LARGE BOAT AGROUND AT RYDE SPARKS INTERESTS OF COASTGUARD

A large orange vessel that is hard aground on Ryde Sands has caught the attention of HM Coastguard this morning (Saturday).

Island Echo understands that the 19m RIB-like vessel – which was recently sold after being used to rescue workers from oil platforms in the North Sea – ran aground to the north of Ryde Harbour yesterday evening.

A small tug boat that tried to assist in pulling the vessel clear also became stuck on the sands, although it has since successfully returned to Ryde Harbour.

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It’s thought that the orange boat was anchored to the north of Ryde Harbour overnight but has slipped its mooring as a result of the strong winds experienced on the Solent. It is now high and dry on Ryde Beach just 100m or so off the harbour wall.

Coastguard Officers from Bembridge have inspected the vessel for any signs of pollution or other danger and are liaising with Solent Coastguard about the next steps. It is thought the vessel will remain in-situ until high tide.

UPDATE @ 11:30 – Island Echo is told that the vessel does not have any working engines and is being towed from location to location.

The vessel’s owner has been refused a berth at Ryde Harbour.

UPDATE – A statement issued to Island Echo by Blue Seas protection reads:

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“We asked permission from Ryde Harbourmaster to berth the boat in Ryde Harbour as our other boat is already berthed there. Ryde HM said it would not fit. The IOW Council Head of Neighbourhoods (and boss of Ryde Harbourmaster) Mr Sean Newton said that he “saw no reason why the boat could not be berthed in the harbour as it would quite obviously fit”. We spoke to the Police and the QHM at Portsmouth to clarify why we anchored at the pier while we awaited an answer.

“While we were waiting for the Council to sort themselves out and get one department to speak to another, we had Hurricane Hanna on the way and needed to make safe the boat so that it would not cause any incident during said storm so we asked for permission from Ryde HM to temporarily moor the boat until the storm blew over, to which he had to agree to, due to Marine Laws of the Sea under “Port of Refuge”. However, when we came to bring the boat into Ryde Harbour the HM had moored another vessel at the end of the pontoon which he had told us to moor to.  Due to the high winds we had no choice but to take it to anchor on the sands and make safe there.

“The vessel is safely at anchor and we will move it when we have a suitable berth.

“At no time were we moved on by police or ‘a danger to shipping’.  We have over 40 years of seamanship and experience”.