Maritime News

New Invasive Non-Native Species Found On UK Boats

A non-native invasive worm species has been found on two boats in the Isle of Man and Whitehaven in Cumbria in early October.  An unusual growth was noticed on the hulls and propellers which prompted an investigation by the Isle of Man’s Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture.  Their analysis confirmed the species to be the Australian or trumpet tubeworm (Ficopomatus enigmaticus); a fast-growing colonising tubeworm that forms thin, white, calcareous tubes up to 8 cm in length and 0.1-0.2 cm in diameter.

Invasive non-native species can become a problem in any environment on land or sea. They can displace native flora and fauna and can cause bio-fouling challenges for boat owners.  The Check – Clean – Dry campaign is being promoted by the government and recreational water users are being urged to try and STOP THE SPREAD.  If you lift your boat this winter and notice an unusual organism on the hull that you didn’t notice last year, seek local advice and report it to the GB Non-Native Species Secretariat.

E-scooters Banned on Canal Towpaths

The Canal & Rivers Trust issued a Position Statement on e-scooters in early November.  Noting that towpaths are now used in a hugely different way from how they were envisaged; having been designed for a horse to pull a boat with cargo.  They are now a vital part of the modern transport system and play a major role helping everyone to be happier and healthier.  The C&RT estimate that the canal network hosts 9 million visitors every fortnight.

The use of e-scooters on canal towpaths has risen in line with their continued illegal use on public roads, pavements and parks.  E-scooters are prohibited under the Trust's General Canal Bye-Laws in the same way as any vehicles are prohibited which have not been given prior permission to use towpaths.  Whilst there are no speed limits on towpaths, the C&RT asks that everyone uses common sense.  Bicycles and vehicles that are designed for, and used as, mobility aids are still permitted to use the towpaths sensibly.

Links to both of these stories are in Further Reading.

Boat Chat Focus - The Minimum Boat

Boat Chat was inspired this week to read of the start of the Globe 5.80 Transat on November 25^th.  This is a solo 3,500 mile transatlantic race made in 5.8m home made plywood yachts.  Race start is in Lanzarote and the finish line is in Antigua in the Caribbean; most of the entrants are expected to finish by Christmas.  The five entrants currently showing on the race website are from the UK, USA and the Netherlands, they have all logged thousands of sea miles and solo sailing experience.

These boats are built to be super strong and every item on board has been carefully chosen to be suitable for demanding use.  A transatlantic passage would be a big undertaking for a vessel two or three times this size.  There is a mandated kit list for the racers which is pretty extensive but there is no flab, unnecessary weight or any kit carried which is not useful – they are in every way a ‘Minimum Boat’.

The term ‘Minimum Boat’ may chime with some of you if you are a fan of Sam Llewellyn’s writings.  In 2010 he published his book of the same name; a ‘collection of tongue-in-cheek diatribes on subjects as diverse as anchoring, fishing, alcohol and marine sanitation’.  It is a hilarious and thought-provoking read for anyone wishing to trim the ‘flab’ from their sailing and to realign their seafaring priorities.  Or perhaps instead to revel in the comfort, warmth and space of their boat, eschewing the discomforts of the minimum sailors.  Here is a flavour of The Minimum Boat:

‘Electric cabin lights are a waste of time and most unhomely.  Electronic charts are for gadget freaks, radar is for masochists and hot water comes from kettles, not calorifiers’.

‘On the minimum boat, once you are wet you stay wet.  So the minimum boater wears Henri Lloyd Offshore Breathables or something similar.  They have got so many pockets you will still be finding packets of fags three years after you gave up smoking, and they cost as much as a house.  But they are as dry as most houses and drier than mine, which was built in the Middle Ages and has holes in the roof.  Minimum boat, maximum oilskins.’

Last week saw the publication of the UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIIB) Accident Investigation Report 7/2023 into the flooding and partial sinking of an inflatable migrant boat in the English Channel in November 2021.  At least 27 people lost their lives when they entered the sea whilst attempting to travel to the UK. Only two of the boat’s occupants survived and at least four people remain missing.

It was reported that the boat was loaded with 33 people, carried two fuel containers, two manually operated air pumps and a small handheld GPS device. The boat was not reported to be equipped with any navigation lights.  Some passengers were reported to be wearing lifejackets but the level of support they would have afforded to a person in the water was not known. 

This was the most minimum of Minimum Boats.

The boat began to take on water during the crossing to the UK, the cause is not fully known, but the tubes started losing pressure and possibly coming away from the vessel’s floor.  Although the people on board attempted to bail the water out there came a point when the water ingress was uncontrollable.  With the buoyancy and freeboard both decreasing the boat was swamped.  The people on board could not avoid entering the water; most of them to their deaths.

As a sailor it would fill me with utter dread to attempt crossing the busiest shipping lane in the world at night in late November in such an overcrowded, poorly built and ill-equipped vessel.

May those lost at sea Rest in Peace.

What should we consider to be the minimum acceptable safety equipment for the Minimum Boat?  The Globe 5.80 Transat racers must carry pyrotechnic flares (probably of more use at the finish line than mid-atlantic?) as well as an EPIRB, PLB, VHF, GPS, AIS and a signalling mirror.  The kit list would give them multiple options to raise the alarm and signal their distress.  Not exactly in the spirit of the Minimum Boat, but probably A Good Thing.

During any marine survey it is worth noting the range of safety equipment on board, its serviceability and readiness for use.  A Category A sailing yacht with no EPIRB really shouldn’t consider itself fit for ocean passage any more than a solo yachtsman without a PLB on their person.

The safety equipment should compliment the vessel in the same way that one’s personal clothing should match the weather and passage plan. It is always worth taking a moment to consider the context of the vessel and how the Client intends to use it (their declared purposes). A weekend Solent racer will have different needs to a high latitude short handed cruiser and the surveyor’s recommendations should reflect this.

🎄Christmas Is Coming 🎄

Find Inspiration For Presents

The clocks have been wound back an hour and there are less than 40 shopping days until Christmas, it is definitely time to start thinking about stocking fillers for the boat owner or marine surveyor in your life or as a treat for yourself.

If you fancy reading Sam Llewelleyn’s excellent book, Boat Chat has created a reading list called ‘Books About The Funny Side Of Sailing’ on Kit.Co which are all personal recommendations.

From books about sailing to safety equipment for boats and the tools and books a marine surveyor needs; there really is something for everyone!

Boaty Terminology

Bareboat Charter – A vessel offered for charter with the Owner providing no crew or provisions.  These often qualify for Minimum Boat status due to the lack of decent cafetières and proper fish knives.

Links To Further Reading

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