Copy of COVID19 | Salcombe Harbour

Restrictions on Harbour Use - Covid 19

Update from 8th MARCH 2021

National Lockdown: Roadmap

Recent Government guidance provides a roadmap out of the current Covid-19 lockdown. The harbour is currently closed except to commercial operations or for exercise. The below points specify how we expect our operations to change over the next few months;

Monday March 8th: Salcombe Harbour - Kingsbridge Estuary will be accessible for exercise and recreation, meaning general daily boating will be allowed, including maintenance and preparation on Batson Boatpark. This will be limited to those for whom the harbour is locally accessible; no overnight stays afloat by residents or visiting craft.

Monday March 29th: The Harbour Office will open for 1 customer or household at a time, Monday to Friday, 09:00-16:30.

Thursday April 1st: The Boatman and Harbour Taxi will operate 7 days a week, 09:00-16:30. The Harbour Taxi will continue to operate at a reduced capacity and in a Covid-secure manner; face masks must worn where necessary.

Monday April 12th onwards: The Boatman and Harbour Taxi will operate 7 days a week on full shift, 08:00-23:00.

From Monday April 12th, it is expected that holidays in self-contained accommodation (including boats) will be allowed (subject to Government guidelines) and, therefore, the harbour will be open to visiting craft and overnight stays.

PLEASE NOTE THE ABOVE DATES ARE A CHANGE TO PREVIOUSLY ADVERTISED SHIFT DATES.

Participation in permitted activities requires you to make every effort to remain safe in order to reduce the chance of requiring assistance; being afloat, especially on your own, may be unintentionally putting both yourself and others at unnecessary risk should you require help.

Our maintenance and boat park teams will continue to operate following our Covid Secure safe systems of work to ensure their (and others) ongoing safety. We will attempt to monitor afloat activity to the best of our ability with a listening watch on VHF Ch 14. Our urgent out-of-hours contact number is 01803 867034 but in an emergency afloat or along the coast please dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard.

The Harbour Authority, Harbour Board and SHDC will continue to follow Government guidance as appropriate. We anticipate this policy may have to be adjusted to follow any further Government guidelines, which may influence our operations or the services we provide, without notice. We appreciate your continued support in maintaining safe and efficient port operations.

More information on the Government roadmap can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-response-spring-2021

British Marine Federation COVID-19: Reopening of the marine industry in England

We look forward to seeing everyone back afloat as per this guidance, when everyone can once again enjoy Salcombe-Kingsbridge Estuary’s unique beauty.

Please help to maintain everyone’s health and safety by remembering HANDS – FACE – SPACE to reduce the spread of Covid-19.

Thank you for your kind attention.

Cameron Sims-Stirling

Salcombe Harbour Master

Update from 5th JANUARY 2021

National Lockdown: Stay at Home

Recent Government guidance has advised everyone to stay at home, except for specific purposes. In order to help prevent the spread of Covid-19, from Tuesday 5th January 2021, Salcombe Harbour Authority expects the following legislation to be followed:

The Government have stated that you can leave your home to exercise, but not for the purpose of recreation or leisure. Therefore, from Tuesday 5th January 2021, the Salcombe-Kingsbridge Estuary cannot be used for any purpose other than commercial operation or specific exercise.

Participation in permitted activities requires you to make every effort to remain safe in order to reduce the chance of requiring assistance; being afloat, especially on you own and particularly in wintery conditions, may be unintentionally putting both yourself and others at unnecessary risk should you require help. If you choose to exercise alone, taking part in activities such as swimming, paddle boarding, kayaking and rowing then you should consider: a) do you feel this is within the spirit of the rules and b) the impact that this could have on the emergency services - including volunteer Coastguards and Lifeboat crews - should you get in to difficultly. Consideration should also be given to the lack of traffic afloat and, therefore, the limited opportunities to find assistance.

Further Government guidance is expected to be published detailing what forms of exercise are appropriate at this time; this may result in changes to permitted activities afloat.

The Harbour will also be closed to visiting yachts (from sea) as Government guidance is clear that you should avoid travelling outside your local area, remaining at your primary residence - the place where you live. Staying overnight at a second home, caravan or, in this instance, boat, or travelling for a holiday, is not allowed. Live-aboard vessels on long distance passages will be accommodated for appropriate periods but should assume no assistance will be provided.

The Harbour Taxi is not in operation.

We do not expect owners or other non-registered persons to be working on board their vessels (excluding commercial contractors/fishermen) but you may check the condition of your vessel where appropriate, whilst walking past for example. The boatmen will monitor the condition of all vessels afloat but please contact us if you wish a particular check to be actioned.

The Harbour Office will remain closed but our staff will continue to operate remotely Monday-Friday 09:00-16:30; whilst our phones will be diverted, please correspond by email where possible. Most local facilities and businesses will be closed as per the Government guidance.

Our maintenance and boat park teams will continue to operate following our Covid Secure safe systems of work to ensure their (and others) ongoing safety. This will be alongside commercial operators assisting with the winter storage of vessels and their maintenance/caretaking. We will attempt to monitor afloat activity to the best of our ability with a listening watch on VHF Ch 14. It may be necessary to impose further restrictions if the use of the harbour is not in line with Government policy or is seen as inappropriate to the national cause. Our urgent out-of-hours contact number is 01803 867034 but in an emergency afloat or along the coast please dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard.

The Harbour Authority, Harbour Board and SHDC will continue to review Government guidance as appropriate. We anticipate this policy may have to be adjusted to follow any further Government guidelines, which may influence our operations or the services we provide, without notice. We appreciate your continued support in maintaining safe and efficient port operations.

More information on the latest Government restrictions can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/national-lockdown-stay-at-home

Please help to maintain everyone’s health and safety by remembering HANDS – FACE – SPACE to reduce the spread of Covid-19. We look forward to everyone getting back afloat as soon as we are advised it is safe to do so, when everyone can once again enjoy Salcombe-Kingsbridge Estuary’s unique beauty.

Please STAY HOME – PROTECT THE NHS – SAVE LIVES

Thank you for your kind attention.

Cameron Sims-Stirling

Salcombe Harbour Master

Update from 5th November 2020

From Thursday 5th November 2020 Government guidance is changing please follow this link for the latest information:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/new-national-restrictions-from-5-november#history

Salcombe Harbour Authority is adjusting its stance in line with recent Government guidance (updated November 1st 2020) in order to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. From Thursday 5th November 2020, everyone is advised to stay at home except for specific purposes, which do include allowing exercise outdoors or to visit an outdoor public place.

Having reviewed the related Government documentation, we interpret that, from Thursday 5th November 2020, the Salcombe-Kingsbridge Estuary can be used for local exercise, or spending time outdoors, where social distancing can be maintained. If you wish to use your vessel, in a manner that complies with current guidance, please ensure you make every attempt to remain safe in order to reduce the chance of you requiring assistance.

The Harbour will be closed to visiting yachts (from sea) as Government guidance is clear that you should avoid travelling in or out of your local area and should remain at your primary residence - the place you live – staying overnight at a second home or travelling for a holiday is not allowed. This also applies to resident vessels cruising elsewhere; local ports will not be expecting arrivals.

The harbour office will be closed, however our teams will continue to operate remotely - or onsite where work cannot be conducted from home, Monday-Friday. The phone and email will be monitored during normal working hours along with a listening watch on VHF CH 14. We will attempt to monitor afloat activity to the best of our ability and may impose further restrictions if the use of the harbour is not in line with Government policy or seen as inappropriate to the national cause. Most local facilities and businesses will be closed as per the guidance.

Our maintenance and boat park teams will continue to operate following our Covid Secure safe systems of work to ensure their (and others) ongoing safety. This will be alongside local contractors assisting with the slipping of boats for winter storage and their maintenance/caretaking. We anticipate this policy may have to be adjusted to follow any further Government guidelines, which may influence our operations or the services we provide, without notice.

We do not expect owners or other non-registered persons to be working on board (excluding commercial operators/fishermen) but you may continue to monitor the condition of your vessel.

The Harbour Taxi is still restricted in its availability and capacity, it will only operate to facilitate a boat’s usage that complies with current guidelines.

The Harbour Authority, Harbour Board and SHDC will continue to review Government guidance as appropriate.

We appreciate your continued support in maintaining safe and efficient port operations.

WASH HANDS – COVER FACE – MAKE SPACE

Thank you for your kind attention.

Cameron Sims-Stirling

Salcombe Harbour Master

Update from 4th July 2020

From Saturday 4th July 2020, Salcombe Harbour will be open to overnight berthing, for those wishing to stay on board. This is in line with recent Government guidance (published 23rd June 2020) that removes the previous restriction preventing overnight stays away from your own home. Visiting vessels from sea, along with some other bookings and tender berthing on pontoon landings, will all be subject to normal rafting up; please be aware of this, you may need to take extra precautions, take particular care to maintain a social distance and wash your hands regularly.

Whilst you should be able to maintain a social distance afloat on your own vessel, please bear in mind each step of your trip; especially whilst accessing pontoons or landings which might become busier than normal. Our pontoon landings are generally not over 2m wide and, whilst they will be marked and/or signed to help maintain social distancing, they cannot be adjusted in physical size. Their layout does provide for passing places; observe the pontoon you wish to access, give way to those coming ashore on landing bridges and anticipate having to use extra precautions. Please plan ahead, use common sense, and be patient. We will attempt to monitor activity to the best of our ability and may impose limits or restrictions on certain facilities (or busy areas) should their use prove to be a concern.

Local public toilet facilities are now open around the Harbour. Other businesses are beginning to open in line with particular Government timelines but their capacity is restricted. Ferry operators and other commercial passenger carrying craft, where operating, will also be severely limited and a backlog could present its own problem for customers who are queueing. Please check their current status before assuming a service is in operation. Unfortunately, Salcombe has seen the cancellation of many large events including Merlin Rocket and the Salcombe Town Regatta weeks; despite this, we still expect to be busy given fair weather.

The Boatman and Harbour Taxi are currently operating 7 days a week, monitoring VHF Channel 14 and 12 respectively.

The Harbour Taxi will be operating at a severely reduced capacity, ensure you have a face covering should you be using any of our taxi or shuttle services; please consider other options available to you or expect a longer waiting time. The Harbour Taxi will be monitoring VHF channel 12 and mobile 07807 643879.

The Harbour Office and Boatpark Hut are open 7 days a week (as advertised) but we request customers queue clear of the office access to enable those at the reception to exit safely.

We ask, where possible, that ALL payments made to Salcombe Harbour Authority are done so by card, in the safest way possible, to minimise contact.

All staff are operating to a revised risk assessment to ensure their (and others) ongoing safety, in line with current Government guidelines. We anticipate this safe system of work may have to be adjusted to follow any further guidance which may influence the services we provide without notice. Please consult our website for current advice.

The Harbour Authority, Harbour Board and SHDC will continue to review Government guidance. Please make every attempt to remain safe and plan ahead, therefore reducing the chance of requiring assistance and avoiding unnecessary contact with others. We appreciate your continued support in maintaining safe and efficient port operations, whilst being able enjoy our beautiful Harbour.

STAY ALERT – CONTROL THE VIRUS – SAVE LIVES.

Thank you for your kind attention.

Cameron Sims-Stirling

Salcombe Harbour Master

Update 13 May 2020

Salcombe Harbour Authority is adjusting its stance in line with recent Government guidance (published May 11th) to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 but allow for the reopening of public spaces and activities from Wednesday 13th May 2020. This includes the ability to spend time outdoors for recreation including unlimited exercise or sport, where (unless from the same household) social distancing can be maintained.

Having reviewed the related Government documentation, we interpret that from Wednesday 13th May the Salcombe-Kingsbridge Estuary can be used for local exercise, sport, or spending time outdoors, where social distancing can be maintained. Should you wish to use your vessel please bear in mind each step of the process and how you can maintain social distancing, especially whilst accessing pontoons or landings which might become busier than normal as people venture out, as well as making every attempt to remain safe and reduce the chance of requiring assistance. Our pontoon landings are generally not over 2m wide and cannot be adjusted, however their layout does provide for passing places; please observe the pontoon you wish to access, anticipate having to use extra precautions, use common sense, and be patient.

Harbour Dues are payable by all vessels moored/launched within the Salcombe-Kingsbridge Estuary INCLUDING THOSE VISITORS ARRIVING BY LAND. All boats to be registered at the Harbour Office or Batson Boat Park or download the Boat Registration form here. For Rate & Charges information click here PLEASE DISPLAY YOUR PLAQUE.

Please note that toilet facilities will NOT be re-opening around the estuary at this time. Most other facilities and businesses remain closed in surrounding local towns.

The Harbour will remain closed to visiting yachtsmen (from sea) as government guidance is clear that, apart from day trips, leaving your home - the place you live - to stay at a second home for a holiday or other purpose is NOT ALLOWED. This also pertains to resident vessels cruising elsewhere; local ports will not be expecting arrivals.

Currently the Boatman will continue to run 7 days a week, but only between 09:00 and 20:00 monitoring VHF Channel 14. Salcombe Harbour Authority will attempt to monitor activity to the best of our ability and may impose limits or restrictions on accessing certain facilities (or busy areas) should their use prove to be concerning.

The Harbour Taxi will resume a restricted availability/capacity service to prevent overcrowding a particular trip and remove waiting or queuing. Advanced booking is essential by phone or email, half hourly between 09:00 and 19:30, daily. The Harbour Taxi will be monitoring VHF channel 12 and mobile 07807 643879, please click here for more information Water Taxi.

In addition the Harbour Office on Whitestrand will be opening again from Monday 1st June 2020, seven days a week throughout the summer, the opening hours are, Monday to Thursday 09.00 to 16.45, Friday and Saturday 09.00 to 16.15, Sunday 09.00 to 13.00. We request that only essential trips are taken to the office, our preference is still for business to be conducted online or over the phone.

Social distancing measures will need to be respected and only one person at a time will be allowed into the front of reception.

All staff are operating to a revised risk assessment to ensure their (and others) ongoing safety in line with current Government guidelines. We anticipate this safe system of work may have to be adjusted to follow any further guidelines which may influence the service without notice. Ferry operators and other commercial passenger carrying craft, where operating, will also be severely limited and a backlog could present its own problem for customers’ queueing. Please check their current status before assuming a service is provided.

Hand in hand with the ability to use the estuary, we will begin to launch those boats stored on Batson Car Park and those boat owners are welcome to continue with their own preparations for this to take place, whilst observing social distancing measures.

Should your facility be temporarily unavailable whilst we try to catch up with those tasks we have not been able to complete under lockdown, and you require an immediate option, please contact us.

Salcombe Harbour Authority has had to interpret the government guidelines so as to provide a balance between social distancing and your ability to enjoy the estuary. We reserve the right to review these measures at any time if it is clear that social distancing is not, or cannot be maintained in the course of enjoying the estuary.

The Harbour Authority, Harbour Board and SHDC will continue to review Government guidance and update our own guidance in early July at the latest. We appreciate your continued support in maintaining safe and efficient port operations whilst being able enjoy the benefits of getting afloat.

Please STAY ALERT – CONTROL THE VIRUS – SAVE LIVES.

Update 25 March 2020

In addition to our previous post regarding the current operational status of Salcombe Harbour Authority, including the restrictions we all face to maintain our health and safety, we would like to clarify what we feel constitutes a necessary journey or essential activity on the water.

Commercial activity (fishing etc), or residents in isolated locations traversing the harbour for the purpose of shopping for essentials or medical provisions, we deem essential activity. It is not appropriate that the harbour is used for the purpose of exercise or leisure. Although the weather is fair and this may seem very appealing, we would advise it is not a necessary or essential action.

Update 24 March 2020

In line with government policy to tackle the spread of Covid-19, Salcombe Harbour Authority has suspended all none essential operations whilst maintaining a watch system applicable to its statutory duties. The Harbour Office is closed and services, such as boat lifting and the harbour taxi, are cancelled with immediate effect until such a time restrictions are lifted. We appreciate that the next few weeks (at least) are going to be difficult but we expect everyone to follow current government guidelines such as no unnecessary journeys and only leaving home for essential activities.

We, therefore, do not expect to see our stakeholders, including visiting craft, using harbour facilities or going afloat without a good reason that falls within the guidance published at that time. We will be in touch with new information when the situation changes.

The boatman will endeavour to maintain a listening watch on VHF Channel 14 daily from 30th March 09:00-16:30. The Harbour Office phone will be answered remotely Mon-Fri 09:00-16:30 but email is our preferred means of contact for everyday business.

Our out of hours contact number is 01803 867034 but in an emergency afloat or along the coast please dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard.

These efforts are being made to maintain everyone’s health and safety. We look forward to getting back up and running to facilitate your enjoyment of the Salcombe-Kingsbridge Estuary when we are advised it is safe to do so.

Thank you for your kind attention.

Salcombe Harbour Authority

STAY ALERT – CONTROL THE VIRUS – SAVE LIVES.