King’s Harbour Master Portsmouth
Direction 3/15
- Mariners are advised that the Queen’s Harbour Master Portsmouth has made the following General Direction (GD) under the Dockyard Port of Portsmouth Order 2005 (DPPO 2005).
- The purpose of this General Direction is to set out the changes to regulations set out in the DPPO 2005 and in other extant in force General Directions for the period 23 – 26 July 2015 for the purposes of ensuring the safe conduct of the America’s Cup World Series event taking place in Portsmouth Harbour and the waters of the Dockyard Port of Portsmouth (DPP), specifically in the areas off Southsea seafront and for the transits of the AC45F craft from the Naval Base to and from the Solent.
- Delegations of Authority. QHM hereby delegates authority to act on his behalf as an Assistant Queen’s Harbour Master to the senior Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) and Hampshire Police Marine Unit (HPMU) Police Officer on each craft operating in the vicinity of the race exclusion area. This includes powers to issue special directions (verbal instructions) to any other vessel as required to maintain the exclusion zone and enforce the Directions contained herein.
- Validity. The Directions contained in this General Direction are valid from 0800A to 2000A 23 – 26 July 2015, with the exception of paragraph 9 which is valid from 0001A 11 July to 2359A 26 July 2015.
- Exclusion Zone. Each day, the racing area off Southsea will be defined in a QHM Local Notice to Mariners (LNTM), to be issued by 1000A. The precise area will depend on the wind direction expected each day and thus may vary. The area defined in this LNTM will be an exclusion zone for all vessels not under the direct control of QHM, MDP, HPMU or Team Origin Marshals or competing and support craft. All other vessels are to remain outside of the exclusion zone, which will be marked by racing marks.
- Swashway Channel. In addition to the anchoring prohibition outlined in paragraph 10 for the Swashway Channel, all vessels are not to loiter in the Swashway Channel, and are to remain alert for Isle of Wight ferries and hovercraft using this area and transiting the Swashway.
- Speed limit. To limit the build up of wash and to assist the maintenance of safety in the vicinity of the event, the DPP 10 knot speed limit (GD 4/13 10 knots to 0.5 nautical miles off the Low Water Springs line outside the harbour) is extended to an arc of one nautical mile based on Spit Sand (also know as Spot Bank) Fort. Mariners are also reminded of GD3/13 and the need to be mindful of the effect of wash on other craft even at speeds below the speed limit.
- Size Limits. For the safety of other vessels, QHM Portsmouth is maintaining very close control on the number of larger craft operating in the vicinity of the racing area. Mariners are reminded that all vessels over 48 metres in length and any vessel over 20 metres carrying more than 12 passengers must employ a pilot or hold a Pilotage Exemption Certificate. The number of available pilots is very limited and thus for practical purposes vessels requiring a pilot are unlikely to be allowed north of Outer Spit Buoy. Any vessel over 20 metres in length not specifically authorised by QHM is not to approach within 300 metres of the exclusion zone.
- Keep clear of Warships and AC45F Yachts. All mariners are reminded of the need to keep at least 50 metres clear of all warships either underway, alongside or at anchor (GD 2/15). Exceptionally, this distance is extended to 100 metres for any warship anchored in the Spithead Man of War Anchorage. In addition, for the period 0001A 11 July to 2359A 26 July 2015, mariners are to keep at least 50 metres clear of AC45F Racing Yachts anywhere within the Dockyard Port of Portsmouth, whether underway or secured to moorings.
- Anchoring. All current prohibitions on anchoring in the Dockyard Port of Portsmouth remain in force. This includes the areas marked on UKHO Charts 2625, 2036 and 2037. A warship may be at anchor in the Spithead Man of War anchorage, and no unauthorised anchoring is to take place in this area. Outside of the marked prohibited areas, anchoring is also prohibited within 200 metres of the race Exclusion zone and 100 metres either side of the marked Swashway transit (049.4 degrees) from Southsea seafront to the marked Spithead Man of War anchorage area.
- Mariners are to ensure that they have read all associated Local Notices to Mariners available at http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/qhm/portsmouth/local-notices.
- Cancel this General Direction on 28 July 2015.
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