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Published:
August 29, 2006
New
£50,000 Burnham-On-Sea pilot boat set to be officially launched
A
brand new pilot boat for Burnham-On-Sea is set to be officially
launched on Tuesday afternoon, September 5th, in a ceremony on
the South Esplanade.
Sedgemoor District Council has invested £50,000 in the new
pilot boat, pictured above, for its duties around Bridgwater Bay
and the River Parrett.
 It
replaces Burnham's existing 33-year old pilot boat, pictured right
next to The Balmoral during its visit to Burnham in July.
"Pilotage
is particularly important in the Port of Bridgwater because of
the large tidal rise and fall - twelve metres on a big spring
tide - and the constant movement of navigation channels,"
said Sedgemoor District Council spokeswoman Claire Faun.
"All
commercial vessels over 30 metres length visiting the port use
a pilot, hence the need for a pilot boat. The pilots also help
commercial shipping to Dunball Wharf."
The
port of Bridgwater covers a large area with around 25 square nautical
miles of mainly inter-tidal sand and mud banks off the coast from
Brean Down to Hinkley Point, and over 14 nautical miles of tidal
estuary and river including the Parrett, Brue and Axe.
The council's decision to buy the new boat came after a full investigation
into all the options, including refurbishing the old one and leasing
a new one.
Next
Tuesday's event starts at 5pm and the new vessel will be named
by Mrs Sally Denbee, wife of the Chairman of Sedgemoor District
Council.
RELATED
LINKS:
Historic
Balmoral ship glides past Burnham-On-Sea
What's on in Burnham-On-Sea
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