Harbour patrols stop 26 speeding vessels since March

The scale of the speeding is outlined in a report to Exeter City Council

More than 20 speeding vessels have been stopped by patrols in the Exe Estuary since March, a report has revealed.

Boat and personal watercraft owners were said to be speeding close to wildlife refuges and some had refused to stop when challenged by harbour patrols.

The scale of the speeding is outlined in a report to Exeter City Council by harbourmaster Grahame Forshaw.

Mr Forshaw's report said he was receiving information "daily about vessels travelling at excessive speed".

'Too fast'

His report said since the last meeting of the council’s harbour board in March a patrol boat had been on the water every weekend, weather permitting, and 26 vessels were stopped and their owners spoken to.

The number is slightly down on the same period last year, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Mr Forshaw’s report added: “The patrol boat can only be in one place at a time.

“We receive reports daily about vessels travelling at excessive speed.

"In fact when we are afloat working from our other boats, we see craft going too fast in the river, often in areas where there are moorings or close to the designated wildlife refuge areas.

“We have had occasions when skippers of vessels travelling too fast have refused to stop when requested to by the harbour patrol.”

The report also said since March two broken-down vessels had been towed back to their moorings; one yacht sank on its mooring; a rowing boat and a powerboat collided and two yachts grounded on Pole Sands between Dawlish Warren and Exmouth.

A navigation buoy also broke free from its anchor and drifted five miles out to sea before being recovered off Lyme Regis, the Local Democracy Reporting Service added.