SOUTH COAST & CHANNEL ISLANDS
Two people aboard an Axopar 28 which burst into flames and later sank in Lymington Harbour have been rescued by a passing fishing vessel.
Firefighters from Lymington and Brockenhurst, alerted just before 1500 on 22 October, worked with Coastguard teams to access and extinguish the blaze, but the boat had already suffered significant damage.
A Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire & Rescue Service spokesperson said: “Two people on board were rescued by a passing vessel on the river as a significant amount of smoke began emanating from the boat.”
The two people rescued were uninjured. The cause is believed to be an electrical fault.
Hoist collapse
An investigation has been launched after a 40-tonne slipway hoist, worth more than £400,000, collapsed and crashed over a sea wall onto the public footpath and foreshore below on 12 October.
The hoist, which was being operated by a driver at Falmouth Boat Yard at Ponsharden, landed upright in the water next to moored boats. No one was injured.
Director Nick Offord told PBO: “It’s true we had an issue with our hoist but we are continuing to haul out boats.”
Boat sale donation
Former Sea Cadet Keith Gooch has donated the £7,500 sale proceeds from his beloved Colvic Watson 24 to raise funds for a youth charity.
The Gosport Sea Cadets, which has 70 members aged nine to 18, will use the money raised from the sale to buy a replacement Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB), to deliver RYA level 1, 2 and safety boat courses.
Keith said: “When I decided to hang up my sea boots, I approached the Gosport Sea Cadets to see if they could make use of my 24ft motorsailer Alexandra. I am very happy the funds from the sale can be put towards their fundraising project.”
WEST COAST, WALES & IRELAND
Dredging work is underway at Deganwy Marina and will last until the new year. A dredge discharge pipe has been laid in position latitude 53° 17.44’ N, longitude 003° 49.73’ W, marked with a yellow special mark with a quick flashing yellow light sequence.
Invasive worms
An invasive non-native species (INNS) of worm has been discovered on two boats in Ramsey, Isle of Man, after the boats were removed from the water for cleaning and maintenance.
The boat-crane operator alerted the island’s Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (DEFA) in early October after noticing an unusual growth on the hulls and propellers.
Both boats had been recently transported from Peel Marina to Ramsey for storage.
Samples taken by DEFA’s marine scientists revealed the species is the Australian or
