Category: Article (Page 3 of 10)

I’m sure Storm Eunice isn’t news to anyone by now, but it might be interesting to share some boat-related stories local to Portsmouth.  Eunice, the most severe storm was actually sandwiched between two other storms, Dudley and Frankin, so we had three successive storms battering the UK in mid February.  Eunice hit us on Friday 18th and despite plenty of warnings and preparation, there was still plenty of damage.

The storm itself is well documented in this article. As you can see from this map, the Red warnings go right across the south of England which is unusual – most of the severe storms in the past have have more impact on the north of the country.

The storm created and coincided with a tidal surge and the strong winds and this high tide proved too much for the floating crane in Pounds Marine ship breaker’s yard. It broke loose and floated itself over to the M275 where it came to rest, uncomfortably close the the motorway. There it stayed until there was another very high tide a couple of weeks later, allowing it to be recovered.

The weather station at the Needles Battery recorded a record gust strength of 122mph at the peak of the storm. Winds of this strength proved too much for some of the the Camber Dock dry stack occupants.

Our neighbours in the ECA have the disadvantage that their boat storage yard is very exposed to southern winds, and one of the yachts took a tumble taking several others down with it (feature photo above).  The high tide pushed boats in Southsea Marina above the normal protection of the basin but fortunately, and a lot to do with the diligence of the Premier Marina crew, very little damage was recorded.  The new SMAC weighing shed didn’t move an inch either, and I’m sure the members that built it (and there seemed to be a lot of people involved) will be reminding us of this fact for years to come.

According to the notice below, there was another casualty of the storms although I’m not sure exactly when this vessel actually sank. Langstone Harbour took a battering for several days, and even the Hayling Island bridge was closed to traffic for a while as water washed over it. Sadly, an 11 metre catamaran sank at its mooring near the Mulberry wreck. From memory it didn’t have a mast which probably explains why there is still four metres of water above it. It will probably be recovered to ensure it doesn’t move to a more dangerous location.

After years of gutting whiting and throwing the guts over the side,  my friend Jim Atkins pointed out that these were missed opportunities. At this time of year, the guts contain some very edible roes whch in the larger female whiting are plenty big enough to collect and save for a delicious meal. Roes are the unspawned eggs and look like a pair of orange sausages, so they are easy to spot. Carefully separate the roes from the guts, wash and set aside for your meal. There are plenty of on-line recipes for cod roe, but not surprisingly, whiting roe don’t feature. Don’t worry! Here’s what you can do. Simply roll the roes in seasoned flour and fry in butter for a maximum of two minutes each side. Serve on toast with a squeeze of lemon juice and a sprinkling of chopped dill or parsley. Don’t waste the melted butter, pour that on your toast too. This makes a classic lunch, brunch or high tea dish. For more exotic treatment (Jim applies Cajun seasoning), just experiment!

Following the successful “trial run” of the Sea Angling Classic competition in 2021, the event goes into full swing for 2022. Here’s the low-down on what the event is and what will be  happening in and around Portsmouth.

About Sea Angling Classic

This is a unique international boat  fishing event combining a major sea angling competition, conservation and environmental initiatives, education and research, while introducing a whole new generation to the sport.

This exciting and dynamic boat event event will take place from Wednesday 15th June to Sunday 19th June 2022, based out of the historic maritime city of Portsmouth. Gunwharf Quays will be the hub and centre of the event and the competition area will be utilising the diverse and prolific fishing grounds of The Solent.

There will be two categories run simultaneously: one for Recreational boats and the other for Charter boats involving 600 to 800 competitors.

A Huge Prize Table!

We expect up to 150 boats to be competing for the the largest prize table in UK boat angling history – a combined value of  £200,000. This is attracting a huge amount of attention from  hundreds of boat  anglers, while also welcoming youngsters, environmental research, countless businesses and high-profile event partners.  The huge prize table includes a fully equipped Extreme Game King 745 boat and trailer.

The Sea Angling Classic has been structured to stimulate and grow recreational boat angling initially in the UK. Using the model created it will expand throughout Europe and then globally. It is much more than just a fishing event. It has a very strong element at its core to help and encourage children as the next generation in all areas of sustainability, respect for the environment and their own personal development.

The competition is organised by Angling Spirit  who are an experienced professional  international events management and marking company. They specialise in boat based angling events and recognise the importance of making sure events are run safely and comply with all rules and regulations. Most importantly, they are also there to enforce them.

Backing , Support and Unique location

The event has full support, involvement , endorsement and backing from  Portsmouth City Council , The Hampshire Chamber of Commerce, The Historic Dockyard, Gunwharf Quays, The Angling Trust and leading global brands in the marine /angling industry including Mercury, Lowrance, Penn International, Rapala and others.

Portsmouth Harbour – this will be an extremely important event for the positive promotion of recreational boat angling and for this reason The Queens Harbour Master will be closing Portsmouth harbour for the event.

Gunwharf Quays – the area will be fully branded for a two-week period which will include having key event partners’ displays on site.

Historic Dockyard – the prize giving of the event will take place in the historic dockyard. There there will be a huge stage built with  live radio and live stream broadcasting everything, with the world famous backdrop of Nelson’s flagship HMS Victory. The final event celebration will take place on the deck of HMS Warrior for up to 525 guests.

Promotion and Marketing

The event will have  extensive media coverage including an hour-long TV highlights program that will be broadcast on BT Sports and on Amazon Prime.  Angling Spirit will be directing the TV  program and media activity to ensure they have full control of media coverage and can meet their commitments.

A full promotional roadshow with event partners around the UK will take place in March 2022 so that all key partners’ customers can benefit and get involved.

The use of Gunwharf Quays for two weeks including the period prior to and during the event at prime time of the year will expose the event to thousands of people.

The event will be promoted through Boot Dusseldorf attendance.

There will be a spectacular televised flag parade involving up to 1,000 people including children from the local schools and three marching bands.

Sustainability, respect for the environment and a profound scientific study are at the core of the event.

The Competition

Setting out from the competition  base at the Historic Dockyard, competitors will be targeting a variety of species in The Solent, including tope, smoothound, rays, bass and black bream on a catch, photograph and release basis. To keep track of angler’s catches, event organiser Angling Spirit’s custom-made Live Leaderboard App will provide real time, state-of-the art updates on who’s catching what.

FAQ

Head over to the Questions page for a full list of frequently asked questions and the answers.

This week I had an email from MCA advising that they have migrated the old database of registered beacons (EPIRBs) to a new portal. They advise updating the information on the new portal so they have the correct and current information about the beacon, you, your boat and usual area of use.  When you go to the new portal there is quite a lot of information that they will collect so it’s worth setting aside 15 minutes or so to do it. You will need your beacon and vessel information to hand when you do it.

“It is important that you do this, to assist the emergency services should they receive a ‘distress alert’ from your beacon(s). If you do not claim your beacon(s), the data will eventually be deleted.”

If you have a beacon and haven’t received this notification, check your email Junk Folder or visit the new Beacon Registry Service at https://www.gov.uk/register-406-beacons If you have changed your email since registering your beacon, you may not get the notification. You can update it using the portal.

“If you need advice or support on how to update your details, please contact the Beacon Registry Team, Telephone: +44 020 3817 2006 or email UKBeacons@mcga.gov.uk“

A quick reminder that ALL bass must be returned to the water unharmed after 1st December 2021 until the end pf the year. If this year’s bass rules roll over to 2022, then we can expected to be able to retain some bass after 28th February 2022 but that remains to be confirmed. This rule applies to both boat and shore fishing.

Today, the iconic landmark of the old power station chimney at Fawley, visible from east and west Solent, was demolished. Bang. Just like that. It was demolished along with the other power station buildings to make way for a waterside development including 1,500 homes. These days with GPS and many other landmarks nearby means that its demise won’t be a particular problem for navigation but it is the end of an era during which the chimney was a prominent feature for anyone steering a course along the Solent. Well done to the hardy souls who braved the winds today, and our thanks to Parker Adams Boat Sales of Hamble who posted this video on Youtube.

Premier Marinas invited Liz Baugh, founder of Red Square Medical to run a refresher course on CPR and defibrillators for all berth holders as part of the national Restart a Heart week. This campaign is to provide enough basic information to as many people as possible, so more by-standers in a cardiac arrest situation have the confidence to “have a go” and hopefully keep someone alive until Emergency Services arrive and take over.

I have attended a number of CPR courses and every time I learn something new, partly because there is always more to learn, and partly because medical recommendations are changing. Liz Baugh, formerly a RN Medic now runs a successful marine medical training consultancy, and she is a wonderful trainer herself. She kept us engaged, amused and informed.  This event was run virtually, and one of the challenges of this format is to find ways for people to practice rather than just watch. Liz asked us all to bring a pillow, an old pillowcase and a marker pen. We had to draw a head and torso on the pillowcase and that made a life-size dummy to practice on. A prize was awarded for the best drawing –  James and Ali were the winners with this cheeky lady, who doesn’t seem to be suffering too badly from the experience.

This illustrates a serious point actually – proportionally more men receive attempted resuscitation than women, due mainly to the reluctance to get personal with a woman’s chest area even in such a dire situation. Liz told us that there is legal protection for anyone trying to save a life or administer first aid. If anyone is afraid of American-style litigation, don’t listen to the scare stories and have a  go whoever they are.

Another useful explanation was the difference between a heart attack and a cardiac arrest. One may lead to the other but not necessarily, and there are other causes of cardiac arrest.

Think of your heart as an electric bilge pump, working hard to pump seawater out of a flooding boat. A heart attack is like a lump of seaweed getting jammed in the pump, or a pipe collapsing. The pump may still work but the seaweed is significantly reducing the efficiency of the pump and it needs urgent attention. A cardiac arrest is like an electrical failure that stops the pump. No water is being pumped and very quickly the boat will sink. A heart that stops is no longer supplying oxygenated blood to the brain, and without a blood supply the brain will soon die.  CPR is like turning the pump over manually to keep the water flowing – or blood, in the case of your heart “pump”. This won’t solve the problem long term but will buy time and keep the brain alive until help arrives.

One of the best short videos of CPR is the Vinnie Jones film from the British Heart Foundation: you can watch it here.

A defibrillator can re-start a stopped heart by administering an electric shock and “bump-starting” the electric motor that is the heart. Liz also demonstrated the use of a defibrillator with a film from Red Square Medical resources.

You can access this instructional video for free on the Red Square Medical website.

This was a great initiative from Premier Marinas supported by Red Square Medical

The back of the flyer illustrated in our header image is a quick guide to the CPR process.

Doing something is always better than doing nothing.