Facts needed on harbours

However, I have to say that some of the deputies who spoke were either misinformed or ill-informed, causing some of them to force the rest of the States into potentially making a very risky decision. It was clear a few members did not know exactly what they were saying and how this would affect the outcome. It is essential that any new harbour is both practical and safe to access as well as meeting our needs for the next 100 years. If we lived in the Mediterranean sea or perhaps the Baltic, where there is very little current, low tidal range and few underwater reefs, I would not be so worried about what was being proposed, but we don’t.

Our islands are in an area where there is a huge range of tide (10.3m on large spring tides and less than 4m on a neap tide). The range of tides means the difference between high water and low water on any tide.

I have always tried to be reasonable but I’m sorry to say that a few of our present deputies are intent on getting their own way regardless of the risks and the costs to the taxpayer.

Currents

It has been said the current only runs at about 3.5 knots. Well that may be correct on the ebb tide (current running south) but on the flood tide (running north) experience tells me that it runs at 5-plus knots at times.

At low water on spring tides, the passage from the centre of the Little Russel on the leading marks towards St Sampson’s narrows considerably with named rocks and shallows on either side of the passage, giving very little room for any commercial vessel to manoeuvre and therefore being at great risk of being run aground by the irregular flow of tidal current.

I am aware that the consultant’s computer simulations on the approaches to the proposed new harbour at Longue Hougue South all failed due to these adverse currents. Our local pilots were involved in these simulations, with a UK pilot operating the controls of the UK simulator under instructions from our pilots.

When the bow of the ship entered the slack water of the new harbour mouth, the currents forced the stern of the ship off course and the approach failed. This happened several times and the experiment was unsuccessful.

Pilots

We were told there were only four or five pilots in the whole world permitted to pilot commercial vessels into St Sampson’s at the moment, in fact the full complement at the moment is just four.

We were also told that two of the pilots were due to retire in the near future, which is correct. As far as I am aware at the moment there may be only one person who holds the maritime qualification required to become a pilot.

That will mean that master mariners would have to be brought in from elsewhere to service our needs. It takes time and a lot of local knowledge to become a local marine general pilot. To train a pilot properly takes months plus a year or more gaining experience to be able to become accustomed to tides, currents and difficulties of manoeuvring large ships in our local waters.

We were also told that the present pilots and a senior master pilot have agreed it is OK to build a new harbour at Longue Hougue South, which is contrary to what I have been told. So I have to ask, am I being misled or was the deputy who said that in the chamber misleading the States?

There is only one retired master pilot still alive and having known him for many years, I cannot imagine he would have said that.

In the recent debate, my experience and background knowledge was questioned by one deputy so I would like to confirm the following:

My Master’s Certificate of Competence was issued on 27/1/1978 for home trade passenger vessels, number 113504, and previously to that, first officer Certificate First Officer (Mate) number 113193 issued on 1/6/1975.

The above certificates enabled me to act as a master and mate on any size passenger vessel or freighters within home trade waters.

It also enabled me to operate much further afield with a dispensation from the Department of Trade.

I frequently acted as first and second officer on Commodore vessel on routes in northern Spain, Portugal and into the Mediterranean sea.

I served as master (captain) on all their vessel barring one which rarely came to the islands due to the fact that the ship was permanently trading to Spain, Portugal and the Mediterranean.

I remained working with Commodore Shipping from 25/2/1973 until April 1984. I was very grateful and loyal to the company in all the years I worked for them.

Most of my service as master was with freight from UK to the Channel Islands with frequent services to St Malo and occasional voyages to Le Havre.

I spent most of my time acting as Commodore’s relieving master, commanding their largest vessels which carried containers and general cargo. These ships varied slightly in length from 78.4m to 82m.

At the company’s request and support I took special pilotage licences for both Guernsey and Jersey to enable the company’s ships I was in command of to be able to enter St Peter Port and St Helier without the use of the islands’ general marine pilots.

I finished my service with Commodore Shipping in March 1984 and returned to fishing commercially where I could spend more time at home with my family.

Some years later I was asked if I would like to become a Guernsey General Pilot, and after a discussion with my wife I took up the offer.

I held a Guernsey General Marine Pilots Licence number 5 for about 21 years, mostly operating out of St Sampson’s.

During this time, I piloted many ships, including passenger liners of 200-plus metres.

I also piloted the first 4,500 ton barge into St Sampson’s where it was used for the reclamation of the Longue Hougue waste site.

The length of the barge tow and tug was in the region of 200m.

Another massive challenge was the successful refloating of the vessel Vermontborg on the west coast where I was the lead pilot.

The length of tow was around 320m, the only difference was that the tug I was piloting was just under 50m long with 7m draft and had 12,000 horse power.

In 2001 my Certificate of Competency had to be revalidated and because of joining the EEC the Board of Trade now known as the MCA realigned itself with merchant naval service in the European community and my home trade certificate of competency was upgraded too.

Until this time there was no restriction on the size of merchant vessels I could command in the British Home Trade trading area.

My new certificate of competency was issued on the 25 September 2001 by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, number CoC0016784.

A trading area much larger than before was extended from the White Sea in northern Russia to Dakar in West Africa and included the Baltic sea and the Mediterranean sea.

This certificate enabled me to command vessels up to 20,000 gross tons in the sea areas above and much larger than those vessels who are now permitted or can enter St Peter Port or St Sampson’s.

So I consider my local marine knowledge and experience of handling large commercial ships in and out of St Sampson’s and St Peter Port harbours gives me the right to express my deep concerns on the proposals under debate last month.

Finally, all deputies are elected to represent the people and have to take the consequences of their actions.

They should not be making life-changing decisions based on their feelings or promoting their own political agendas but on the facts presented to them.

Only then can they be seen to serve their electorate properly.

Sadly, that is not always the case.

BARRY PAINT