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Sail-World.com : No marina for us! - Yarmouth protests
No marina for us! - Yarmouth protests
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'Some of the 50 boats in the protest - photo by Oliver Dewar'
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Marinas breed like rabbits in all the sailing nations of the world, and they all look much the same, but some boat owners love their charismatic waterways and don't want them changed.
In Yarmouth on the UK's Isle of Wight, more than 50 boaters gathered last weekend for a floating protest against proposed changes to their unique harbour.
In the early afternoon, the fleet of sailing yachts, motorboats, RIBs, Yarmouth Scows and rowing boats mustered outside the harbour's breakwater before filing in line astern through Yarmouth harbour carrying banners, sounding klaxons and whistles to applause and support from visiting yachtsmen moored in the harbour and holiday makers lining the quay.
The cause of the unusual protest is a planning application lodged by Yarmouth Harbour Commissioners (YHC) that protesters argue will dramatically alter the attractive port, potentially changing the harbour from a popular sailing destination into a sterile marina with a drastic impact on the busy, unspoilt town.
 | Floating protest in Yarmouth Harbour attracted 50 boats - .. . |
Far from a stubborn reaction to change, the protest, the boaters say, was triggered by profound concerns for the fundamental wellbeing of Yarmouth on aesthetic and practical grounds. Local resident, keen yachtsman and joint organiser of the protest, John Caulcutt, explained: 'Yarmouth depends for its livelihood on visitors. If there were no visitors, the much-reduced revenue generated by residents would be insufficient for the survival of many of Yarmouth's businesses.
'Many marinas along the south coast of the United Kingdom are mostly populated by yachts and motorboats that are seldom used because their ‘absentee owners’, both private and corporate, have neither the time nor the money these days to use their boats as often as they thought they would when they first bought them!'
Threat to Festivals and Regattas
Protesters believe that the proposed changes will make it impossible to hold many events within the harbour including the annual Yarmouth Old Gaffers Festival, which attracts over 100 classic boats to the town in early June, and the traditional harbour sports for children associated with Yarmouth Town Carnival held every summer.
Furthermore, the continued success of the annual Taittinger Royal Solent Yacht Club Regatta, an event that brings around 640 sailors to Yarmouth with a total spend in excess of £50,000 over one weekend, will be seriously compromised.
'We believe the plans are misconceived,' said Peter Isaacs, a local resident leading the protest. 'They completely fail to take into account the existing use of the harbour and the need to preserve or balance the existing use for the financial and commercial benefit of the town and preserve a vibrant community in Yarmouth,' he concluded. 'The proposed plans will change the use of the town from a vibrant yachting port with a healthy income to a lifeless parking lot where boats can be laid-up.'
For more information contact Peter Isaacs at peter.isaacs274@btinternet.com
by Sail-World Cruising
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8:20 PM Tue 24 Aug 2010 GMT
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