02 May 2020
The owners of leisure vessels can now spend the four hours outside their home using their boats for recreational purposes, but are being urged to minimise the risk of getting into difficulties at sea by preparing properly.
Jersey’s Harbourmaster, Bill Sadler, said: “We are aware that owners are preparing their boats, jet skis and other craft for the summer and want to ensure that they do so while adhering to the restrictions that are in place. In order to minimise the risk of them adding to the strain on our emergency services, boat owners should also ensure they have properly maintained their vessel, and have appropriate safety equipment, before leaving harbour, and we have a pre-season checklist which will help them.”
The owners of leisure vessels, including yachts, jet skis and other craft, are being advised that they must:
- adhere to the latest Stay at Home instructions, which restrict time outside the house to four hours each day
- adhere to latest Stay at Home instructions on social distancing and meeting others from outside of your household
- log a Transit Report with Jersey Coastguard on VHF Channel 82 before leaving harbour
- remain within Jersey territorial waters at all times
- if planning to visit outlying reefs, give consideration to requirements for social distancing and time periods permitted out of the house
- maintain social distancing within public areas such as piers, marinas, pontoons, ramps and facilities
The pre-season checklist can be found on ports.je.