Latest News
Last updated 31st March 2011
To all Mooring Licence Holders – March 2011
1) Results of the election for a Member
Nominations were invited for a new Member in the February 2011 letter to Licensees. Steve Kendall, who was due to retire in rotation stood for re-election and as no other nominations were received he is duly elected and we welcome his continuing service to the Company.
2) Meeting for Mooring Licensees
There will be a meeting for all mooring Licensees at the
Portscatho Memorial Hall on Tuesday 19th April at 7:30 pm
The purpose of the meeting is to provide an opportunity for the Company to report on its activities during the past year, and answer questions and receive feedback from Licensees.
3) Mooring fee for 2011/12 and licence applications
The fee for 2010/11 is £4.20 per foot, an increase of 25p on last year, compared with increases of 35p and 40p in the last two years. The increase has been kept to an absolute minimum and only covers the increasing cost of the lease with the Place Estate.
Please complete the application form, amend if necessary, sign and return before 16th May.
4) Sub-Licence Applications
As mentioned in the February letter, the administration fee of £30 will be waived for the first issue of a sub-licence provided that the application is made in time for a sub-licence to be issued in advance of a boat going on a mooring. Applications made after the boat is on the mooring will be charged the usual administration fee. Forms were included with the letter in February or can be downloaded from www.percuilriver.co.uk.
5) Mooring Licence conditions
The licence conditions have been drawn up with regard to the safety of Licensees and their boats, and this will only be achieved if everybody shows consideration for others by observing them.
We draw your attention to those relating to speeding in the River, ensuring exposed propellers are covered, mooring numbering and maintenance, the correct boat being registered on licence, insurance and pollution just to mention a few.
Previous Newsletters:
To all Mooring Licence Holders – February 2011
1) Sub-Licence Applications - Administration Fee changes
It is important that the Company has details of all boats on moorings, and their owners. Licensees must apply for a sub-licence if their mooring is used by someone other than themselves, and sub-licence application forms for both new and existing sub-lets are included with this newsletter. To facilitate the process, and as a trial for 2011, the administration fee of £30 for the first issue of a sub-licence will be waived. Please note this is on condition that the application is made in time for a sub-licence to be issued in advance of a boat going on a mooring. Applications made after the boat is on the mooring will be charged the usual administration fee.
2) Operations Director
We welcome Brian Chenoweth who has been appointed as Operations Director. Brian is well known to many Licensees and is often on the river with his motor boat and working boat.
May we remind Licensees that any concerns or incidents should be reported initially to Hugh Jones, Company Secretary (by letter, e-mail, website contact form or answerphone on 01872 580068) who will pass on the information as appropriate.
3) Report on the 2010 season
Security - the number of incidents was again very low, thanks in part to the deterrent effect of the patrols by the St Mawes Harbour Master. We are grateful to the Harbour Office passing on details of various issues with boats such as jibs coming undone, and three cases of boats which had sunk.
Exposed propellers – although most boat owners do cover their propellers with buckets, we had to contact a significant number whose propellers were exposed, putting their neighbours’ boats and other river users at risk. Please remember to cover exposed propellers from the start of the 2011 season and ensure that both the bucket handle and the securing rope are sufficiently robust to withstand the pressures exerted by tide and wash.
Speeding – there were a number of incidents where the 5 knot speed limit was considerably exceeded, which posed a risk to other river users. Please consider the impact of your wash and speed on other boats and people in tenders during 2011, and stay within the 5 knot speed limit.
Mooring Incidents – Overall, the number of mooring incidents on the river reduced by about a third in comparison with 2009.
In total we were aware of 2 boats which came adrift from their moorings, one through shackle failure and the other due to a strop that became detached.
With so many moorings in the River, there are few, if any, swinging circles that do not overlap and consequently neighbouring boats can come into contact. The number of contact or near-contact incidents reduced in 2010, helped by the changes made to the mooring contractor guidelines which were implemented at the start of the 2010 season. These incidents often occur when wind and tide are in opposite directions or where dissimilar boats are moored adjacent to each other. Fortunately very few of these resulted in serious damage.
To all Mooring Licence Holders – March 2010
Nominations were invited for a Member in the December 2009 letter to Licensees to replace Chris Thomas who was due to retire in rotation. Brian Chenoweth was the only nomination received and is therefore elected as one of the four Members who represent Licensees. Chris decided not to stand for election as a Member but will still have a close involvement with the Company in his capacity as a Director.
2) Meeting for Mooring Licensees
There will be a meeting for all mooring Licensees at the
Portscatho Memorial Hall on Tuesday 13th April at 7:30 pm
The purpose of the meeting is to provide an opportunity for the Company to report on its activities during the past year, and answer questions and receive feedback from Licensees.
3) Mooring fee for 2010/11 and licence applications
The fee for 2010/11 is £3.95 per foot, an increase of 35p on last year. The increase has been kept to a minimum and only covers the increasing cost of the lease with the Place Estate.
Please complete the application form, amend if necessary, sign and return before 16th May.
4) Operations Director
Jim Izzard has decided to stand down as Operations Director. He has made a tremendous contribution in the research and preparation of the new Mooring Contractor Guidelines and particular thanks are due to him for all his work last year.
Currently we have not been able to find a volunteer to fill the role, and it is likely that it will be shared between the Directors and other co-opted volunteers.
5) Report on the 2009 season
Security - the number of incidents was again very low, thanks in part to the deterrent effect of the patrols by the St Mawes Harbour Master.
Exposed propellers – although most boat owners do cover their propellers with buckets, we have had to contact a significant number whose propellers are exposed which puts their neighbours’ boats and other river users at risk. Please remember to cover exposed propellers from the start of the 2010 season.
Speeding - the number of incidents has considerably reduced. Please consider the impact of your wash and speed on other boats and people in tenders and stay within the 5 knot speed limit.
Mooring Incidents - we wrote to Licensees summarising the incidents in 2008 and we have had a similar number of incidents in 2009.
In total we were aware of 3 boats or moorings becoming adrift, 2 through shackle failures and the other due to a rope strop which had chafed through.
With so many moorings in the River, there are few, if any, swinging circles that do not overlap, and the greater the overlap the greater the risk of neighbouring boats coming into contact. As in 2008, this year we have had a significant number of boats either coming into contact or being very close to each other, often when wind and tide were in opposite directions or where dissimilar boats are moored adjacent to each other. There will always be a small number of unavoidable problems; however the number of incidents reported is a concern. The probable causes are that the blocks are out of position, either through dragging or because the stone has been moved; the scope is too long or the mooring tackle is not heavy enough. In some cases evidence of the configuration of the mooring has been clear, but in many cases it has not. Where appropriate, modifications have been made, usually by shortening the scope and increasing weight. Blocks should only be moved when the configuration is known to be correct. There is a large element of trial and error in adjusting moorings after boats have been in contact, and not all cases have been conclusive. A change of boat sometimes highlights problems in moorings that have been trouble-free for years.
Aside from these incidents there have been other cases of shortfalls in the configuration or condition of moorings such as strops which were too long or moorings which were lacking maintenance.
The changes to the mooring specification which were detailed in the December 2009 letter to Licensees are a significant step in trying to reduce these incidents.
Overall, our review of incidents highlights the importance of sticking to the requirements of the Mooring Licence Conditions, particularly with regard to:
• the maintenance of the mooring tackle to the Guidelines,
• ensuring that strops are not too long, and
• the protection of exposed propellers.
To all Mooring Licence Holders - December 2009
NOTICE 1 - New Mooring Contractor Guidelines
In our April 2009 newsletter we stated that all Licensees, Approved Mooring Operators and Boatyards could help to reduce the number of mooring incidents and that we were working with the Approved Mooring Operators to ensure a consistent approach to the configuration of moorings in the river. This work has resulted in revisions to the existing Mooring Operator (now called Mooring Contractor) Guidelines.
The new guidelines, which supersede the previous guidelines produced in 2007, are effective from December 2009 and have been drawn up after a significant amount of research and consultation. They have also been approved by the Truro Harbour Master.
The Percuil River is unusual due to the amount and density of moorings together with the number of mooring contractors operating in the river. For these reasons guidelines are needed to ensure a consistent approach in the design and maintenance of moorings. In the past few years there has been a substantial number of boats involved in contact or near contact incidents and in some cases this has unfortunately resulted in damage. The aim of the new guidelines is to reduce the number of incidents by addressing some of their underlying causes. We hope the changes will be welcomed by Licensees as they have been made in their interests.
The main aim of the changes to the specification is to reduce the swinging circles of moored boats and thus reduce the risk of boat contacts. The most important changes are to increase the weight and reduce the scope of the chain, to bring a greater degree of consistency in the configuration of moorings than in the past and to introduce best practice into their design and maintenance so the number of incidents is brought down to the minimum.
For some moorings there may be little for Mooring Contractors to do apart from make the adjustments to the length of chain. For others, it may require changes to the chain or other components. Approved Mooring Contractors will know what changes are needed and where necessary can agree with their customers a phased programme whereby all moorings will meet or exceed the Company’s guidelines by the summer of 2014. For most moorings this should be able to be incorporated into the annual maintenance programme. Changes that will be implemented from next season include adjustment to chain lengths, ensuring strops are of the correct length and inspecting any moorings with no history or record of inspection of the ground tackle.
Moorings with a history of adjacent boat contacts are a priority for the new specification. To reduce the risk of further incidents they should be brought to the new specification for next season. Licensees will be contacted separately if their mooring falls into this group.
Full details of the Mooring Contractor Guidelines and guidance on their implementation are available on the website,
We hope the changes when fully implemented will reduce the risk of boat contacts and other problems and we ask Licensees to co-operate with their Mooring Contractor if any changes to their mooring are needed. If you have any queries we will try to answer them or your Mooring Contractor may be able to advise further.
NOTICE 2 - Mooring Licence Conditions – Boat Insurance
Licence Condition 4)c)vii) has been changed to increase the sum insured for third party liability to not less than £2,000,000. This is recommended by the British Marine Federation. Licensees should check their insurance policies. It now reads:
vii) The Licensee shall maintain third party insurance in respect of himself/herself and of each of his/her vessels, his/her crew for the time being, and his/her guests, visitors, agents, and subcontractors in a sum of not less that £2,000,000 in respect of each accident or damage, and in respect of each vessel, adequate salvage insurance.
NOTICE 3 - Vacancy for a Member of the Company - Nominations and Election by Licensees
There are ten Members of Percuil River Moorings Ltd, six representing local organisations and four others who are elected by the licensees. These four retire annually in rotation, but may stand for re-election if they wish. The procedure for replacing a retired Member is listed below.
This year Chris Thomas is due to retire and he has said that he will stand for re-election in 2010. Licensees may nominate an alternative prospective Member if they wish, and should there be more than one nomination, a ballot of all Licensees will be held, the nominee gaining the greatest number of votes being elected to the vacant post.
1. Nominations from Licensees must be in writing and must be sent to the Company’s registered office (at the foot of the covering letter) not later than 15th January 2010. A nominee does not need to be a licence holder.
2. All nominations must include confirmation that the nominee has consented to his or her nomination.
3. Should there only be one nomination, that nominee will be appointed automatically. If there is more than one nomination, ballot papers will be sent to all Licensees during the latter part of March 2010 (together with the Fee Demand for 2010/11) listing the names of every nominee.
4. Each Licensee is entitled to only one vote irrespective of the number of mooring licences held. Completed ballot papers must be received by the Company not later than 20 April 2010. If received after this date they will not be counted.
5. A meeting for licensees will be held at 7.30 pm on Tuesday 13 April 2010 at the Portscatho Memorial Hall. If they wish, Licensees and nominees may make representations at the meeting regarding their proposals or willingness to stand. Completed ballot papers may be handed in at the meeting.
6. The Company will arrange for the votes to be counted, and the name of the successful nominee will be notified to all Licensees in the next written communication from the Company and will be published on the Company’s website not later than 7 May 2010.
To all Mooring Licence holders - April 2009
To all Mooring Licence Holders – March 2009
1)Results of the election for a Member
Nominations were invited for a new Member in the letter to Licensees in January 2008. Dudley Kennett, the current Chairman, stood for re-election and as no other nominations were received he is duly elected and we welcome his continuing service to the Company.
2) Meeting for mooring Licensees
There will be a meeting for all mooring Licensees at the Portscatho Memorial Hall on Friday 11th April at 7:30 pm. The purpose of the meeting is to provide an opportunity for the Company to report on its activities during the past year, and answer questions and receive feedback from Licensees.
3)Mooring fee for 2008/9
The fee for 2008/9 is £3.10 per foot, an increase of 40p on last year. The majority of the increase is to cover the cost of the lease with the Place Estate and the remainder is to start to build the very limited reserves as a contingency fund. The Company is run on a non-profit, low cost basis with much of the work being done by local volunteers.
4)Procedures for dealing with concerns
Licensees who have any concern with their mooring or its position, should discuss it first with their Mooring Operator. He may suggest alterations to the tackle but is not allowed to move the position of the mooring without permission from the Company. If the concern involves other boats or moorings the Licensee must promptly inform the Company who will then review the situation and endeavour to liaise with the relevant owners and Mooring Operators to resolve the concerns.
Initial contact must be made with the Company Secretary, (by letter, email, website contact form or answer phone on 01872 580068) who will pass on the query as appropriate. Initially, this is likely to be to the Operations and Moorings Directors, but please do not contact them directly as problems need to be co-ordinated by the Company Secretary.
We hope to respond to your queries efficiently and fairly.
5)Mooring Licence application form – please check
Please take a few moments to check that the details of your boat and mooring operator on your Mooring Licence Application are correct. These are important especially if you have any problems with your mooring. If you sub-let your mooring to someone else you must declare this and ensure your mooring is properly sub-licensed.
6)Mooring Licence conditions – Winter use
For those few moorings that are used throughout the year, a new condition has been introduced requiring them to be checked in the Autumn in addition to the normal Spring servicing. Please see the enclosed sheet for details.
7)Changes of boat and authorised lengths of moorings – beware!
If you are planning to change your boat, please ensure that you check that the overall length of the boat (from stemhead fitting to the aft-most extremity; see condition 4)d)iii)) is within the authorised length of the mooring you propose to use and that you seek approval for the change of boat from the Company before making a commitment. Boat builders often name boats with a suffix, for example Dehler 35, which may not relate precisely to the overall length and can therefore be misleading.
If the overall length is not confirmed in advance, it may lead to a boat being purchased which is too long for the mooring and the Company is then asked to increase the authorised mooring length to resolve the problem. In general these requests are refused because all areas of the River are at full capacity.
8)Mooring Licence conditions – please observe
A copy of the Mooring Licence Conditions is enclosed; please comply with all of them. We draw your attention to those relating to speeding in the River, mooring numbering and maintenance, the correct boat is registered on licence, exposed propellers, insurance and pollution just to mention a few.
The conditions have been drawn up with respect to the safety of Licensees and their boats, and this will only be achieved if everybody shows consideration for others by observing them.
9)Use of spare moorings by Harbour Master – helping visiting sailors
During the season there are often requests from visiting sailors who would like to pick up a mooring in the Percuil River for a night or two. This may be because they appreciate the shelter or beautiful surroundings, or that the visitors’ moorings in the Harbour are full. As a joint initiative with Gary Cairns, the St Mawes Harbour Master we are suggesting that Licensees let the Harbour Office know when their mooring will be unoccupied and provide their mooring details. Anyone wishing to allow visitors to use their mooring(s) should specify to the Harbour Master a maximum length of boat that could use it. This could be anything up to the length of their own boat, but not the authorised length if that is longer. Any visitors requesting to be in the River would be directed to a suitable mooring if one is available and will be advised that the use of the mooring is ‘at their own risk’ and not to make any changes to the mooring tackle or pick-up buoy. This is an entirely voluntary arrangement and there is no obligation for Licensees to do this. Gary will collect a reduced fee of which at least half will be donated to the St Mawes Branch of the RNLI, the remainder going to the Harbour to cover the administration costs. At the end of the season we will review this initiative and we will let you know how much was raised for the RNLI. We hope that Licensees will support it by seeing it as a way of donating to the RNLI and helping fellow sailors at the same time
The Harbour Office can be contacted on 01326 270553 during working hours or by email to hm@stmawesharbour.co.uk.
To all Mooring Licence holders - January 2008 Newsletter:
All licensees have been sent a letter to let them know of some changes which have been made within the Company. Also, this mailing included information on the election of a Member of the Company by the Licensees.
The New Structure of the Company
Licensees were sent a letter in July 2007 which gave an outline of the plans to restructure the Company. This process is now complete, and the Members of Percuil River Moorings Limited formally approved the changes at the AGM in December 2007. From now on the new structure is as follows:
There are six Standing Members with representatives from:
Gerrans Parish Council
St Just Parish Council
St Mawes Fishermen’s Association
Freshwater Boatyard
Percuil Boatyard
Polvarth Boatyard
and four Members elected by the Licensees, of which one is replaced by election in rotation every year.
The Members of the Company have appointed a Board of Directors to run the Company on a day to day basis.
The changes will enable the Company to provide the licensees with an efficient service, and the Company would welcome any comments you may wish to pass on to it.
The Process for the Election of a Member by Licensees in 2008
As part of the Company restructure, a Member is now elected every year by the Licensees. This is to improve the accountability of Members to the Licensees and give transparency to the process of appointing Members to the Company.
· Nominations are invited from Licensees for a Member of Percuil River Moorings Ltd. and must be received by the Company at its registered office by no later than 1st March 2008 and include evidence that the nominee consents to the nomination.
· Each Licensee is entitled to make one nomination, irrespective of the number of licences held.
· Nominees do not need to be Licensees.
· If there is more than one nomination, ballot papers will be sent out to each Licensee by 31st March with Licence renewal notices, and will include brief details of those nominated.
· Each Licensee is entitled to one vote, irrespective of the number of licences held. The Boatyards are not entitled to vote.
· A meeting of the Licensees will be held on Friday 11th April 2008 at 7.30pm at Portscatho Memorial Hall during which they will have the opportunity to discuss nominations and make representations regarding their proposals for membership.
· Ballot papers are to be returned by 20th April.
· The result will be declared on the Company’s website by 7th May and in the next written communication to Licensees.
Report on 2007 - As part of our duties, the Company is concerned with safety and damage prevention on the River. Please note the following information.
Security - the number of incidents was very low, thanks in part to the deterrent effect of the patrols by the St Mawes Harbour Master.to minimise collision damage we have been in touch with some licensees regarding over long strops, boat lengths and mooring positions. Your Mooring Operator should ensure your mooring is in a suitable condition for your boat.
Exposed propellors - the vast majority are now covered by buckets, but there were a few incidents of damage caused by propellors which were not covered. Please remember to cover exposed propellors from the start of the 2008 season or if absent, please instruct your Boatyard to do this at the time of launching, or alternatively your Mooring OperatorNumbering of buoys - All buoys need the mooring number prominently shown. Please instruct your Boatyard or Mooring Operator to check, and mark buoys if necessary, when your boat is launched.
Speeding - the number of incidents has reduced, but there are still occasional incidents, particularly towards Percuil. Please consider the impact of your wash and speed on other boats and people in tenders and stay within the 5 knot speed limit.
Damage to boats - there have been a few incidents caused by passing traffic which were not reported to owners. If you accidentally hit a boat or witness an incident, please report this to the Company so we can let the owner know.
Other - to minimise collision damage we have been in touch with some licensees regarding over long strops, boat lengths and mooring positions. Your Mooring Operator should ensure your mooring is in a suitable condition for your boat.
The Company keeps a log of all incidents that it is aware of on the River.
Please report anything to the Company that you think it should be told about.