Berthing pains for passenger vessels

The owners of the Kraken and the Coral Star passenger vessels are concerned they may have to move their business base to Lymington.

Tim and Michelle Anderson were hoping to start running a daily service from Yarmouth to Lymington in July, shortly after the £1 million Kraken arrived in the harbour.

However, an ongoing risk assessment, requested by Yarmouth Harbour, which began on February 16, has meant the vessel, which seats 110 passengers, has been unable to operate throughout the summer.

To compound their woes, the couple were given 14-days’ notice this week to remove the Coral Star from its temporary summer mooring.

Yarmouth harbourmaster, Tim Adams, said: “The harbour is currently conducting a formal assessment of risk for the Kraken’s preferred passenger embarkation/disembarkation berth on the south quay. In the meantime, Kraken is operating from their annual mooring.”

Regarding the Coral Star, he added: “Our mooring allocations and waiting list are managed transparently. Therefore, I can confirm that Coral Star does not hold an annual or permanent berth with us.

“Its previous berth was reassigned to the Kraken. Coral Star is currently using a berth temporarily under a summer LTV (long term visitor) license, which belongs to another annual mooring license holder who was not using it. This temporary license expires on September 30th and will not be renewed by the harbour.

“The current commercial status of both MV Kraken and MV Coral Star remains unchanged.”

However, the reasons for the Coral Star losing its mooring, given to the Andersons in an email, are very different to those given to the IW Observer.

They include: ‘Failure to provide documents, including proof of insurance, within 7 days of our reasonable request.

‘Failure to take reasonable precautions to prevent harm or damage to others.

And ‘Conducting yourself or acting in such a way that causes, or is reasonably likely to cause any danger, obstruction, nuisance or annoyance to us, to any other users of the Harbour or to any other person residing in the vicinity of the Harbour.’

Tim is a captain of 40 years, and Michelle said: “We have done everything the harbour has asked of us in terms of safety certificates and risk assessments, alongside carrying an MCA passenger certificate, but we are still waiting for the go-ahead. We have even asked if there is anything else they would like us to do but we haven’t heard anything.

“We had a minor safety issue recently when there was no harm or damage caused which is still being investigated by the harbour, so we don’t know if this is being held against us. This particular example could not happen on the Kraken.

“The Coral Star has been moored up-river during the summer, but, by losing this mooring, we will have to find another berth locally. If we can’t do that, then Lymington is our next option.

“The same with the Kraken; if we don’t get the go-ahead, then we will have to think of other options. But the whole point of the Kraken is that it will benefit the people of Yarmouth with later sailings and returns. Obviously, being based at Lymington would affect the timetable as the final journey of the day would have to finish over there.”

West Wight MP, Richard Quigley, commented: “I have written to the harbour master, asking him to expedite the risk assessment, so that the Kraken can start serving Islanders as soon as possible. Considering the current issues with existing operators, a fully functioning competitor is in all our interests.

“I hope that the situation will be resolved in the very near future, but I am taking up the matter with the DfT just in case further encouragement is needed.”