Boatowners in Guernsey are angry at the decision to remove hosepipes from the island’s marinas on the grounds of health and safety
Boatowners in Guernsey are furious at the Harbour Authority’s decision to remove hosepipes from public marinas. Guernsey Harbours issued a Notice to Mariners saying it will no longer provide hosepipes for boatowners or allow unused hosepipes to remain connected to the provided taps.
The Authority says it will allow boat owners to use their own hosepipes provided they are removed immediately after use and do not create a trip hazard at any time, but warn that unattended hosepipes will be removed and disposed of.
Members of the Guernsey Boatowners’ Association say the Authority has acted in a high-handed manner and has introduced the ban without any consultation. Peter Derham, the Association’s president, said the plan should first have been discussed at the next quarterly meeting between the Association and the Harbour Authority.
The Harbour Authority says it decided to remove the hosepipes urgently on the grounds of a potential hazard to health and safety. “We felt we needed to act quickly to protect the public”, said the Harbour Master, Captain Chad Murray.
“Our problem is we have no control over how they were used,” added Harbour director Sarah McGreevy, “but we do have a duty to protect marina users from potential infection or contamination.”
