For the boy in us all

There is a lot going on around us and Queen's Harbour Master Portsmouth is a great source of news - both of general interest and for navigation and safety. The last three have been particularly interesting for us grown-up boys. Local Notice To Mariners 11/09 tells of a visit of a nuclear submarine from 4th to 8th April - hurry up or you'll miss it. 12/09 advises that HMS Endurance (presumably the one that got mixed up in the start of the Falklands war) is arriving on the back of heavy lift ship MV Target, and will anchor off Spithead to offload her between 8th and 12th April. That will be a sight - it will take up to 20 hours to ballast MV Target down so Endurance can float off (which by then will be over near Sturbridge). Finally there Might Be Something Down There. Reading between the lines of 13/09 someone has picked up an odd echo under the causeway to Fort Blockhouse which might be a thumping great bomb. Seems like they are going to burrow down and find out, and in case it goes bang at the wrong moment there will be a sizable exclusion zone. Fingers in ears between 5th and 10th April! If you want to subscribe to these Notices, visit http://www.qhmportsmouth.com/

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P.S. Nav Warn 13/09 has just been cancelled. Perhaps it was a lump of rock after all.

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Local Notice To Mariners (5/08) MILITARY PARACHUTING EXERCISE OFF LEE POINT 20th APRIL 2008

I'm putting this here because I received it via email subscription: so far (2nd April) it is not posted on the QHM site. It may affect fishing marks in the eastern Solent on 20th April.

QUEENS HARBOUR MASTER PORTSMOUTH
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-- LOCAL NOTICE TO MARINERS No 5/08 --

MILITARY PARACHUTING EXERCISE OFF LEE POINT 20th APRIL 2008

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN by the Queen’s Harbour Master Portsmouth that a “Military Parachute Training Exercise” will take place off Lee on Solent, Sunday 20th April 2008.

Submarine Parachute Advisory Group (SPAG) will be parachuting from a C130 Hercules aircraft during daylight hours only, approximately 1000–1500, into the centre of a drop zone position, 50° 47’.2N 001° 12’.4W; 5 cables southwest of Lee Point. The aircraft will make several passes over the drop zone dropping parachutists in groups of up to 6.

An exclusion zone of 1000 metres radius from this point will be enforced whilst the operation is under way.

Safety communications and appropriate warnings on VHF will be conducted during the exercise by the safety vessel on station.

A “Drop Zone” Safety Officer and qualified medical cover will be afloat in a designated vessel within the area. Four Ribs will also be standing by to assist / recover personnel from the water to Lee on the Solent slipway.
Additionally a safety vessel and a Ministry of Defence Police Launch will be in attendance throughout.

Mariners are requested to keep well clear of this area whilst the exercise is under way. Vessels in the area are requested to proceed at slow speed and a good lookout is essential due to the nature of the event.
Cancel this LNTM Mon 21st Apr 2008 (20 days)

Tue 1st Apr 2008
Semaphore Tower
HM Naval Base, Portsmouth

S O Hopper
Commander Royal Navy
Queen's Harbour Master