More walk-ashore moorings being sought
A number of key changes to Yarmouth Harbour on the Isle of Wight are on the horizon.
Yarmouth Harbour Commissioners seek to
‘optimise the water space within the harbour’ and ‘rationalise the current berthing
arrangement’ to create more walk-ashore pontoon berthing for both residents and visitors.
The
proposals are separate to the scheme for the South West Corner which will
provide dedicated facilities for the fishing fleet.
The
proposals specifically address:
Moorings
The
optimisation of the water space allows the introduction of a greater number of
walk ashore berths and a consequent reduction in pile and harbour moorings.
The layout
will not increase the overall berth numbers and the aspiration is to maintain
visitor and resident berths at current levels – nominal capacity 300 berths
with an approximate 50/50 split of resident and visitor berths.
Pontoons
To maintain
the visual character of the Harbour, all pontoon equipment will be of a similar
form to that currently present. There will be an increased provision of water
and electrical services to berths
Fuel
Berth
The
reconfiguration offers an ideal opportunity to address navigational concerns as
well as improving the infrastructure of the facility. The relocated fuel berth provides an increased number
of dispensing points and concentrates the associated vessel movements
immediately adjacent to the navigation channel.
Main
Navigation Channel
The project
will address the alignment of the channel through the Harbour and on to the
River Yar. The reconfiguration opens up the area to the north of the Inner
Harbour and creates clearer water space through which vessels can navigate,
also improving the lines of sight for skippers in the area.
RNLI
Berth
The
proposals seek to realign the RNLI berth to reduce the area of water required
for the lifeboat’s navigation, and to offer a better orientation for the RNLI
vessel to leave and return to the berth and generally makes better use of the
available water space.
Slipways
The
proposals will considerably reduce the requirement for tenders to access the
harbour moorings as the vast majority of Inner Harbour berths will be walk
ashore. This therefore negates the need to maintain the slipway located to the
west of the Harbour Office. The two Public slipways within Yarmouth Harbour
will remain and continue to operate unhindered by the proposals.
www.yarmouth-harbour.co.uk
