Harbour ban for owner after boat crash drama

A BOAT owner whose vessel smashed into two moored yachts, capsized, and caused two people to be rescued will be banned from Salcombe Harbour.

Substantial damage was caused to the two yachts and their vessel in the incident that required police attention, and the Marine Accident Investigation Branch is investigating.

It is just one of a number of incidents this summer in the waters around the South Hams revealed in the report to the Salcombe Harbour Board by the Salcombe Harbourmaster.

Others involved a fishing boat fire, hire boat staff falling off the pontoon, 21 collisions, three near misses, five damaged boats, 62 illegal moorings, 21 speeding offences, one drunk and abusive water taxi customer and three dangerous swimmers.

The Salcombe Harbourmaster’s report to the South Hams District Council Salcombe Harbour Board says the owner of the vessel involved in the collision will have the mooring facility removed for 2019-2020 season.

It won’t be reinstated until the outcome of insurance claims and repairs to the damage are decided.

The Board is asked to endorse the report and take appropriate action in line with policy, as well as endorsing the incident log from April, May, June, July and August.

The log also says that five complaints had been received.

The majority were to do with excess wash in the Harbour, but that 16 compliments, double the number from last year, had been received.

The defibrillator, mounted at the Harbour Office, was also used following a cardiac arrest, in which the person involved had made a good recovery.

The Salcombe Harbour Board meets on Monday, September 17, at 2.30pm in Salcombe to consider the report.