Don’t punish boat owners for damage from storm

WHEN Storm Eunice battered the south coast recently, it was one of the worst since the great storm of 1987.

The damage wrought on property has been estimated by insurers to be at least £200m.

Record winds were recorded off of The Needles on the Isle of Wight – a staggering 122mph.

So it is no surprise that boats took a battering during those wind and rainlashed days in February.

To then be told that you have just seven days notice to move your storm-damaged vessel, or the council will do it for you, is adding insult to injury.

Imagine heading to Eastney to check on your beloved boat, only to find an ‘abandoned property’ sticker on it must be rather galling.

Particularly if, as the boat-owners are claiming, they are up to date with their harbour dues.

And given that not everyone will be going to where their boat is moored that frequently, it is not impossible that the craft could be removed before the owner is even aware there is a ‘problem.’

As in any situation like this there is conspiratorial talk about the harbour board and council’s intentions, which is most likely a step too far.

However, there does need to be total transparency in situations like this.

The fact that the council is not answering why this is happening now is only going to stoke the anger from the owners.

Of course Portsmouth City Council has every right to remove unsightly, abandoned boats from its land, but it does sound rather like this process has been gone about in a rather ham-fisted manner.

How much effort was made to identify all of the owners of the boats which have been earmarked for removal we cannot say, but there needs to be a proper dialogue, and all of the owners talked with.