The continuing poor weather is not expected to change until the beginning of August. The Arctic has become too warm and so moved the jet stream south, with the result that we are getting the weather which is normally reserved for Scotland. As this seems to be part of climate change, summers like this could become more common from now on.
We saw the impact on the Harbour in the first three months: visitors were down by a third. On one July weekend, when there would normally be up to 100 visiting yachts in the Harbour, there were two. Sadly, I suspect this will be replicated across a number of local businesses. At the moment the grass is good, and farmers with sheep and cattle are OK, but arable farming (which produces a lot of cattle feed) may be struggling by the autumn. Perhaps we’ll all have to take up some quiet indoor occupation, like banking.
Controversy continues over proposals for the new Kingsbridge pontoons. The choice is between pontoons along the harbour walls, or a pontoon down the middle with a bridge access, possibly from near the loos. A central pontoon has obvious advantages – as it would be double-sided, it would provide more berths for less money; it would remove Harbour Board assets (and the boats) well away from the crumbling harbour walls (which are SHDC assets but they say they have no money for the slipway, let alone the harbour walls); it would give a better tidal range, level and safer access and better security; it would be easiest and least expensive to maintain; and there would be the bonus of a Rivermaid pontoon alongside the car park, with longer tidal access, so the possibility of two ferry round trips per tide. But there are concerns about the look of the harbour (would it look too much like a marina?) and what will happen about the raft race and the fireworks: so there is as yet no consensus.
Finally, a plea to boat owners who aren’t getting out enough: heavy rains fill up open boats and a number are in danger of sinking and getting damaged as they are not riding properly on pontoons. If you can’t empty out your boat yourself, please make arrangements for someone else to do so.
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