Wherry Albion to be checked for Boat Safety Scheme
The iconic 108 year old wherry Albion is taking the lead in being one of the first wherries on the Broads to be checked for compliance with the national Boat Safety Scheme on Thursday 27 April.
The 58 ft long black sailed giant, owned by Norfolk Wherry Trust, will be checked out at Cox’s Boatyard, Barton Turf, by Boat Safety Scheme examiner and yard manager Eric Bishop.
To comply with the scheme Trust volunteers have serviced the fire extinguishers, applied high and low level ventilation and ensured the gas and electric systems are up to standard. Albion has no engine.
The Boat Safety Scheme, which comes into effect for the Broads’ largest boats on 1 April 2007, aims to minimise the risk of fire, explosion and pollution through the regular inspection of boats.
Boats must pass a BSS examination before they can get a licence to navigate the Broads. The scheme applies to boats with engines and/or cooking, heating, lighting, refrigerating and other domestic appliances. Once issued the certificate lasts for four years.
Steve Birtles, Broads Authority Head of Strategy and Safety, congratulated the Norfolk Wherry Trust.
He said: "The Broads Authority is pleased to see the owners taking a responsible approach to the Boat Safety Scheme by getting Albion inspected well ahead of the implementation date for vessels of this size. We are encouraging boat owners to commission a Boat Safety Scheme examination as there are a limited number of boatyards who can undertake the necessary work. We are urging people to act early to avoid a backlog and risk missing the deadline."
Hire craft over 30 sq m and private motor craft of 21 sq m and above must comply with the scheme by 1 April 2007; all remaining hire craft and private motor craft of 11 sqm and above must comply by 1 April 2008 and all remaining private motor craft and all private sailing craft must have their certificates before 1 April 2009.
There are around 25 examiners who cover the Broads and most are willing to give advice about essential work. Examiners’ fees vary so it may be worth getting several quotes.
Advice and information: BSS office on 01923 201278, bss.enquiries@boatsafetyscheme.com
The revised BSS guide book, the toolkit for the standards, is available at the Broads Authority office at 18 Colegate, Norwich, £6.30 with new binder, £5.50 without binder (inserts will fit into the old folder) and £2.50 for post and packaging.
Lists of examiners are available from the Broads Authority’s office on 01603 610734, and on www.boatsafetyscheme.com.
26/04/2006
