Rowing on the Tidal Thames Present Rules, Developments and What Might Happen

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Rowing on the Tidal Thames - Present Rules,
Developments and What Might Happen!

• Dr CJD George

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Introduction

• Salvage Association Risk Assessment
• The Rowing Risk Assessment Implementation Group
• Hopefully you will learn what rules are at
  present and what we are hoping to deliver by
  agreement with the PLA

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Agenda

• Your questionnaire for return
• Your chart of your proposed course
• The present law and regulations
• Proposed changes the region invite you to
  comment at any time
• Questions now at any time

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The Present Law

• The Tidal Thames as far as Teddington Lock comes
  under the jurisdiction of the Port of London
  Authority.
• The majority of the regulations and instructions
  concerning navigation are laid down in

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A List of Laws and Regulations

• International Regulations for Preventing
  Collisions at Sea (1972) (ColRegs)
• Port of London Act (1968)
• Port of London River Byelaws (1978)
• General Directions for Navigation in the Port of
  London (2003)
• Permanent Notices to Mariners (2005)
• Notices to Mariners

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ColRegs

• Rule 5

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ColRegs

• Every vessel shall at all times maintain a proper
  look-out by sight as well as by hearing as well
  as by all available means appropriate in the
  prevailing circumstances and conditions so as to
  make a full appraisal of the situation and of the
  risk of collision.
• Advice on looking round. Bow and 2 in stern
  coxed. ..

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ColRegs

• Rule 9
• Narrow Channels

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ColRegs

• (a) A vessel proceeding along the course of a
  narrow channel or fairway shall keep as near to
  the outer limit of the channel or fairway which
  lies on her starboard side as is safe and
  practicable.
• (b) A vessel of less than 20 metres in length or
  a sailing vessel shall not impede the passage of
  a vessel which can safely navigate only within a
  narrow channel or fairway.
• (f) A vessel nearing a bend or an area of a
  narrow channel or fairway where other vessels may
  be obscured by an intervening obstruction shall
  navigate with particular alertness and caution
  and shall sound the appropriate signal prescribed
  in Rule 34(e). (One prolonged blast)
• Where?

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ColRegs

• RULE 10
• (a) This Rule applies to traffic separation
  schemes adopted by the Organization and does not
  relieve any vessel of her obligation under any
  other rule.
• (c) A vessel shall so far as practicable avoid
  crossing traffic lanes, but if obliged to do so
  shall cross as nearly as practicable at right
  angles to the general direction of traffic flow.
• Where? Crossing points? Certain clubs?

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ColRegs

• Rule 13

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ColRegs

• Rule 13 Overtaking
• (a)   any vessel overtaking any other shall
  keep out of the way of the vessel being
  overtaken.
• Q? Is this what we do? What do you think?

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ColRegs NOTE re Rule 13

• (d) Any subsequent alteration of the bearing
  between the two vessels shall not make the
  overtaking vessel a crossing vessel within the
  meaning of these Rules or relieve her of the duty
  of keeping clear of the overtaken vessel until
  she is finally past and clear.  

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ColRegs NOTE re Rule 13

• Crossing vessel?
• This is to be covered later in Rule 15 -

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ColRegs Rule 14

• Rule 14 Head-on Situation
• (a) When two power driven vessels are meeting on
  reciprocal or nearly reciprocal courses so as to
  involve risk of collision each shall alter her
  course to starboard so that each shall pass on
  the port side of the other.
• (The right hand rule.) When not? Conflict!
• (c) When a vessel is in any doubt as to whether
  such a situation exists she shall assume that it
  does exist and act accordingly.

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ColRegs Rule 15 Crossing Situation

• When two power driven vessels are crossing so as
  to involve risk of collision, the vessel which
  has the other on her own starboard side shall
  keep out of the way and shall, if the
  circumstances of the case admit, avoid crossing
  ahead of the other vessel.

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Port of London Act (1968)

• 108 General rules for navigation
• What are the possible actions that can be taken
  against rowers who fail to obey the law and
  breach the rules? In extremisA master (that is
  you the cox or steersman) who navigates his
  vessel on the Thames-

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Port of London Act (1968) 108 General rules for
navigation

• (a) without due care and attention or
• (b) in a manner liable to injure or endanger
  persons, other vessels,
• shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a
  fine not exceeding the statutory maximum and on
  conviction on indictment to a fine.
• (The statutory maximum is currently 5,000.)

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Port of London Act (1968)

• 15 Modifications of the International Rules
• Notwithstanding Part B of the International
  Rules -
• (a) a vessel shall not cross or enter a fairway
  as to obstruct another vessel proceeding along
  the fairway
• (c) a power-driven vessel shall not proceed
  abreast of another power-driven vessel except for
  the purposes of overtaking that other vessel
• (d)   a vessel in a fairway above Tilburyness
  shall not overtake a vessel which is herself
  overtaking another vessel.

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Permanent Notices to Mariners (2005)

• Coaching Boats
• Power driven vessels used for coaching should, as
  a minimum, display an all-round white light and,
  if proceeding at more than 7 knots, port and
  starboard navigation lights.
• We are looking to make all such launches have
  navigation lights regardless. Comments?

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Port of London Act (1968)

• Coaching Boats
• In order to qualify for an exemption to exceed
  the 8kt speed limit upstream of Wandsworth Bridge
  when engaged in escorting a rowing boat in
  training owners of coach boats are to
• Demonstrated the wash characteristics of the
  craft to the Port of London Authority Marine
  Surveyor.
• Display an exemption sticker on the craft.
• The exemption only applies when the craft is
  engaged in bona fide coaching activities.

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Where should we go (present)

• Apologies for the film!

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All
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Putney L
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Putney U
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Hammersmith
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Chiswick Kew
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Kew
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Brentford Sion
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Developments with PLA / SA

• Fairway buoys, bridges, maps, education
• Rowing lanes - location, notices, posts,
  education
• Launches revert to the law Licence to exceed 8
  knots, education
• Neil Jacksons report on TRRC of the Captains
  meeting in October 2005

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What could happen?

• If we dont convince the PLA either in the
  current negotiations or after a probation
  period, then the PLA are likely to impose their
  own requirements. In the extreme they could
  apply all of and only ColRegs. IF that came to
  pass, rowing craft would then
• (a) keep to the starboard side of the channel at
  all states of the tide
• (b) in single file at the extreme edge of the
  channel and
• (c) move out from and return quickly to that file
  only to overtake (and that, of course, only when
  the overtaking craft could do so safely without
  baulking on-coming traffic).
• (One version might simplify matters even further
  by designating rowed vessels as powered craft,
  so that we shared the Tideway with motor boats on
  the same legal basis!)

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TRRC

• !) The TRRC team are working to prevent that
  outcome. But they cannot do it alone. The whole
  rowing community will have to sign up to making
  any agreed, acceptable system both work and be
  seen by the PLA to work.

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Reported to the Captains NJ

• To reach our goal?
• a club-based system, administered by
  volunteers as we mostly are, and self-policing
  within the rowing community
• we will have to satisfy the PLA that the system
  will work.
• That will mean reporting each other for
  infractions and accepting sanctions to the
  extent of TRRC suspending a club deemed unsafe on
  its resulting record from competition and,
  perhaps from any non-competitive unsupervised
  rowing.

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Information sources

• http//safety.thames-rrc.co.uk
• Regional website
• PLA website
• ARA website
• New code when it comes out!

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Any Questions - observations

• ?