Notice

Henley Swim Festival Saturday Swim 2023: river restriction notice

Published 16 June 2023

This notice was withdrawn on

River restriction no longer in force.

When

Saturday 8 July 2023, 7pm to 9pm.

Where

Hambleden reach, Berkshire side of Temple Island.

Details

The navigation channel for river users on the Berkshire side of Temple Island will be reduced in width by 10 metres, adjacent to the buoyed swimming area, for a length of 50 metres.

Between 7pm and 9pm the masters of all vessels travelling downstream, on the Berkshire bank, should exercise caution when passing this swimming area.

All directions as to left bank and right banks are given looking upstream.

It is an offence to fail to conform with the directions in this notice or to obstruct an officer of the Environment Agency in the execution of their duty or to fail to obey directions given regarding the navigation, mooring or unmooring of any boat.

All boats must be navigated in accordance with any instructions given from the event safety boats, marshals and Environment Agency control points or patrol launches.

Those in charge of boats should also be aware that they are responsible for avoiding collision and should use all available means appropriate to the circumstances and conditions to decide if there is a risk of immediate danger and avoid it.

Byelaws

Nothing contained in these directions shall supersede those parts of the Thames Navigation Licensing and General Byelaws 1993 and the UK Merchant Shipping (Distress Signals and Prevention of Collisions) Regulations 1996 as may be relevant. Particular attention should be paid to byelaws 24-42 of the Thames Navigation Licensing and General Byelaws 1993, Steering Sailing and Speed.

And Notice is hereby given, that it is provided by Byelaw 52 of the Thames Navigation Licensing and General Byelaws 1993 that:

The master of any vessel shall except in an emergency not pass any boat-race regatta public procession or gathering for the launch of a vessel or any other event or function which may cause a crowd to assemble on or by the river nor station his vessel thereon in such a manner as would risk obstructing impeding or interfering with such boat-race regatta procession launching event or function or endangering the safety of persons assembling on the river or preventing or interfering with the maintenance of order thereon.

The maximum penalty for breach of the Byelaws is £1,000.

Read our Thames Navigation Licensing and General Byelaws 1993