News
There is a lot happening in Dunbar Harbour, so we will keep you informed with our news articles and newsletter. Subscribe to our newsletter on the right of this article and come back to this news page often to read more. If you have news related to Dunbar Harbour then please send us a message using the form at the bottom and we will publish it here.
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On Sept. 28th Dunbar Rowing Club hosted its Tweed Row from Tweedmouth to Paxton House and return, about 12 miles in total. This annual 'raid', organised by the Club's Paul Ingram, has increased in popularity every year and 2019's event hosted 22 skiffs. The weather was sunny and the skiffs managed to negotiate the shallows and deeps of this tidal part of the Tweed, rowing even past Paxton House to upriver of the chain-link bridge (the famous Union Suspension Bridge).
NB: Border reivers were raiders along the Anglo-Scottish border
photos by Christine Mincher (photo 1: 'preparation at Tweedmouth')
Click <READ MORE> for photo 2: 'relax by the river'.
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In September Dunbar RNLI volunteers were delighted to receive a new television set thanks to the generosity of the town’s Rotary Club.
The new smart TV was part of a £500 donation and will allow the station to benefit from a new volunteer paging system currently being rolled out by the charity. Under the state-of-the-art RCAMS system, in an emergency situation, the TV will show which volunteers are able to respond to a shout, quickly helping prepare the right response. Dunbar Lifeboat coxswain Gary Fairbairn said: “Thanks to the very kind donation from the Rotary Club, the station will be able to benefit from the latest technological advances.
The Rotary Club of Dunbar meets every Monday evening at 6.30pm at the Hillside Hotel.
photo courtesy RNLI: Nick Mailer
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The Harbour Trust has put together successful FLAG and Marine Scotland grant applications. Most of the allowable costs are expected to be grant-funded, leaving the Trust with less than £5,000 to find from its own funds.
Most of the cameras will be Hikvision 'Darkfighter' marine-grade, stainless-steel units to improve the effectiveness of the images and protect from the adverse conditions that we experience at the harbour.
Upgrading, improving and adding to the existing CCTV cameras means the final total will be 12 cameras in Cromwell, Victoria, the Maggie and the Battery area, surveying several directions. The cameras are aimed at the boats and harbour working areas.
Appreciation is given to the Dunbar Sailing Club and Barry Buglass for allowing their premises to be used for this project. CCTV signs will be posted around the harbour once Planning Permission has been granted.
photo by Kenny Maule
Click <READ MORE> for photo 2 from Hikvision's brochure
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Spitfire had a propeller problem recently and was 'careened' on the maintenance bay. This involved taking the current prop off, then sending it north for repair, temporarily installing its older 'spare prop to continue prawn-trawling, and then swapping props again.
Prawn crackers!
photo by Kenny Maule
Click <READ MORE> for photo 2
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1) At the Battery, 7th October. Dunbar Grammar School National 5 Drama Students will rehearse and perform 2x 20minute performances devised by the students as part of the Drama Skills unit of their National course at the school.
More detail and timings TBC: see https://dunbarbattery.org.uk/events/
2) More drama! Craning-out day is planned for Monday 7th October, morning, usually about 9am til noon. This is a great spectacle with yachts being craned out and 'flown' through the air. Bring your camera for super shots, but keep clear -- obey the marshals wearing hi-vis vests.
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Our second massive aircraft carrier, the HMS Prince of Wales, was launched on Sept.19th and passed under the Forth bridges into the North Sea on Sept.22nd.
She is the seventh Royal Navy ship to have the name HMS Prince of Wales. Construction began in 2011 at Rosyth Dockyard, finishing her fitting-out in Sept. 2019.
- AIS Vessel Type: Combat.
- Gross Tonnage: 65000
- Length Overall x Breadth Extreme: 282.9m × 69m
- Years Built: 2011 -- 2019
The 65,000-tonne warship was moored outside Rosyth dockyard for 4 days, because it is very difficult to maneuver this 230m ship into the Forth and under the bridges without hitting any obstacles. She can only be moved under the bridges at low tide, with her radar mast dipped to avoid hitting the underside of the bridges.
Her flight deck is 70 metres wide and 280 metres long – enough space for three football pitches – and she holds 45 days’ worth of food in stores.
She will have a crew-complement of around 700, increasing to around 1,600 with aircraft onboard. HMS Prince of Wales’ size and scope is awe-inspiring – she can embark 36 F-35B and four Merlin Helicopters. We may have already seen her from Dunbar, during her sea trials. She can be visible even at 20 miles offshore.
photos courtesy twitter feed: @HMSPWLS
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Recently Davy, Rob, and Quentin 'plowtered aroon' in Cromwell (Old) Harbour at low tide. Someone parted company with their wellies! There is often a danger of getting stuck in mud so prepare with spreader-boards, a rope attached, and a mate with a (fully-charged) mobile phone! This photo shows how much danger you find so very close to help which may not be able to reach you. I know as I've been in a similar predicament, alone in Cromwell harbour. Fortunately "I wiz hingin' on like a daftie tae ma faithful wee boat" (and luckily no cameras present).
photo by Kenny Maule
Click <READ MORE> to see a more-serious incident. Conway Daily Post photo of a mud rescue at Conwy. The RNLI soon arrived to effect the rescue in time (phew!). "The tide was rising fast around them; by high tide there would have been metres of water in that location. They were truly stuck and there is no way they could have escaped unassisted." (gulp)
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RNLI: "Thanks for all the kind messages regarding our crew's appearance on 'Saving Lives at Sea' last night. For those unable to access the BBC iPlayer, here's our video of the 'shout' to rescue three children from a cave near the harbour last November." https://www.facebook.com/dunbarlifeboat/videos/2360155564091883/
"The children - Chloe, Luke and Rachel - did exactly the right thing by calling 999 and asking for the Coastguard when they found themselves in trouble. Getting cut off by the tide contributes to a significant number of RNLI rescues every year and we encourage everyone to enjoy the coastline safely and advise to check weather and tides before you set out, wear appropriate clothing and footwear and make sure you have a charged mobile phone with you.
We're grateful to the children and their families for allowing their story to be told, helping us to spread such an important safety message.
While the programme rightly highlighted the skill and calmness under pressure shown by our helm, Gaz, and Becs and Jamie, it was a big team effort that day. Both our lifeboats were launched at the Coastguard's request and, as always, those that went afloat were supported by our dedicated shore crew volunteers who regularly remain at the station for the duration of a call-out to lend a hand when needed. It all helped contribute to a happy outcome."
photo courtesy RNLI
Children, please write an essay entitled: What did you do on your holidays?
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Can you spot the child on his way 'downnnnn' in this photo of our harbour mouth?
The coastguard is warning about the dangers of diving into harbours after a 12-year-old boy was injured at a harbour in Aberdeenshire. "What might have been a deep pool can become a shallow puddle just a few hours later and you don't know what's below the water. Please don't jump into the unknown."
Police have issued a stark and sombre warning over a popular controversial trend, after receiving multiple complaints over the last two weeks. Officers remind the public that there can be very tragic consequences of the adventurous craze, following "horrific injuries" and deaths happening in the last few years.
What is often called tombstoning - leaping into the water from harbour walls, cliffs or bridges - has led to more than 20 fatalities over the past decade and multiple injuries. Is your child safe?
Click "READ MORE" for a photo of many kids ignoring our harbour by-laws.
photos by Kenny Maule