It seems Salcombe harbourmaster, Ian Gibson, has declared war on speeding boaters, issuing over 70 written warnings and fines amounting to £1680 this year alone
Over the past five years Salcombe harbour
authority has tried to reduce speeding with an ‘educate first’ policy, however
a more hard line approach is now being adopted.
This year two people have been successfully
prosecuted. One case involved a 16ft Bonwitco, which rammed into the transom of
a volunteer patrol boat, causing £1000 of damage and injury to boat watch
co-coordinator Ian Drinkwater and volunteer Graham Smith.
The second was a persistent offender,
caught on numerous occasions over a five-year period. With radar speed-gun
evidence to back up the case, he was sent to court and pleaded guilty.
Gibson told MBM,”Speeding in a busy
harbour is both antisocial and dangerous. Excessive speed considerably
increases the risk of a serious accident, which could result in serious injury
or fatality. Our primary concern is the safety of everyone who uses Salcombe
Harbour.”
Recent surveys carried out, asking local
boaters whether speeding affected their enjoyment, have shown a steady decrease
over the last few years. In 2008 54% said speeding was a problem, with that
figure dropping to only 26% in 2011.
