THE PORT OF LONDON AUTHORITY MAGAZINE P ISSUE 10 P AUTUMN / WINTER 2010

News

Crippled CruiserPushed from Ship’s Path

Editor: Doug Kempster Design: Eureka Marketing Solutions 020 7801 1480 Photographers: Wayne McCabe Gavin Parsons Andy Wallace John Neligan Sam Ashfield Port of London Authority London River House Royal Pier Road Gravesend DA12 2BG, UK Enquiries: [email protected] Telephone: 01474 562 305 For more information on the Port of London Authority, go to: www.pla.co.uk

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A port authority crew shoved a crippled leisure cruiser clear of an oncoming ferry during a dramatic river rescue. Martin Pattison and Jason Durkin were on routine patrol aboard the harbour service launch Gunfleet when they received an alert from Port Control. A 24 metre vessel had lost power while travelling between Gravesend and central London. Gunfleet found the cruiser, reputed to be worth £1.2 million, drifting downstream of the QEII Bridge at Dartford – directly in the path of a ship. Martin said: “The boat was dead in the water, lying in the way of an oncoming ferry. “There wasn’t time to get lines to the cruiser’s crew and tow it clear, so I asked the ferry to stay as far to the south side of the river as possible while we pushed the casualty towards the north.” Once the ferry had passed, Gunfleet took the

cruiser and its four passengers in tow to the PLA’s Denton Jetty, six miles downriver, for repairs. The incident was one of two in May involving Martin, Jason, and the Gunfleet. The crewmen were called to the aid of a sailor and his five-year-old son after a 22ft yacht was pinned to the side of a moored barge by the falling tide.

Rescuers used the Port of London Authority’s tracking skills to pinpoint four yachtsmen who made a mystery Mayday call. Thames Coastguard intercepted an intermittent distress call from a vessel somewhere south of Southend in the early hours of August 30. But they could only hear part of the yacht’s broadcast position before the VHF transmission went silent. The coastguard contacted PLA Vessel

Jason boarded the stricken vessel and carried the youngster back to the Gunfleet. The child’s father stayed aboard the yacht, and prepared it for a tow. Gunfleet then dragged the yacht clear of the barge. Jason and RNLI lifeboat crew Graham Tassell, Pete Birthright, and Paul Frickey later moored the yacht safely off Gravesend, Kent.

Traffic Services officers at Port Control, Gravesend, who were able to use a combination of radar and satellite information to target the casualty. Coastguard vessel Iysha and the RNLI Southend Atlantic lifeboat were scrambled to the scene. Rescuers found the sailors in a 20ft yacht and towed them to Holehaven Creek. The yachtsmen had called for help after becoming disorientated in the Thames Estuary.

Fuel Leak Sparks Clean-up Operation Two hundred litres of ship fuel were washed ashore along six miles of Essex beaches. Globules of oil, believed to have escaped from a faulty pipe aboard an Italian-registered vessel, were spotted in the Thames on September 19. The Port of London Authority launched two specialist counter pollution vessels, Respond and Recover, to intercept the oil while it was still afloat. But the globules were so scattered, the boats weren’t able to stop all of it

reaching the shore. Officers and contractors working for Castle Point and Southend-on-Sea borough councils subsequently initiated beach clearance operations wherever the fuel landed. Castle Point says it collected 30 sacks of soiled waste during the three day clear-up between Thorney Bay and Chapman Sands. This included cleaning equipment as well as contaminated seaweed. Southend took away a tonne of polluted material.

More than 50 paddlers ploughed through 26 miles of the tidal Thames in the river’s first marathon for kayaks. The event – backed by the Shadwell Outdoor Centre, Cremorne Riverside, and Port of London Authority – took competitors from Tower Bridge to Chiswick on the flood tide, and back again on the ebb. It was only open to experienced paddlers using sea kayaks capable of maintaining three knots. Organiser Simon Osborne says April’s Kayakathon was so successful, he’s hoping to stage a repeat in 2011.

The Port of London Authority has launched an investigation into the circumstances which led to the leak. Nichie Jenkins, the PLA’s environment manager, said: “There’s been no permanent environmental damage thanks to a quick response and close cooperation between the local authorities, coastguard, Environment Agency, and PLA.” The cost of the clear-up will be met by the ship’s owners.

News

Port Pours Cold Water on Swim Stunt The Port of London Authority has criticised a newspaper columnist for swimming across the Thames. Former MP Matthew Parris plunged into the water in the dead of night wearing just trunks and a vest. He had no safety boat, and passing vessels had no idea he was there. Yet, despite admitting his stunt had been ‘ignorant and dangerous’, he went on to highlight his exploits in the Times. PLA chief harbour master David Snelson said: “I wonder how many other people will try it now they’ve seen it publicised – and possibly lose their lives as a result.” Matthew Parris told how he tried to swim from Globe Wharf in Rotherhithe, to Narrow Street in Limehouse. But he miscalculated the tide

A rookie boater ran out of fuel circling the Isle of Sheppey…while hunting for Southampton!!! The novice sailor thought he could get from north Kent to the Hampshire port if he kept the coast on his right hand side. Unfortunately, he didn’t realise he was following the shoreline of an island. Rescuers said he was also baffled that he’d used three tanks of fuel to cover such a small part of his journey, when it took him less than one to reach Southampton by car. Coastguards described him as ‘very short on expertise, even shorter on safety equipment’ with ‘no navigational charts or equipment on board’. They added: “We did impart the invaluable advice that, in our opinion, he’d be better off making the journey by train.” In a separate incident, a second boater tried to navigate the Thames with nothing more than a car’s SatNav. He was rescued by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution after running aground off Canvey Island.

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times and was swept threequarters of a mile upriver. He only managed to catch his breath and work out an exit plan when he caught hold of a moored boat’s rudder. This year, the PLA spent 63 days and invested thousands of pounds attending festivals and schools to promote river safety. Despite all this, emergency services were still called to numerous swimming related incidents. Up until August, there had been 27 swimmer rescues during 2010 compared with 19 during the whole of 2009. David Snelson said: “The Thames through central London is a lethal place. The strong tides, the passing traffic, the undertows caused by an uneven river bed, bridge buttresses and piers all make the risks of swimming far too great. “And add to that the

The Thames has scooped the world’s largest environmental prize. An international panel of judges praised the river for its return to health after it was declared biologically dead 50 years ago. The iconic waterway went head to head with hundreds of rivers from around the world to take the prestigious International Theiss River Prize in October. Alastair Driver, the Environment Agency's national conservation manager, said: “In the last 150 years the Thames has been to

possibility of encountering sewage, which can still be discharged into the river after rainfall, and you’ve got a potentially lethal mix. “The RNLI, the river police and the Port of London Authority deal with tragic drownings all too frequently. “And it’s important to emphasise that the dangers of swimming are not just confined to the swimmer. “The tidal Thames today is a very busy river. A boat or larger vessel coming across a swimmer in the river might have to swerve to avoid him and risk collision with another vessel or bridge or pier. Some Thames passenger boats carry hundreds of passengers. “Frankly, swimming in the Thames is not only ignorant, it’s selfish too.”

hell and back, and it has taken thousands of people many decades to restore it to this point. “Tighter regulation of polluting industries and our work with farmers, businesses and water companies to reduce pollution and improve water quality, have all helped to make the Thames a living river once again.” The Environment Agency has pledged the £218,100 ($350,000 Australian Dollars) prize money to the Thames Rivers Restoration Trust.

A once redundant piece of dockland is now at the centre of a major concrete-making operation. Dock Entrance Wharf in East London went into action at the end of June after a year of groundwork by concrete products operators, Euromix, Thames aggregates specialists JJ Prior, and the Port of London Authority. The companies are using the 55 metre Thames Shipping coaster Polla Rose to move aggregates between Prior's quarry near Colchester, Essex, and the new wharf which incorporates a Euromix concrete manufacturing plant. By the end of the year, the companies will have moved 80,000 tonnes of aggregates by river, and 100,000 tonnes each year after that, keeping nearly 10,000 lorry movements off London’s roads annually.

Port Policing Pact A pact between two police forces and the Port of London Authority will slash crime on the river and save taxpayers money. Kent and Essex police are increasing their special joint marine operations. And the forces, along with the port authority, have refined the way they share intelligence and information. The move has prompted Kent’s assistant chief constable Andy Adams to warn that the Thames will be ‘no hiding place for criminals’. In a joint statement, the police said combining resources would free-up marine officers to carry out more specialised tasks, without impacting on their day-to-day duties. They added that initial moves between the two forces have increased the number of vessels boarded for security checks from 73 in 2008 to nearly 182 in 2009. And specialist visits to sites of strategic importance along the river are up from 144 in 2008 to nearly 900 in 2009. The police say their joint

marine unit has saved the taxpayer more than £100,000 in the first 18 months alone. PLA chief harbour master David Snelson said: “The tidal Thames is Britain’s second biggest port, catering for tens of thousands of vessels every year.

“I’m pleased that information gathered by the Port of London Authority on ship movements in this busy waterway can be used by Kent and Essex police to enhance the security of both river users and the people of south east England.”

Kayakers in Barge Terror Kayakers battled for survival after a racing tide slammed them into a moored barge. The three, thought to be from the same family, were toppled into the water as the current tried to suck them under the 30-tonne vessel. One of the group, a girl of 15, clambered clear of the river, perching on a chain above the churning water. But a man, believed to be her father, was left clinging to another chain as the undertow dragged at his legs. And the third, a young woman, struggled to stay

above water as the current capsized her craft. The three were spotted by Merlin Dwan and Zac Smart from Capital Pleasure Boat Services. The pair had been towing a jack-up rig downriver when they saw the kayakers under the swim (overhanging ‘bow’) of the barge near Pipers Yard, Greenwich. Merlin said: “It was obvious they were in trouble, one of the kayaks was already getting smashed up under the barge. “So we took a RIB (rigid inflatable boat) across because it could get in

close to the casualties.” The two rescuers were joined by the Port of London Authority’s Paul Rickner and John Studd in the harbour patrol boat Westbourne. The kayakers were dragged into the RIB before being put aboard the Westbourne and taken ashore. Praising Merlin and Zac’s prompt actions in August, PLA marine inspector Paul said: “If it wasn’t for the quick actions of the CPBS RIB, it’s highly likely that at least one kayaker would have been swept to his death under the mooring barge.”

In the salmon-pink light of a London dawn, one of the sea’s most luxurious cruise ships makes its world debut. The Seabourn Sojourn emerged from the darkness of the Thames Estuary on the morning of Friday, June 4. And this incredible photograph captures the moment it manoeuvred into its moorings off Greenwich. The newly completed 198 metre vessel had been built at the Mariotti shipyard in Genoa, Italy. But its Miami-based owners wanted

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to unveil the Sojourn on the Thames. Pamela C. Conover, Seabourn’s president, said: “We are very pleased to introduce Seabourn Sojourn to London and to the world. “London has always been a great destination for our yachts. We have earned a large and loyal following of repeat cruise guests from the UK, and we are proud to debut our new vessel on the Thames. “She is a beauty inside and out.” The 11 deck ship comes fully stocked with four dining venues; six

bars and lounges; two outdoor swimming pools; six outdoor whirlpools; water sports from a foldout marina; a contoured nine-hole mini golf course; a two deck spa; giant chess board; shuffleboard; stargazing facilities; a library; shops; outdoor terrace; computer centre; and coffee bar. Seabourn says it’s restricting the number of guests on each voyage to 450 to create an intimate atmosphere onboard. These are housed in 225 suites –

the largest of which boast 1,403 square feet (427 square metres) of indoor and outdoor space; two bedrooms and bathrooms; a private, glass-enclosed solarium with tub and daybed; dining for six; two bars; whirlpool; and three flat-screen televisions! The Sojourn, with a gross tonnage of 32,346, was guided through the Thames on its 60 nautical mile approach to the capital by Port of London Authority pilots Simon Malins and Andy Howard.

It stayed for two days of inaugural and naming ceremonies before beginning its maiden season by sailing to the Baltic, Scandinavia, Russia, Norwegian Fjords, and Scotland. Later this year, the ship will head across the Atlantic in preparation for trans-globe cruises. The company anticipates that a 111-day trip from Los Angeles to London – via the South Pacific, New Zealand, Western Australia, Indonesia, India, Arabia, and the Mediterranean –

Photo: Seabourn

will start at just under £33,000 per person (based on double occupancy). David Snelson, the Port of London Authority’s chief harbour master, said: “Although the capital welcomes around 25 cruise ships every year, the Sojourn is the first to be named here since the Minerva II in 2003. “We hope the ship enjoys its strong London links and becomes a regular visitor to the Thames for years to come.”

* Okay, it’s not technically a liner, but it’s a good headline

When Jack Daly rolled into class two weeks after the start of term, his excuse for being late would have stunned most teachers . Instead of kicking back and relaxing during his post GCSE summer break, he’d sailed a 21ft yacht around Britain…alone. Just 10 weeks, 42 ports, and 1,653 nautical miles after setting out, he was back in school to continue his education, more certain than ever that a life afloat was for him. Now, two years on, Jack’s dream has come true as he charts new waters for two of the capital’s leading maritime institutions – Trinity House and the Port of London Authority.

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The 18-year-old A-level student has become the port’s first oceangoing cadet and, for the next three years, his higher education will be at sea level – on a ship. The port authority is paying for him to join Trinity House’s world class Merchant Navy Scholarship Scheme. Alongside 30 other cadets, he’ll learn navigation and seamanship skills aboard a range of ships as they crisscross the globe. Jack said: “When I saw the Port of London Authority advert for the post, I thought it was too good to be true. “I’ve wanted to go to sea from an early age

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rather than on it – so it was a and started sailing when I very wet trip. was eight – mainly in “The weather was awful dinghies. throughout that summer. Yet “After my GCSEs, I had no matter how rough it was 13 weeks off before my during the day, I still wanted A-level courses started. to go out again the following I’d wanted to make a morning. round-Britain trip for “And sailing into a new some time, so this port every day was just seemed like the ideal fantastic.” opportunity to do it. In the coming years, Jack “The hardest part was will see more new ports than the planning – where he could have imagined to stop over, which during his time in the cockpit way round to go. In of the Corribee. total, it took 18 months to organise.” In fact, by the time national During this time, Jack sent hundreds maritime authority Trinity House has of letters and emails to prospective finished with him, he’ll hold an sponsors. He secured 25 internationally recognised Standards corporate backers as a result of Training, Certification and – some pledged money, Watchkeeping (STCW) qualification. others gave support or And his experience could supplied equipment. Lossiemouth h P ultimately result in a job as a future He chose a Corribee P Inverness pilot or harbour master for Britain’s yacht called Padiwak for his P Whitehills Whit h h lls Caledonian second biggest port – London epic journey and used his Peterhead ad dP Canal Glenn Witham, the PLA’s director of study leave between exams Fort William am P Stonehaven ven P human resources, said: “Although to kit it out. Oban P Oba many of our staff are sea-going On 23 June 2008, he left P professionals, this is the first time we Ramsgate and slid out into the Cr Croabh Haven Arbroath PC ro oath G Thames Estuary for a trip that have trained our cadets in this way. P P would ultimately raise “We’ll be investing £50,000 in Jack’s Gigha G Eyemouth h Port Ellen P (anchorage) more than £5,000 for the scholarship over the next three years (Islay) y) Royal Yachting to ensure that, through Trinity G Amble mbleP Association’s House, he’ll have some Port Rush P P Sailability charity. of the best tuition in the Glenarm l m maritime world.” “I’d decided to go Bangor gor P Commodore David Squire, round Britain Hartlepool ol P Ardglass lass P the director of maritime anticlockwise, G training at the Corporation cutting off the Carlingford P Scarborough rough P Lough of Trinity House, added: top of Bridlington nP “We are pleased that we Scotland by can assist the PLA in going through Grimsby yP providing the opportunity the Howth (Dublin) n) P G Caledonian for Jack to train as Arklow P Canal,” he deck officer, Wells-next-the-sea he-sea he ea P said. “I’d through our Lowestoft est toft f P stay on the Merchant boat Navy PF Fishguard overnight in Scholarship port but there were the Scheme. Milford Haven aven nP Harwich P occasional night “This will G prepare him for a passages. RAMSGATE TE P career not just at “The hairiest bit of the whole Dover P journey was off St David’s in sea, but also for ow Padstow Brighton g Lymington Bridport port P Wales – 25ft waves, lots of future P P P P PP P Plymouth Eastbourne swell, tidal races. opportunities P P smouth h P Weymouth Portsmouth “The Corribee’s design within the PLA.” Brixham Br B i h P PFalmouth F Falmo ut uth means it sits very low in the N wlyn l n Newlyn water, you are in the sea

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ormula One supremo Ross Brawn is pitting leading businesses against each other in a Thames showdown to rival TV’s The Apprentice. Eleven companies are going head to head to raise at least £350,000 for a new lifeboat. Each firm has been asked to stump-up a £1,000 ‘entry fee’. But, instead of handing it to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, they’ve been told to invest it in their own cash-generating projects. In scenes described by the RNLI as a cross between Alan Sugar’s hit series and Dragons Den, the teams were summoned to the charity’s London offices in April to pitch their fundraising strategy to a panel headed by Brawn. Now the competitors – including Barclays, John Lewis, Lloyds List, and Southern Electric – have until the end of the year to turn their plans into pounds. Brawn – whose team won the Formula One Constructors and Drivers Championships 2009, and who now heads Mercedes GP Petronas – said the competitors need to use their creativity and ingenuity to generate the greatest amount of profit. “This is a ground-breaking challenge which pits some of the UK’s top companies against each other to raise funds for a new lifeboat,” he said. “The boat will be shared between Tower and Chiswick RNLI lifeboat stations and will save lives for years to come. “Innovation is pivotal in Formula One and that’s what appeals to me about this challenge. It combines many of

my passions: competition, the desire to be the best and, of course, innovation. It’s about people, about working together to bring the best out in one another, supporting each other through highs and lows. “Throughout the challenge, team members will learn new skills which they’ll be able to take back to the workplace and draw upon for the rest of their professional careers.” The Brawn Lifeboat Challenge will plough funds into a new EClass vessel. These Ross Tiger Marine waterBrawn jet powered boats were first introduced on the Thames when London’s lifeboat stations opened in 2002. The lack of a propeller means they don’t get fouled by debris in the water, and their crews can recover casualties over the stern (back) without fear of causing injury. Some of the existing boats are now reaching the end of their operational lives, prompting the RNLI to look to the next generation of E-Class. RNLI chief executive Paul Boissier said: “This is a tremendously exciting initiative for everyone at the RNLI. “It will tap into the very best of Britain’s business talent and we’re thrilled to have Ross on board. He has donated his time to support this fundraising venture for a new RNLI lifeboat for the people of London. “The RNLI doesn’t seek or receive any Government funding, so activities like The Brawn Lifeboat Challenge are vital to our lifesaving service.” The team topping the cash stakes at the end of the contest will win VIP tickets to a European Grand Prix. Photos: RNLI

n the space of 11 horrific months during the Second World War, an estimated 40,000 high explosives rained down along the Thames and its estuary. They wrecked homes and businesses, burned docks, and sank ships. In European waters, the Allies were laying mines to hinder submarine attacks and stall any possible invasion of the UK. In 1941 RAF bombers laid a total of 1,000 naval mines. In 1942 this increased to 9,000. The NaAis were doing the same, only this time to disrupt Allied shipping. And, along the south east coast, anti-aircraft batteries were pumping out shells to stem the seemingly endless tide of attacking planes. Some explosives found their target – cruisers arn or t and Gnei na were both badly damaged by mines.

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But others didn’t – an estimated one in 10 of the bombs dropped on the Thames failed to detonate. And some of these explosives could still be alive today. This dormant weaponry – known as unexploded ordnance U' – is a fact of modern life. In Europe it makes regular appearances from the Baltic to the Med. It’s found in fields, on building sites, and on the sea bed. Unexploded sea mines, alone, could number as many as 100,000 across the world’s oceans, according to some NAT estimates. And, in the south east of England, the Royal Navy is called out three times a week, on average, to investigate a variety of possible unexploded ordnance. ften the devices have been 12

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The trawled up in fishing nets or disturbed by deep sea activity. So spotting them before they’re unearthed is crucial for major maritime

construction projects. That’s why, when engineers started laying two underwater power lines from the Netherlands to the UK this year, they turned to the Port of London Authority to be their eyes in the depths of the Thames. For the PLA’s hydrographic team, usually tasked with mapping the sea bed or assisting in search and recovery operations for sunken vessels, it was an unusual mission. Rob Howard, the PLA hydrographic surveyor in charge, said: “Getting on site quickly for the impending arrival of the cablelaying ship was easy for us because our survey boats are based at Gravesend. “We already had a lot of the kit

necessary on board. ur sidescan sonar equipment, for instance, allows us to paint very clear, three dimensional images of debris surface contacts at the bottom of the Thames.

“But the cable-laying process involves ploughing a furrow in the sea bed to accommodate the new bundled power lines, which meant we also needed kit that could detect anything hidden in the sediment. “So we asked contractors EGS to supply us with gradiometers which can spot the magnetic signatures of buried metallic objects magnetic contacts .” Two port authority survey boats – the 13.4 metre Nelson 44 catamaran Yantlet and the .9

Yantlet

Cable laying

finders metre Cheetah Marine catamaran Galloper – were loaded with the additional equipment and dispatched to the estuary in April to cover the

first 15 kilometre section. They returned a month later to survey a further 25 kilometres for phase two of the project. The £500 million cable laying operation they were sent to support – known as BritNed – is an Anglo-Dutch venture connecting the UK’s National Grid with Holland’s TenneT high voltage power transmission grid. Bill Russell, BritNed director, says the two 260km cables linking the Isle of Grain in Kent and Maasvlakte near Rotterdam will

“help ensure a continued reliable supply of electricity for both the UK and The Netherlands by joining

the transmission grids of both countries.” Galloper was tasked with surveying the shallower approaches to Grain while Yantlet dealt with a swathe of estuary out to the North Sea. Rob said: “We scanned a corridor for the ship that was 50 metres wide. If we had any suspicious contacts, we’d divert the path of the cable layer around them. “In total it took us five days to survey 40km of the bed. “Since the main concern of the operation was to locate any unexploded ordnance, magnetic contacts were our primary interest.” In all, the crew recorded 56 of

these contacts. But, by crossreferencing them with the sonar images of the seabed, they were able to dismiss 33 of them as being linked to harmless debris on the floor of the Thames. Rob said: “The remaining 23 contacts will need further investigation. “However, we’re pretty relaxed about the findings. The Thames has been a major shipping route for centuries and has a lot of wreckage as a result. Not every piece of metal buried in the sea bed is an unexploded bomb or mine. “It’s just that, when you’re laying 1,000 megawatt power cables to strengthen the UK’s energy security, and considering the wartime history of the seas around south east England, you don’t want to take any chances.”

The cable surveying operation was completed in August. However, the port authority is still carrying out checks to ensure the cables have settled correctly. PLA hydrographers will also use this data to update Thames charts. 쎲 Never handle suspect ordnance. If you find a suspicious device in the Thames estuary, dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard. If you are aboard a vessel, call the Coastguard on VHF channel 16 or PLA Port Control on channel 69 in the outer estuary or 68 in the inner estuary.

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n a map, it’s just a thin blue ribbon sliding through the heart of London and out to sea. But for boaters, the tidal Thames is an awesome force of nature. More coastal inlet than river, its 400 square miles of water twists and seethes with powerful tidal currents. It teems with traffic – ships, commuter vessels, tugs and tows – making it Britain’s busiest inland waterway and the country’s second biggest port. It’s straddled by 29 bridges and peppered with obstructions ranging from piers and jetties to moored barges. And yet this major marine highway is also a magnet for leisure users. It has a world-wide reputation as a centre of excellence for rowing; is home to more than 70 boating facilities, clubs and marinas; and hosts 50 sporting events every year. Leisure boaters love London’s river. But, while some know its waters well, the Port of London Authority has become increasingly concerned that casual visitors are arriving on the Thames expecting an almost tranquil ‘inland waterway’. “There’s a world of difference between pottering along on the relatively benign waters of a nontidal river or a canal, and tackling the tides, waves, traffic, and obstructions thrown up by one of Europe’s busiest waterways,” said PLA assistant harbour master Alex Brown. “Transiting the tidal Thames is a major milestone for many leisure boaters, and we want them to keep coming. The river has some of the most iconic scenery in the UK and offers some fantastic experiences. “But it’s also a dynamic and 14

Leisure rapidly changing environment, and things can quickly go wrong if boaters aren’t prepared.” Incidents last year – involving either leisure users or craft that weren’t ready for the Thames – prove his point. In one, two barristers, unaware of Thames traffic signals and the river’s highway code, drove through a closed bridge arch endangering themselves and other river users. In another, a narrowboat suffered power failure when the craft, encountering waves for the first time, had its engine swamped. And in a third, a relatively experienced mariner, taking a Dutch barge into the upper river, was caught out by a low bridge and seriously injured as his wheelhouse was smashed. Although the port authority carries detailed safety and traffic guidance on its website (www.pla.co.uk), investigations into these types of incident reveal that many boaters don’t think this information is relevant to them. So, this summer, the PLA embarked on an education programme that’s unrivalled in the authority’s 100 year history.

Headed by Alex and deputy harbour master Mark Towens, the safety drive has been harnessing the power of the internet, films, and user-friendly literature. “During the course of an average day, we communicate with a huge range of people,” said Mark. “Some are professional mariners or boat handlers, others are qualified leisure users who know the Thames well. But there are also those who are either new to the river or new to boating. “It’s impossible to communicate with this diverse audience, with its different needs, in the same way. “So we had to change our approach.” The PLA started by redesigning its detailed ‘leisure users guide book’, converting it into a chartstyle river map that gives safety advice at hotspots along 95 miles of the Thames. The authority also built a new domain around the leisure section of its website, calling it – www.boatingonthethames.co.uk. “It uses everyday language and less nautical jargon,” said Alex. “It carries information that’s crucial whether you’re in a kayak

Centre or a motor cruiser. All the information is divided up on separate web pages, each aimed specifically at the different groups of leisure users. “The interactive Thames map, which is based on Google maps technology, shows the location of different river facilities from moorings to chandleries.” “The new website is still evolving,” Mark added. “But we envisage it will become an indispensable planning tool for people looking to come to the Thames. “It links across to the PLA’s main website, so boaters can continue cross-checking ship movements or river closures. It’s just much more leisure friendly.” Next, the port authority sent expert narrowboaters and its own

rowing team out onto the river – with a film crew in tow. “We decided that showing people how to tackle the river would be better than telling them,” said Mark. By cutting the footage with animation and diagrams, a production team at Radiant Media produced two films showing would-be Thames boaters how to transit the busiest part of the river in safety. Both films now feature on the new website. The harbour masters’ next focus was to gain support for their safety initiative from other navigation authorities. “Our jurisdiction is bordered by two other major navigation authorities,” said Alex. “The Environment Agency runs the nontidal river, and British Waterways controls the canals which feed into the Thames. “A large proportion of leisure boaters reach our waters via theirs, so, to ensure we communicate as widely as possible, we turned to British Waterways and the Environment

Agency for help.” As a result, both have agreed to put new Port of London Authority signage at those locks which border the tidal Thames. The signs will highlight crucial safety information and emergency contact details. Gareth Stephens from British Waterways said: “The new guidance is particularly useful to boaters accessing the Thames from one of the tidal locks that British Waterways manages along the river. Even if you’ve done the journey before, there are new issues and regulations that apply to the river that need to be considered.” The safety campaign, launched in May to coincide with the start of the summer boating season, has drawn praise from the leisure community. Harry Whelan, centre manager and kayak instructor at Chelsea’s Cremorne Riverside, said: “The Thames is a fantastic piece of water. It offers some great experiences. The new website, films and guidance will help leisure users make the most of the Thames responsibly.”

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major offshore ship refuelling operation has been launched in the Thames Estuary. Oil supply ships, LS Jamie and LS Christine, moved into the Queens Channel in September to provide a new fuel or ‘bunkering’ service for visiting vessels. Initially, the regulated operation – the first of its kind inside Port of London Authority limits – is expected to supply around one million tonnes of fuel every year to ships using Britain’s busiest sea lanes. The bunkering vessels are working across three anchorages, each sheltered by the north Kent coast. Cockett Marine Oil, the company behind the scheme, says: “The new facilities can host deep draft vessels of all types. “By supplying fuel oils close to one of the world’s busiest trading routes, our customers will avoid timeconsuming and costly diversions from the main shipping lanes.” The 5,775 tonne LS Jamie can carry 6,420 cubic metres of fuel oil. LS Christine, 8,672 tonnes, can

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hold 10,290 cubic metres. Both have multiple tanks, each with its own pump and line, so the ships can store a variety of fuels. Roy Stanbrook, the Port of London Authority’s harbour master for the estuary, said: “Refuelling facilities are crucial to world shipping, and shipping is central to the British economy. Ninety five per cent of everything the UK imports and exports moves through sea ports. “This new service will benefit both those ships supplying London and the south east, and those trading much further afield through the Straits of Dover and southern North Sea.” The service was established following months of negotiation between Cockett and UK regulators. It uses the Port of London Authority’s maritime expertise to ensure minimum impact on both the estuary and its shipping routes. Roy said: “The way it works is as safe as it is simple – a ship looking to use the service contacts Cockett to give details of the amount and type of fuel it requires, and when it will be arriving. “The oil company then asks our sea pilots to board the ship as it approaches the port’s outer limits and guide it to a rendezvous point with one of the refuelling vessels. “Throughout, the ships are tracked by vessel traffic services officers at our Port Control Centre.” The bunkering operation sits in a region that’s critically

important to wildlife. The Thames is home to 50 species of waterfowl including 12 that are internationally important. It’s visited by 300,000 over-wintering birds each year. There are 125 different species of fish in its waters, and it’s bounded by eight Sites of Special Scientific Interest, three Special Protection Areas, and one Special Area of Conservation. Yet, far from threatening the estuary’s delicate ecosystems, the port authority believes the operation’s presence increases environmental protection.

“This is a prime example of how well-regulated industry can help the environment while still meeting the needs of the wider public and southern England’s biggest port.” Cockett is confident the new service will make the Thames Estuary a force to be reckoned with among

PumpAction PLA operation development manager Steve Taylor says: “Ships have been involved in unauthorised refuelling just outside our waters off the Margate coast in the past. “However, this new, well-managed service will stifle unregulated activity and ensure the estuary is unattractive to rogue operators.” The port authority, with Cockett funding, has also beefed-up its counter pollution response in the region. It’s put new equipment at Ramsgate and trained local fishermen to use booms and skimmers to contain any leaked fuel in the unlikely event of a spill. Nichie Jenkins, the PLA’s environment manager, said:

major international bunkering hubs. Robert Thompson, general manager supply at Cockett, says: “This is about providing a bunkers-only service in the right place at the right time. “Until now the English Channel has suffered from a lack of competitiveness which has hindered its development as a serious bunker hub. Our new operation will remedy this.”

Coastguards Master Vessel Col 18

mergency teams have staged a major river collision to push their life saving skills

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to the limit. Coastguards simulated a burning boat and a vessel packed with panicking passengers as they launched the night river exercise on September 30. Police, fire, lifeboat, and ambulance teams were told a City Cruises passenger vessel and a Thames Water craft had collided just east of Tower Bridge. The Thames Water vessel was on fire and the passenger boat had been holed. A fire boat was scrambled to tackle the simulated blaze, while officers from the Met’s Marine Policing Unit and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution went to the aid of passengers – played by off-duty emergency staff. The scenario was so realistic, Port of London Authority boats were sent to patrol either side of the action to keep regular traffic away. Six miles downstream of the incident, at the PLA’s Thames Barrier Navigational Centre (TBNC), London coastguard directed the rescue operation while port authority Vessel Traffic Services officers controlled navigation and fielded

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simulated calls from members of the public. The scenario, played out in front of hundreds of onlookers lining Tower Bridge, had been engineered by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to go from bad to worse. And rescue crews, working among the flickering blue lights of patrol boats and supported by a police helicopter with night vision equipment, were soon told the passenger vessel had started to sink. Exercise organisers then dropped dummies in the water, leaving rescuers to hunt for them in the darkness. Ashore at St Katharine Pier, ambulance crews treated casualties as they disembarked from the rescue boats, while officers from Tower Hamlets Council set up a reception centre. At HMS President, harbour masters and senior police, fire, ambulance, coastguard, and naval officers established a command centre to direct the rescue. Port authority salvage teams and divers were also put on stand-by to begin a recovery operation; a task they’d be expected to carry out if the incident had been for real. In total, the exercise – dubbed Orange Tree – ran for two hours. But clearing the props and supporting vessels went on into the night. Observers and players will now compare reports, not only to see what went well but also agree where they can improve their response in future.

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he small, unobtrusive office sits in the eye of a Thames storm. The air’s electric with warbling phones, rattling key boards, and earnest discussions… A Hollywood blockbuster wants to film near Tower Bridge; an argument’s flared between rowers and kayakers near Putney; a speeding craft has rocked houseboats in west London; a port authority patrol launch is helping a pleasure boat stranded in Barking Creek… A narrow boat has cut across the path of a tug and tow; another’s caught fire; builders want to close bridge arches for construction work; a riverside resident has complained about the noise from passing passenger boats… A private company is proposing to put a power slide across the river; another two want to close the Thames completely – one by holding a major fireworks display, another by putting a huge advertising hoarding in the main navigation channel; a man reckons he can paddle down the river on an oil drum although he doesn’t know what a tide is; and an artist

unveils plans to run a giant washing line across the Thames at Blackwall Point which, apparently, he’ll be able to raise hundreds of feet into the air each time a ship wants to pass. In a side office, Port of London Authority teams plan for cruise or warship arrivals, the 2012 Olympics, the Great River Race, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. And in the thick of all the enquiries, investigations and negotiations – surrounded by his deputies – is London harbour master David Phillips. “The Thames through central London is unique…and so are many of its pressures,” he says. “Of course, it has some similar problems to other ports – tidal constraints, for instance, or competing demands on its space from a variety of water users. “But the Thames also runs right through the capital city – and if anybody wants to do anything, they invariably want to do it in the capital city or on its river.” For a man tasked with overseeing the safety of 27 nautical miles of the busiest inland waterway in Britain, Commander Phillips shows all the calm you’d expect from a man who spent his previous

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life in the depths of the oceans…in charge of nuclear submarines. For 32 years David served in the Royal Navy, but he sees his work in the depths of the capital no less challenging. “There are times when this job can be every bit as stressful as commanding a nuclear submarine,” he says. “But there are skills I’ve learnt in the navy which read across to the Thames. “For starters, you have to think on the hoof – deal with sudden changes to established plans. “And you have to build up trust, not only with the people you deal with on the river, but also within your own team.”

“There are times when this job can be every bit as stressful as commanding a nuclear submarine,” In the year he’s been in post as harbour master, David’s worked hard to build the right team around him. And he freely admits that without his colleagues, he’d be ‘a fish out of water’. His office team includes a merchant navy captain, one of the river’s most skilled moorings and buoy-laying experts, a stalwart of the river’s rowing community, and a Thames Waterman. And, on the water, seven marine inspectors and their crews – the public face of the London harbour master – contribute decades of river and boat knowledge. The team’s diverse skills and experience, says David, put it in a strong position to tackle the challenges and demands placed on the Thames. “Navigational safety is our primary function,” he says. “But our main objective is to encourage and develop commercial and recreational use of the river. 22

“However, achieving this safely is a challenge. “We have fast commuter boats, passenger sight-seeing services, tugs and tows, recreational traffic, residential houseboats, and bars and restaurants on vessels alongside the banks. All of these have an interface on the river, and often that’s where we find friction. “We try to head off problems through our by-laws and through consultation – not just between us and the river community, but also between competing factions on the Thames. “This, in itself, keeps us busy enough, but then you have to add people from outside the river community into the mix. “It’s the nature of business

development – and the nature of recreational development, for that matter – that someone is always going to have a bright idea, they’re going to want to do something or try something that hasn’t been done before. “If they do their homework, this is good thing. Human development depends on thinking ‘what next?’. “However, proposals that are literally ‘eureka’ moments with no grounding in reality can cause a lot of unnecessary work and disappointment. “These are often based on a premise that the river is a wide open space in the centre of London that isn’t used any more. “They take no account, for instance, of the amount of traffic,

Photo: Alisdair MacDonald ‘One Hour of Boats on the Thames’

the power and height variations of the tides, or the general geography of the river. And yet these things are part of the normal fabric of the Thames, they’re all part of the normal river conditions. “People see the Thames, but they just don’t understand it. “That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t make plans for the river, it just means they should consult us at an early stage. “Very often, plans that may at first appear to be ‘pie-in-the-sky’ can be adapted so that their aims and objectives can still be achieved – just in a slightly different way. “By talking to us very early on, people looking to develop a new service, facility, or event will be in a much better position to draft

proposals that complement the safe running of the river, than if they present us and the Thames community with a fait accompli. “Ultimately, this river is a transport link, and it’s our responsibility to keep it open and to keep all traffic flowing in complete safety. If new proposals for using the river don’t embrace or accommodate this simple fact, they could threaten other river users or disrupt passenger timetables or trade.” David says there is huge scope for diverse river uses to flourish side by side, and he points to the recreational sector as a prime example. While river trade and transport continue to grow, the Thames has

been exerting a massive pull on leisure users. “We know from the enquiries we get that there is increasing recreational interest,” says David. “And, while I wouldn’t advise someone in a pedalo to come through central London, a competent, experienced and wellequipped person in a kayak who understands the rules of the road, can make the journey in safety – and I welcome them. “My job, and the job of my team, isn’t about sitting in an office telling people what they can’t do, it’s about highlighting what they can do. It’s about working with others to get the best out of the Thames without endangering life or trade.”

They’ve tackled some of the country’s deepest, most remote seas and hostile rivers. Now maritime construction and diving specialists Red7Marine have surfaced on the Thames. The company says it’s been drawn to the river by a boom in civil engineering projects across London and the south east. And its new base at Britannia Wharf in Northfleet, Kent, will put it closer to the action. George Stillwell, the company’s senior estimator, said: “Major engineering

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George Stillwell

projects – ranging from Crossrail to the development of the Thames Gateway – have involved different branches of our business. “So it makes good commercial sense for us to have a base that’s close to this busy market.” The company is active along the length of the tidal Thames, but its biggest job has been in the North Sea approaches to the estuary. The Greater Gabbard will be the world’s largest offshore windfarm, covering an area that’s 147 square kilometres, 25 kilometres off the east coast. When complete, it will provide renewable energy to 415,000 homes The site stands between the Inner Gabbard and Galloper sand banks in a

‘remote and aggressive offshore location’. And yet the company’s underwater teams have completed more than 1,000 dives there, in what it calls the ‘largest single ongoing diving project of its type within the UK’. George said: “Our divers have been involved in a huge variety of work at the site, ranging from cable and obstruction clearance to equipment installation. “Throughout the months we’ve been there, we’ve been operating 24 hour, backto-back diving operations – regardless of the weather.” Closer to London, the company’s equipment is becoming instantly recognisable at some of the river’s highest profile construction projects. Graham Slack, operations manager, said: “As well as providing marine construction, dive, and subsea specialists, we also hire out our kit to third parties. “In July we shipped a crawler crane up to Network Rail for use on the Blackfriars Rail Bridge upgrade. “The crane is telescopic, which is unusual for kit of this size, but essential for manoeuvring under Thames bridges.” The company’s base at Britannia Wharf has 240 metres (787ft) of Thames frontage with a depth of more than five metres – making it a natural river base for Red7Marine’s visiting dive vessels, pontoons, and jack-up rigs. The site also has a quay area of 5,500 square metres which can support crawler cranes up to 200 tonne capacity.

Artist’s impression

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ngineers are cutting iron girders and steel decking away from Blackfriars Rail Bridge and shipping them downriver. The 124year-old crossing is undergoing major surgery as it’s transformed into the first London railway station to span the Thames. Network Rail is pumping £5.5billion into a programme of track improvements in the capital, and the bridge project is central to its plans. But, unlike other national train operations, the Blackfriars scheme is using water to keep its construction programme on track. In total, 8,000 tonnes of the Victorian bridge will be carved up and carried away by barge. And a further 14,000 tonnes of building materials will be shipped in. By using the Thames, Network 26

Rail says it will take 2,000 lorry journeys off London’s streets during the life of the operation. Jim Crawford, Network Rail’s major programme director for the project, said: “The landmark Blackfriars station will be the first in the capital to span the Thames. “Delivering and removing materials by barge makes a lot of sense to us both practically and environmentally, especially as we’re working directly above the river.” The congestion-busting barge operation started in late January, initially as a trial. Network Rail joined forces with the Port of London Authority, Livett’s Launches, and Balfour Beatty to perfect loading and unloading techniques, and coordinate the best running times to suit river traffic and tidal flow. The multicat work boat Jessica S was drafted in as towing vessel, and its wheelhouse lowered to

Hea Tim Duggan

allow it to operate safely under the bridge spans at high water. Its skipper, Tim Duggan, said: “The vessel is ideal for the job. We can tow the barges, push them, or secure them alongside.

vy Metal “And, with the new, low wheelhouse and the fact we can sit in just 1.5 metres of water, we can now keep working regardless of the state of the tide.” The barges run daily between Blackfriars and Thames Wharf (opposite the O2 Arena), with the average trip taking just 75 minutes. Port of London Authority chief executive, Richard Everitt, said: “Water and rail are well regarded as the most environmentally-friendly forms of transport, so bringing them together is a winning combination.

“Moving building materials through the capital’s marine highway instead of London’s crowded roads will result in less pollution and congestion during the life of this project. “By choosing barges, Network Rail has ensured the new Blackfriars station will have good green credentials – not only when it’s operational, but also while it’s being built.” Chris Livett, managing director of Livett’s Launches, added: “Undertaking this complex marine logistical project is only achievable with the understanding and cooperation of the river community. Together we are

realising the potential of waterborne transportation.” Network Rail expects the new station to be operational by the end of 2011, but engineers have a painstaking task ahead. The rail bridge – built in 1886 by John Wolfe Barry and Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s son Henry Marc – isn’t currently tough enough to take the weight of a new station. So Network Rail is installing new rib arches and stronger steel decking. To do this, construction teams will have to remove 37,000 rivets from the existing structure by hand, and replace them with bolts.

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te Flat Pack S prawled across the quayside like the world’s biggest Meccano set, these sections of steelwork are the new muscle behind Thames trade. They’re the kit for two Liebherr ship-to-shore gantry cranes, each capable of loading and unloading container vessels one and a half times the length of Canterbury Cathedral. The equipment, part of a multimillion pound investment at Tilbury Container Services, is crucial for ensuring London and the south east stay well stocked with food, electronic goods and clothing. The super post panamax cranes, which were built during the summer and went into service in September, have already boosted the terminal’s potential annual handling capacity from 375,000 large lorry boxes (750,000 teu) to around 500,000 (1 million teu). Along with the refurbishment of other riverside and dockside cranes, and the delivery of six new Kalmar straddle carriers, TCS has ploughed £150 million into its Tilbury facilities in the past decade. Mike Gibson, TCS’ managing director, said: “We’re the only UK container terminal that can boast that all the cranes on our principal quay belong to the 21st century – they’re all less than 9 years old.

“We also now have our newly refurbished and original inside berth 39, which was the UK’s first container terminal.” Trade passing through TCS is largely from Latin America, the Indian sub-continent, South Africa, and Australasia. In particular, the terminal specialises in handling refrigerated containers or reefers. In fact, TCS is the UK’s premier port facility for temperature-controlled cargoes. Like most of Britain, TCS was hit by the economic downturn. It handled 278,000 containers in 2009, down from around 340,000 the year before. But the facility – jointly owned by DP World, Forth Ports and Associated British Ports – has continued to invest in its improvement programme despite the financial climate. And now senior managers at the site say that confidence is starting to pay off. TCS landed two new trades during the summer: the CMA CGM Femex service from the eastern Mediterranean and North Africa, and Maersk’s Samba trade from east coast South America. James Leeson, TCS business development manager, said: “Where our competitors have delayed their expansion plans, we’ve completed ours on schedule. That’s a sign of our confidence.”

isheries enforcement officers are hunting poachers who’ve left illegal nets strung along the Thames. In the first half of October, Environment Agency river patrols seized fish traps near Barking, Bow, and Greenwich, and a further 17 at Greenhithe, Kent. Among the illegal kit was a gillnet, which is also a major threat to wildfowl, and two homemade devices. The agency believes the poachers are targeting the tidal river’s eel fisheries which lie between Tower Bridge and the North Sea. Only 15 fishermen are licensed to use eel nets or traps on the Thames. Their operations are heavily regulated by the Environment Agency, and each fisherman has to supply catchreturns detailing what they have caught during the year. These agency controls are crucial for tracking eel stocks which are collapsing across Europe. Earlier this year the Zoological Society of London revealed eel numbers in the Thames have plummeted by 98 per cent in just five years (Tidal Thames 9). Last year the society caught just 50 eels during Thames monitoring, compared to 1,500 in 2005. The disappearing population has scientists baffled. The species originates in the Atlantic’s Sargasso Sea and spends three

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International Exposure Tidal Thames photographer Gavin Parsons has gone head to head with Britain’s best underwater cameramen – and won international recognition. His stunning shot of a Historical Diving Society (HDS) diver – pictured – took third place in the UK section of this year’s British Underwater Image Festival. Gavin took the photo while covering a display by Port of London Authority and HDS divers in West India Dock last summer (Tidal Thames 8). The image festival is a major event in the international dive calendar. This year it attracted 750 individual entries from 17 countries.

years in European waters. Eels can stay in the Thames for up to 20 years before making a 3,509 nautical mile return journey to the Sargasso to spawn and die. In an attempt to halt the sudden decline, the European Union has introduced emergency close seasons on eel netting on all the continent’s rivers. It’s now illegal to catch the species using nets or traps between October 1 and March 31, and young eels (elver) between May 26 and February 14. Fisheries enforcement officer Carl Rasey said: “Whoever has set the traps on the Thames is in breach of an emergency close season and has also allowed them to dry out, which is a separate offence. “Whilst these traps are primarily

set for eels, they often catch a range of other species which die if the traps are left exposed at low tide. “Eel populations are declining across Europe and, if we want to ensure that Thames eel fisheries continue to be sustainable, this sort of irresponsible behaviour has got to stop.” The agency says people caught netting during the close seasons can be fined up to £5,000 and banned from fishing for a minimum of a year. And even anglers who use rod and line can face prosecution if they don’t return their eel catch to the water alive. Carl said: “We’re urging anyone who sees suspicious-looking traps to contact us immediately on 0800 807060.”