Boats and walkways ‘tip over’ at harbour
CRAFT TILT AT 45 DEGREES IN BIZARRE SCENES AFTER DOCK’S WATER LEAKS OUT
AN investigation is under way after several boats were left tilted on their sides in a Gwynedd dock that drained unexpectedly.
Passers-by were left scratching their heads on Saturday June 3 as the boats moored in Caernarfon’s Victoria Dock were tilting at close to 45 degree angles due to the low level of water in the dock.
Some of the walkways surrounding the boats were also tilting into the water due to the issue.
The bizarre scenes sparked plenty of speculation as to why the water level had become so low, but the harbourmaster has now confirmed that the drainage was caused by a problem with the dock’s gate.
What caused the gate to fail is not yet known but it has been repositioned and secured for the time being to retain the water, according to the harbourmaster.
The water level has been back to normal since as a result, but mariners were advised that no vessels will be authorised to enter or exit the dock without first making contact with the dock master until further notice.
Victoria Dock harbourmaster David Jon O’Neill said that a “specialist underwater team” is expected to arrive at the site today (Wednesday June 7) and the gate will be repaired once they have determined the cause of failure.
He said: “At this stage we are uncertain as to the cause, however I can confirm the gate did fail and allow the majority of the retained water to drain on the afternoon low water of June 3. We have managed to bring the gate back into its correct position and secured it the best we can. We are confident the remedial works we have undertaken will maintain the gate’s integrity, and retain the water within the dock. We are now awaiting a specialist underwater inspection team to arrive, we anticipate by Wednesday afternoon.”