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Guidance: Lydney Harbour

Environment Agency

March 24
07:34 2023

Lydney Harbour is next to the River Severn in Gloucestershire.

Contacts

Harbour master: David Frodin

Telephone: 07920 837248 (normal office hours only)

Email: hmlydney@environment-agency.gov.uk

Twitter: @hmlydney

VHF Channel 37 (Monitored only during expected movements)

Environment Agency: 03708 506 506.

Environment Agency 24 hour incident hotline: 0800 80 70 60

Find out aboutcall charges.

Annual mooring licences 2023/2024 - existing customers only

We are sending out our renewal proposals and information about the new terms and conditions for mooring at Lydney Harbour to our customers in the post and by email. You will also receive details of how you can securely manage your account online and pay by card at the harbour or over the telephone. We very much appreciate your cooperation as we develop the harbour.

Please can all customers send in updated contact details including name, full postal address, telephone number, email address and boat name.

Email: hmlydney@environment-agency.gov.uk

Text message or WhatsApp: 07920837248

Please note - we are currently not accepting applications for new mooring licences but hope to do so later this year once new moorings have been installed.

Port Marine Safety Code

Lydney Harbour is on a journey towards compliance with the Port Marine Safety Code for UK harbour authorities. The Environment Agency is the statutory harbour authority for Lydney Harbour. As part of compliance with the Code, a duty holder has now been appointed. The duty holders under the Code are individually and collectively accountable for compliance with the Code and their performance in ensuring safe marine operations in the harbour and approaches to the harbour. The duty holders have recently carried out training for this role and will shortly be appointing a designated person who will monitor and report on compliance with the Code. Contact details for the designated person will be announced soon.

The duty holder can be contacted via pmsc.dutyholder.lh@environment-agency.gov.uk for matters relating to safe marine operations. Normal operational matters should continue to be addressed to the harbour master.

There will be further updates on the website for the harbour and social media in due course (www.gov.uk/guidance/lydney-harbour) as we move towards compliance.

Approaches to the harbour are shown on British Admiralty chart 1166, position Latitude 51o42.6 North and Longitude 2o30.5 West.

The harbour consists of an outer basin, inner basin and a disused canal.

There are no suitable anchorages close to the harbour.

Water height approaching the harbour

The approaches to Lydney are subject to very strong tidal streams and the area outside the harbour dries at low water.

Datum relating to Lydney

Chart Datum is 1.83m below Ordnance Datum Newlyn.

Lydney Sill is 0.13m below Ordnance Datum Newlyn.

Tidal Heights in relation to Chart Datum

  • Mean High Water Springs (MHWS)9.3m
  • Mean High Water Neaps (MHWN)5.6m
  • Mean Low Water Springs0.6m
  • Mean Low Water Neaps0.5m

The depth over the outer basin sill is 7.6 metres at MHWS and 3.9 metres at MHWN.

You can work out the depth of water over the sill by deducting 1.2 metres from the depth shown on the gauge at Sharpness Dock at the head of Bristol Channel.

Harbour procedures

The entrance to Lydney Harbour can be difficult to navigate. Its only available at or within half an hour of high water. The tidal streams run across the entrance with considerable strength.

Boats approaching Lydney should switch their radio to VHF channel 37. All boat movements are controlled by the harbour master, via VHF radio or mobile phone and with a minimum of 24 hours prior notice. Boats may enter Lydney Harbour when a low intensity orange flashing light is displayed at a height of 2.5m from a stand on the north side of the entrance to the outer basin. This light is visible when abeam of the north pier, at a range of half a nautical mile.

If you are able to you should also monitor VHF radio channel 13 (Sharpness Radio) to check inter-ship communication and communication with Sharpness Dock to avoid potential collision with commercial boats bound to or from Sharpness Dock.

To ensure the safety of navigation of all boats in the River Severn, the main channel must be recognised as a narrow channel in the context of The International Regulations for the Prevention of Collisions at Sea. Rule 9 of these regulations, about narrow channels, is particularly important for all boats using the River Severn and Lydney Harbour.

You should note that large or commercial boats on the river may have restricted navigation and be unable to take action to avoid a collision because of the narrow channel and severe tides.

Plan your passage into the harbour

We recommend you plan your passage to or from Lydney Harbour taking account of the weather, times of high and low water, available depths and hazards. Check Admiralty chart 1166. The harbour master can also give you guidance.

Basin and lock dimensions

The harbour outer gates have a width of 10.1 metres.

The outer basin is 82.3 metres long with an average width of 22.7 metres and depths of 7.3 metres at high water springs.

The lock to the inner basin is 7.3 metres wide and has depths of 4.1 metres at the upper gate sill.

The inner basin is 231.7 metres long and 32 metres wide.

Pilotage

Pilotage isnt compulsory within Lydney Harbour.

Pilotage is compulsory in Gloucester Harbour if your boat is 30m or more long. You can get details from the Gloucester Harbour Trustees.

Boats entering Lydney Harbour

You should approach the dock on a westerly heading from the main channel of the River Severn, from a point north of Bull Rock. Then cross the Sanigar Sands toward the main pier of Lydney Dock.

How you approach will depend on the height and location of any off lying sandbanks. The sandbanks vary in level and may be up to 1 metre above the height of Lydney entrance sill.

The outer basin at the harbour is used to tow moor inbound boats and pre-position outbound boats as required so full use can be made of the times the tidal allows passage over the sill.

Notice of arrival and departure time

You should contact the harbour master to give notice of when you plan to arrive at or leave the harbour so the harbour gates can be opened.

A minimum of 24 hours notice of arrival and departure is required. The harbour is not manned continuously. The harbour master normally works only normal office hours Monday to Friday and so contact should be made as early as possible.

Boats leaving the harbour should be ready to enter the lock one hour before high water. The harbour is operational from one and a half hours before high water until high water.

Insurance

All boats entering Lydney Harbour must have a minimum of third party marine insurance. People using Lydney Harbour do so at their own risk; the Environment Agency accepts no responsibility for any loss or injury.

Harbour approach and entry

On both flood and ebb of the tide there is a strong flow across the entrance to the harbour, up to about 6 knots. There is slack water between the entrance piers. There is also slack water on the in-coming tide north of Lydney pier extending as far as Fairtide rock.

You should plan to arrive off Lydney no earlier than 20 minutes before high water. Take care not to arrive off the entrance too early on tide and ensure that theres sufficient under keel clearance over Lydney and Saniger sands.

We recommend that if you are approaching from the south west you use the main navigational channel until mid way between Bull Rock B

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