NAVY NEWS, SEPTEMBER 2007 11
Citizens on patrol
THE ‘safety police’ of
Hampshire Constabulary’s boats to
Portsmouth Harbour are
A-Z of VHP
tackle criminal activity. It is limited
looking for more volunteers
to educating and advising harbour
users on safety issues.
– and cash – to ensure Interestingly, there’s no law to
the service’s continued
make you wear a life jacket on your
■ ‘Portsmouth Harbour’
success. offi cially covers around
own boat, nor do you need a ‘driver’s
The Volunteer Harbour Patrol, or
50 square miles of water,
licence’ to skipper a yacht.
VHP, was set up in the spring of 2004
stretching to Eastney,
Nor is the patrol the AA of the high
to make the waters of Portsmouth
Cowes and Sandown Bay
seas, although much of the team’s
Harbour safer by using trained
on the Isle of Wight time is spent towing home broken-
volunteers, all experienced mariners,
down vessels (invariably through lack
■ Portsmouth is the second
to offer friendly advice to all who use
busiest harbour in the UK,
of fuel).
the waters during the summer.
surpassed only by Dover
“Some people see the sea as the
And that’s a lot of people.
– with 75,000 ‘movements’
last bastion of freedom and don’t
“Look around the harbour. It’s
each year
like being told what to do, but most
marina, marina, marina – there are people accept that we’re here to help
more than 5,000 yachts and boats
■ Ninety-nine per cent
and give us a friendly wave,” said Mr
moored here,” said Cdr Kendall
of commercial shipping
Bichard.
Carter, Queen’s Harbour Master, in
bound for Southampton
sails through the eastern
Rules dictate the patrol cannot
charge of the VHP.
Solent – and through QHM’s
charge for its service. Aside from the
“We’re the second busiest port
domain
goodwill of the volunteers, it relies on
in the UK – this summer has been
sponsors and donations to maintain
absolutely manic, especially since ■ The Volunteer Harbour
its four boats and two jet skis.
the beginning of August and Cowes Patrol two jetskis and four
“Our jetskis have done about 40
week.” small boats, including two
times more miles and time in the
From late April/early May until catamarans. On a day’s
water than an average jetski simply
the end of October/early November, patrol, the catamarans will
because they’re on patrol all summer
the VHP boats and jet skis are on guzzle around £100 fuel
– and when it comes to servicing
the water every weekend, every
anything connected with a boat costs
bank holiday, and some of the busier
far more than a car for example,”
weekdays when the volunteers can
warships, ferries and commercial explained Cdr Carter.
spare the time.
shipping.
The 40 or so volunteers are drawn
To date, the generosity of sponsors
The harbour entrance is, not
from all walks of life: ex-RN, ex-
such as Serco, VT and Raymarine
Army, police force, even a postman
surprisingly, the choke point. have kept the boats in the water,
(yes, called Pat), who give up on
At peak times in high summer but more support – and volunteers
average two days every month to
there could be 100 craft an hour – are needed to ensure the service
keep the harbour safe.
moving in and out of Portsmouth. continues.
Personal water craft – or jetskis as
And, to be fair, most sailors are “No other port runs anything on
most people know them – were in the
law-abiding. They wave merrily to the scale of the VHP and it’s crucial
headlines a few years back, but rarely
the patrol craft. But there is one big to the safe running of Portsmouth
today, thanks to two VHP jetskis and
bugbear for the VHP team. Harbour in the summer,” Cdr Carter
dedicated areas for these fast craft
“You regularly see children riding added.
(they can reach speeds in excess of
in RIBs without life jackets or More details are available from
60mph) off Eastney and Lee-on-the-
buoyancy aids – you can very easily the patrol’s website at www.
Solent.
get ‘bumped’ off a RIB,” said former
vhpportsmouth.com or by ringing
Most transgressions are down
CPO Ken Bichard, vice chairman of 023 9272 3124.
to ignorance – not knowing the
the VHP.
harbour, not knowing the rules,
“You can pick up an aid for
● The boats and jet skis of the
such as failing to use the dedicated perhaps £30.”
Volunteer Harbour Patrol churn the
channel for boats under 20m rather The VHP is not a police force –
waters of Portsmouth Harbour
Picture: LA(Phot) Chris Wenham,
than the main channel.used by there are MOD police launches and FRPU Whale Island
9 O U R F R I E N D L Y A F F O R D A B L E
, O N D O N # L U B
s # L O S E T O - A R B L E ! R C H A N D / X F O R D 3 T R E E T
● Work in progress on the Armed Forces Memorial in Staffordshire, which will be offi cially dedicated on
s ! F F O R D A B L E R O O M R A T E S
October 12
s # H O I C E O F R E S T A U R A N T S A N D B A R S
Forces memorial
s # O N C E S S I O N A R Y . # 0 # A R 0 A R K R A T E S
s & U N C T I O N R O O M S F O R D I N N E R S R E C E P T I O N S
tickets available
R E U N I O N S A N D P R I V A T E P A R T I E S
4 H E 6 I C T O R Y 3 E R V I C E S # L U B
TICKETS are available for the dedication of the feel a connection with their loved ones, according to 3 E Y M O U R 3 T R E E T
Armed Forces Memorial in Staffordshire – but an MOD spokesman.
organisers are warning that numbers are limited. The Memorial will be dedicated on Friday October
, O N D O N 7 ( &
The Memorial, at the National Arboretum in 12, and 4,000 tickets have been allocated for friends
Alrewas, will list some 15,500 names of members of and families of those killed on duty since 1948, to be
the UK Armed Forces, regular and reserves, killed on divided between the decades.
4 E L
duty or as a result of terrorism since World War 2. There will be around 500 tickets for each decade,
This includes members of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary with a maximum of two tickets per family, and 160
& A X
and the Merchant Navy who have died while serving for Service and ex-Service personnel who served
% M A I L I N F O V S C C O U K
in conflict zones. alongside those named on the walls.
It is intended that the memorial will attain national Application forms are available online from 7 E B W W W V S C C O U K
significance, and a focus for remembrance to provide the Armed Forces Memorial website at www.
recognition and thanks for those who have given
forcesmemorial.org
their lives. As tickets are limited, and allocated on a first-
- E M B E R S H I P / P E N T O A L L 3 E R V I N G A N D 2 E T I R E D - E M B E R S
Uniquely, it will also give prominence to the come, first-served basis, organisers have advised
civilian sacrifice that accompanies military losses, and families, colleagues and friends to apply early if you O F T H E ! R M E D & O R C E S A N D T H E I R F A M I L I E S
will be a place where families and friends can go to would like to attend.
0010-011_NN_Sept.indd 210-011_NN_Sept.indd 2 221/8/07 16:29:091/8/07 16:29:09
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