Angry Ryde Harbour users have hit out at the Isle of Wight Council for not keeping the harbour in working order.
Currently, a build-up of silt is blocking part of the entrance and exit to the harbour, meaning some berth holders are unable to use their boats. According to the users, the council sent a digger and a dumper to remove some of the build-ups for 1 day but they believe that is not enough.
However, a spokesperson for the Isle of Wight Council said the build-up in Ryde Harbour happened ‘rapidly’ in late December and early January in a period where dredging cannot take place, due to conditions in its dredging licence. The council has said it cleared it at ‘the earliest opportunity’ over 5 days, when ‘a large amount of silt was moved’.
A spokesperson for the Isle of Wight Council has said:
“It is appreciated this only marginally reduced the build up.
“It is now planned machinery will be back to continue the dredging when a larger spring tide will allow the machinery longer to work on the other side of the channel.”
The council also said a navigational warning has been issued by the Queen’s Harbourmaster, Portsmouth ‘at the request of Ryde Harbour’ being sent by email to all berth holders and on display in the harbour office.
Alan Venters, who pays £1,000 to keep his boat in the harbour, said:
“We do worry about the build up — it restricts our time to get in and out of the harbour. Ordinarily, I can come out of here two hours before high water and get straight through, now it is harder and I only have an hour.
“We are paying money for our boats we cannot use.”
Other sailors have complained that there has been no communication between the council and those using the harbour, coupled with a lack of investment.
Stuart Hollister said:
“They are quite happy to take our money but not give us any information. There is no co-operation.
“Ryde Harbour is getting a bad name for itself and it is spreading — people won’t come in here.
“There does not seem to be any investment in the harbour even though it supposedly makes money —Ventnor Harbour costs money yet our profits pay for that.”
A lack of warning signs around the silt build-up has also caused concern among the sailors, with the entrance described as a ‘bottleneck’. One accident saw a lady go over the bow of her boat as it was coming in when it collided with the build-up. Another occasion saw a boat loose its rudder as it was trying to navigate out of the harbour.
Willie, a member of the Vectis Boating and Fishing Club, has said he saw 9 boats collide with sandbanks around the harbour entrance on 1 day in December.
Letters have been written to the harbourmaster explaining the issues but users have said that have either got no reply or what ‘little response’ they have received has been ‘ignorant’.
Nearly 18 inches of sand had now built up in the crust of the mud on the first jetty, so much so ‘you can walk on it’.
Willie said:
“The problem we have got all the time is with the incoming tide, it carries an ingress of sand predominantly two hours after low tide, on the flood, and it really is a sandstorm in the water.
“It deposits the sand around the harbour — the build up is not visible and it is unsafe.”
Ryde Town Council has been in the process of taking over ownership of the harbour from the Isle of Wight Council and is preparing a business case, which includes a dredging survey that will take place soon.
A spokesperson for the town council said:
“It is looking into alternative ways to deal with the build up of sand at the harbour entrance which has become a serious problem this winter.
“Should Ryde Town Council take over the harbour they would explore setting up a Harbour Liaison Group which would be made up of harbour users, stake holders and members of the Town Council.
“The town council views the harbour as an essential asset to the town, not only for harbour users, but for Ryde residents and visitors as well.
“The business case process is exploring and evaluating various options for improvements around the harbour.
“Obviously any improvements that have a bearing on health and safety for staff and harbour users will be a priority for the town council if the purchase is successful.”
Willie has been told by an assistant harbourmaster that dredging is to start on 8th March.
The council will take the money but wont spent for maintenance
Likely blocked by Mc D’s boxes, beer cans, and bags of dog dirt. Hardly the South of France filled with topless beauty’s, just women wrapped up in 5 layers of clothes bend over picking up what Fido has deposited.
Not worth cleaning until the Summer, just a dogs toilet, and chav’s Mc Don’s waste bin.
I visited last summer and said never again! Poor toilet & shower facilities and watched A boat run aground on its way out in the bouyed channel. IOW Borough Council hang your head in shame!