have been extended and will continue throughout 2006 and 2007.
Commencing
on or about 11th April 2005,
ecological surveys will be carried out in the above locations.
Equipment will be laid on the river bed in the areas marked
on the attached Chartlets, which will
reduce depths by up to one metre within the defined areas.
The obstructions will be in place for several days in each month during
neap tides. A small fishing vessel will carry out the deployment and recovery of
the equipment on each occasion.
All craft are to
navigate with caution in the vicinity of the charted obstructions and so far as
possible, keep clear of the marked areas.
Notice
to Mariners U5 of 2005 is hereby cancelled.
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Syon Reach & Mortlake Reach.
Seven
On or about 15th February 2006, seven,
small red plastic can buoys (port lateral marks) will be laid to mark the
southern (Surrey) edge of the navigation channel, (in a charted depth of about
1.0 metres) in the following positions:
These buoys are to be laid in addition to
the two port buoys already laid in Barn Elms Reach as a trial following the
Salvage Association Risk Assessment of Rowing in the Upper Reaches of the Tidal
Thames. The aim of the buoys is to
improve the separation between rowing craft using the inshore area on the Surrey
bank from craft in the main navigation channel.
Instructions
to Rowers
Port of
When proceeding against the tidal stream
(either flood or ebb) on the Surrey bank rowers are to remain as close to the
bank as is safe and practical and are to pass between the buoys and the Surrey
bank. If rowing boats stray out into
the navigation channel, the buoys are an indication of the need to move back
inshore as soon as possible.
When proceeding with the tidal stream, the
buoys are an indication of the starboard (
When
rowing on the ebb tide – leave the buoys as close to starboard as is safe and
practicable.
When
rowing on the flood tide – rowing boat should be on the starboard side of the
channel therefore leaving the buoys well to port.
Further to this the buoy opposite the
University of London Boathouse is also to be used to mark the furthest upstream
point at which boats from the University Boat Club can enter the inshore zone
when, on the ebb, crossing from the Middlesex to the Surrey side of the river
and vice versa on the flood.
Comments
After a trial period of four months, views
will be sought on the degree of success of the buoys, and on whether the inshore
area is of sufficient size.
The Rowing Risk Assessment Implementation
Group would be most grateful to hear the views of the rowing community and other
river users as to the effectiveness of the buoys.
Comments on the trial are requested by 15
May 06 and should be sent to:
The River Projects Officer
EC3R 6LB
020 7743 7996 (Fax)
alex.brown@pola.co.uk
or
The Safety Advisor
Wandsworth
SW18 3RJ
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Notice to Mariners No. L11 of 2005
THAMES
ESTUARY
WATER
DEPTHS OUTSIDE MARKED NAVIGATION CHANNELS AND ANCHORAGES
The sea
bed of the Thames Estuary is known to be an area where water depths can vary
considerably due to the mobility of sand banks.
In view of this the Port of London Authority undertakes frequent periodic
surveys of depths in the recognised buoyed channels and anchorages as described
in the PLA Tide Tables and Port Information, and General Directions for
Navigation in the Port of London.
Outside the above channels and anchorages, main surveys are carried out less frequently. Mariners are therefore reminded that when navigating outside buoyed channels and designated anchorages they should do so with appropriate caution and not rely on minimum under keel clearances
.
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