Banned: Diving the HMS Hood...

*E mail Received from DIS UK*
-

-I have just returned. Please PASS ON this email to any relevant
party/diving list/media/club or diving group as soon as possible as
I can only post it here on DIS-UK. It is important. Thanks and
Regards

Izzy

****


Hi all,

The Portland Harbour Authority Ltd. which has full control over
Portland harbour and its wrecks has:

Banned *all* diving on the HMS Hood beginning January 2004

....for an indefinite period which looks as if it will be a lasting
one either until the wreck is removed or Portland Port takes an
alternative decision.

(Description on the Hood is available at
http://www.divernet.com/wrecks/wtour7999.htm)

The diving ban, issued without any consultation with local
businesses, diving groups and concerns and/or dive boat operators or
national diving clubs, noticably coincides with Portland Port's
ongoing efforts to build an oil terminal close to the South Entrance
of the Harbour in a major expansion scheme and even more
controversial future plans to build windmills (with exclusion zones)
in the same location.

Local sources have said the decision is already being and will
continue to be policed by Portland Harbour. (Please note, the
Harbour Master "does" have policing rights, inclusive of fining and
detention).

According to a brief "Notice to Mariners" dated 1 January 2004 and
sent recently by the PHAL to boat owners and operators, the decision
was taken after "a recent survey of the wreck of the 'Hood' which
lies across the seaward entrance to the South Ship channel, has
indicated that the wreck has degraded and is collapsing on itself."

The notice was signed by Harbourmaster S. Mault "with the written
permission of the Harbour Authority".

The Notice said the Harbour Authority "is presently considering the
future use, structure and status of the South Ship Channel together
with the future of the wreck of the Hood" adding that "all options"
were being considered.

It added that "in the meantime, the Harbour Authority will not
permit any diving on the wreck of the Hood" and revoked any
permission previously given by saying "any permission... with
respect to diving in the South Ship Channel; which includes the
wreck of the Hood is revoked from the date of this notice."

The Notice alleged "The withdrawal of permission to dive on the Hood
has been made in the interests of the safety of all divers and those
tasked to rescue a diver should he/she get into difficulty."

It is not yet known whether Portland Port aims to open the South
Entrance by destroying or removing the wreck altogether, thus
opening it to larger marine vessels. As no previous consultations or
communication with the interested parties were made by Portland
Port, it is not known whether there are plans to extend the ban(s)
to other sites.

TO QUESTION THIS DECISION AND/OR GET MORE INFORMATION WITH REGARD TO
IT, INCLUSIVE OF THE MISSING CONSULTATION AND COMMMUNICATION PROCESS
IN ADVANCE, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT:

Portland Port Limited
Castletown, Portland, Dorset, DT5 1PP, England
Tel: +44 (0) 1305 824044 Fax: +44 (0) 1305 824055
e mail: info@portland-port.co.uk

Or visit their web site on: http://www.portland-port.co.uk/
(which appears to miss this vital bit of "development"

INFORMATION ON THE HOOD IS AVAILABLE AT:

http://www.divernet.com/wrecks/wtour7999.htm

"Mark Williams" <mark.nospam.williams@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:btploi$9ubfi$1@ID-169335.news.uni-berlin.de...
> *E mail Received from DIS UK*
> -
>
> -I have just returned. Please PASS ON this email to any relevant
> party/diving list/media/club or diving group as soon as possible as
> I can only post it here on DIS-UK. It is important. Thanks and
> Regards
>
> Izzy
>
> ****
>
>


I can't believe it!

That means that I may have made my last dive there for the rest of my
life??? Unbelievable.
I hope they don't get rid of her, she's bought me many fond memories, and
many hilarious ones as well

On Sat, 10 Jan 2004 20:10:41 -0000, "Tricky"
<scubatricky@nospam.yahoo.co.uk> wrote:


>
>
>I can't believe it!
>
>That means that I may have made my last dive there for the rest of my
>life??? Unbelievable.
>I hope they don't get rid of her, she's bought me many fond memories, and
>many hilarious ones as well
>

Well, email the bastards and complain, not that it will do much apart
make you feel a bit better.

--
Steve Barlow

Mark Williams wrote:

> The Portland Harbour Authority Ltd. which has full control over
> Portland harbour and its wrecks has:
>
> Banned *all* diving on the HMS Hood beginning January 2004

That's sad. I've had many an enjoyable dive on that lump of metal...

- Keith

Think what we did to save whisky bravo. If enough of us complain we can
change decisons.

Does any one have the web address for e-mailing MP's

Jim Knight, south dorset MP is a good guy and would probably fight our
corner as much as any of the politicos.

Especially on the gorunds of economy. Weymouth and Portland are still
"economically depressed areas"

"Nick Reed" <nareed@globalnet.co.uk> wrote ...

> Think what we did to save whisky bravo. If enough of us
> complain we can change decisons.

Complaining directly to the port authority wont help much, we need to put
pressure on them from other directions.

> Does any one have the web address for e-mailing MP's

Try http://www.faxyourmp.com/ for starters, read the guidance notes as well!

> Jim Knight, south dorset MP is a good guy and would probably fight our
> corner as much as any of the politicos.
> Especially on the gorunds of economy. Weymouth and Portland are still
> "economically depressed areas"

Don't hassle Jim too much, MP's normally only reply to their own
constituents.

I feel that the best course would actually be contacting the local authority
and tourist boards. If they start getting letters from all over the place
about people coming down to dive the Hood as a wreck experience dive then
they might take notice. Tell them how this arbitrary anti-diver stance by
the port authority will damage their tourist trade. They will get the MP's
involved, pressure on the port authorities will then build up from that
direction.

I've already contacted the chair & NDO of the BSAC, I'm hoping that we may
be able to get something going inter-agency with all of the diving
organisations working together. I'll leave the SAA/PADI (et al) folk to
contact their people.

What's worrying here is the precedent : the divers and their boats are doing
zero harm, they are not getting in anybodies way, they are not interfering
with the workings of the port by diving the Hood. Yet some bright spark has
just turned around and said "let's ban divers". The trick is going to be
giving the port authorities more hassle by having the ban than by not having
it

Keith L

"Keith Lawrence" <false@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:40013575$0$52888$5a6aecb4@news.aaisp.net.uk.. .

> I feel that the best course would actually be contacting the local
authority
> and tourist boards. If they start getting letters from all over the place
> about people coming down to dive the Hood as a wreck experience dive then
> they might take notice. Tell them how this arbitrary anti-diver stance by
> the port authority will damage their tourist trade. They will get the MP's
> involved, pressure on the port authorities will then build up from that
> direction.

I think the issue is that the weymouth council seem to be very 'anti diver'
in general.

We're just people who dash down, take up all the parking spaces, cause aggro
with the money spending yachties and leave, having made no contribution to
the local economy.

So, I find it hard to understand how my selfless contribution to parking
dive boats, dive shops, sandwich bars, B&B's, curry houses and local
breweries manages to ravage my wallet so much.

I know Len on Autumn Dream was doing a survey for a while "what do you spend
in weymouth", not sure what happened with that.

Seems to me that the best target for any form of campaign has to be either
the local chamber of commerce or the local MP (via the skippers
association). The survey that Len was doing seems to be a good starting
point, bleat with economics rather than just bleating :)


/Z

"Mark Williams" <mark.nospam.williams@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:btploi$9ubfi$1@ID-169335.news.uni-berlin.de...
> *E mail Received from DIS UK*
> -
>
> -I have just returned. Please PASS ON this email to any relevant
> party/diving list/media/club or diving group as soon as possible as
> I can only post it here on DIS-UK. It is important. Thanks and
> Regards
>
> Izzy
>
> ****
>
>
> Hi all,
>
> The Portland Harbour Authority Ltd. which has full control over
> Portland harbour and its wrecks has:
>
> Banned *all* diving on the HMS Hood beginning January 2004
>
> ...for an indefinite period which looks as if it will be a lasting
> one either until the wreck is removed or Portland Port takes an
> alternative decision.
>
> (Description on the Hood is available at
> http://www.divernet.com/wrecks/wtour7999.htm)
>
> The diving ban, issued without any consultation with local
> businesses, diving groups and concerns and/or dive boat operators or
> national diving clubs, noticably coincides with Portland Port's
> ongoing efforts to build an oil terminal close to the South Entrance
> of the Harbour in a major expansion scheme and even more
> controversial future plans to build windmills (with exclusion zones)
> in the same location.
>
> Local sources have said the decision is already being and will
> continue to be policed by Portland Harbour. (Please note, the
> Harbour Master "does" have policing rights, inclusive of fining and
> detention).
>
> According to a brief "Notice to Mariners" dated 1 January 2004 and
> sent recently by the PHAL to boat owners and operators, the decision
> was taken after "a recent survey of the wreck of the 'Hood' which
> lies across the seaward entrance to the South Ship channel, has
> indicated that the wreck has degraded and is collapsing on itself."
>
> The notice was signed by Harbourmaster S. Mault "with the written
> permission of the Harbour Authority".
>
> The Notice said the Harbour Authority "is presently considering the
> future use, structure and status of the South Ship Channel together
> with the future of the wreck of the Hood" adding that "all options"
> were being considered.
>
> It added that "in the meantime, the Harbour Authority will not
> permit any diving on the wreck of the Hood" and revoked any
> permission previously given by saying "any permission... with
> respect to diving in the South Ship Channel; which includes the
> wreck of the Hood is revoked from the date of this notice."
>
> The Notice alleged "The withdrawal of permission to dive on the Hood
> has been made in the interests of the safety of all divers and those
> tasked to rescue a diver should he/she get into difficulty."
>
> It is not yet known whether Portland Port aims to open the South
> Entrance by destroying or removing the wreck altogether, thus
> opening it to larger marine vessels. As no previous consultations or
> communication with the interested parties were made by Portland
> Port, it is not known whether there are plans to extend the ban(s)
> to other sites.
>
> TO QUESTION THIS DECISION AND/OR GET MORE INFORMATION WITH REGARD TO
> IT, INCLUSIVE OF THE MISSING CONSULTATION AND COMMMUNICATION PROCESS
> IN ADVANCE, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT:
>
> Portland Port Limited
> Castletown, Portland, Dorset, DT5 1PP, England
> Tel: +44 (0) 1305 824044 Fax: +44 (0) 1305 824055
> e mail: info@portland-port.co.uk
>
> Or visit their web site on: http://www.portland-port.co.uk/
> (which appears to miss this vital bit of "development"
>
> INFORMATION ON THE HOOD IS AVAILABLE AT:
>
> http://www.divernet.com/wrecks/wtour7999.htm
>
>
>

"Nick Reed" <nareed@globalnet.co.uk> wrote in message
news:fNudnWqEHNYKBp3dRVn-tA@brightview.com...
> Think what we did to save whisky bravo. If enough of us complain we can
> change decisons.
>
> Does any one have the web address for e-mailing MP's
>

Nope but the mailing address is

Jim Knight MP
House of Commons
Westminster
London
SW1A OAA


MarkW

nospam to scuba to reply

On Sun, 11 Jan 2004 18:29:39 -0000, "Mark Williams"
<mark.nospam.williams@ntlworld.com> wrote:

>"Nick Reed" <nareed@globalnet.co.uk> wrote in message
>news:fNudnWqEHNYKBp3dRVn-tA@brightview.com...
>> Think what we did to save whisky bravo. If enough of us complain we can
>> change decisons.
>>
>> Does any one have the web address for e-mailing MP's
>>
>
>Nope but the mailing address is
>
>Jim Knight MP
>House of Commons
>Westminster
>London
>SW1A OAA

Look at http://www.parliament.uk/directories/hciolists/alms.cfm

you can email him direct from his entry.
--
Steve Barlow