1. Notice is hereby given by the Queen’s Harbour Master Portsmouth that a number of marine events to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the Normandy “D-Day” Landings will take place in the period 3 – 8 June 2019. The purpose of this Local Notice to Mariners is to alert the wider marine community to the events planned and is an outline plan – exact timings and details remain subject to change. Mariners are advised to read this LNTM carefully and check it against the QHM Daily Movements programme, which will carry more extensive and up to date details.
2. Monday 3 June. A large party of D-Day Veterans are travelling to France on the Brittany Ferry MV MONT ST MICHEL, departing from the Portsmouth International Port (PIP) at 1445. As a mark of respect, this ferry will be escorted by a number of Royal Navy and other vessels. The outline plan for this event is as follows:
1425 Portsmouth Channel closed to all vessels
1430 Four P2000 Patrol Boats Sail from 2 Basin
1445 MV MONT ST MICHEL sails from PIP
1450 RN Frigate departs from Fountain Lake
O/C Historic Little Ships depart from Historic Dockyard Marina
O/C Dunkirk Little Ships depart from Historic Dockyard Marina
1520 Portsmouth Channel re-opens to all vessels
The vessels will form up for the departure as follows:
P2000x4
MV MONT ST MICHEL with by four Historic Little Ships on its quarters
RN Frigate
Dunkirk Little Ships
The formation will depart the harbour via the main channel and will remain formed up until Outer Spit Buoy (OSB). It is likely that the Frigate and P2000 vessels will remain with the ferry to the vicinity of Nab Tower. All mariners are requested to keep a sharp lookout and not impede the passage of the formation.
3. Tuesday 4 June. This day features a rehearsal event for a major sail past which will take place on Wednesday 5 June. Only the outline details are below – the main detail will be published in QHM Movements. Due to the draught of one of the inbound units, the inbound formation will use the Nab Deep Water Channel.
1255 Portsmouth Channel closed to all vessels
1300 P2000 departs 2 Basin and transits to the vicinity of PIP
O/C P2000 departs PIP, simulating MV BOUDICCA
1310 P2000x4 depart 2 Basin
1315 RN Frigate sails from Fountain Lake
1320 Foreign Frigate departs from South Railway Jetty
1335 Sail past formation of approximately six naval vessels passes Nab Tower inbound through the Nab Deep Water Channel
1400 Portsmouth Channel open to all vessels
1420 Outbound and Inbound vessels sail past each other in vicinity of St Helen’s Buoy
O/C Outbound vessels return to harbour as per Movements
O/C Inbound vessels proceed to anchor at Spithead and C Anchorage or return to sea as per Movements.
The departure formation will form up in harbour as follows:
P2000x4
P2000 (simulating MV BOUDICCA)
RN Frigate
Foreign Frigate
4. For the period 1235-1455, the main navigable channel from the entrance to the Nab Deep Water Channel (50 38.0N 000 57.5W) to North Sturbridge Buoy (50 45.5N 001 08.3W) is to be clear of all vessels greater than 20 metres in length. This is to ensure that the formations encounter no large vessels as they pass each other. Traffic able to safely navigate outside the buoyed channel may continue. All vessels not involved in the sail past are to remain well clear and avoid hampering either formation.
5. Wednesday 5 June. This is the busiest day of the period, and while every effort to keep disruption to traffic to a minimum, there will inevitably be some effect on normal traffic.
6. National Commemorative Event (NCE). This will take place on Southsea Common, and in order to support the security of the event, a two-tier Maritime Exclusion Zone (MEZ) will be in force. This is detailed in QHM Portsmouth General Direction 1/19, and is planned to come into force at 0900, restricting all traffic inshore of the green starboard hand markers until termination, and only controlled traffic greater than 20 metres in length in the main channel. The Small Boat Channel, which will remain open throughout, will be extended accordingly. The MEZ will be patrolled by both armed and unarmed police and other vessels, and all mariners are to follow the GD and obey directions from patrol vessels afloat.
7. Frigate Sail Past. To mark the end of the NCE, an RN frigate will transit out of the harbour and fire saluting guns as it passes the Southsea Naval War Memorial. This will be coordinated with a flypast by military aircraft. The frigate will proceed to OSB and then return to port. Details will be published in QHM Movements.
8. Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team (Red Arrows) Display. The Red Arrows will perform an air display off Southsea Common from approximately 1615 to 1645. To support this, a Maritime Exclusion Zone (MEZ) will be in force in accordance with QHM Portsmouth GD 2/19. This will come into force as the NCE MEZ is terminated and will be maintained by a combination of military, QHM patrol and police vessels. Larger traffic will be allowed to transit the main channel under QHM control but must be clear of the MEZ by no later than 1600. All small craft not under QHM control are to keep clear of the MEZ while it is in force and are to obey directions from marshal craft. QHM will announce the ending of the MEZ on VHF Channel 11.
9. MV BOUDICCA Departure and Sail Past. Once the veterans have re-embarked in MV BOUDICCA, the ship will depart PIP and head across the English Channel to Normandy. To mark the ship and veterans’ departure and to honour them, MV BOUDICCA will be escorted by several naval vessels and will sail past a further column of naval vessels as it passes through the Solent. The departure and sail past will take the following format, with details again published in QHM Movements. Due to the draught of one of the inbound units, the inbound formation will use the Nab Deep Water Channel.
1820 Portsmouth Channel closed to all vessels
1840 MV BOUDICCA departs PIP
1840 P2000x4 depart 2 Basin
1845 RN Frigate sails from Fountain Lake
1850 Foreign Frigate departs from South Railway Jetty
1855 Sail past formation of approximately 7 naval vessels passes Nab Tower inbound
1915 Portsmouth Channel open to all vessels
1940 Outbound and Inbound vessels sail past each other in vicinity of St Helen’s Buoy
O/C Outbound P2000s return to harbour as per Movements, other vessels to sea as required.
O/C Inbound vessels proceed to anchor at Spithead and C Anchorage or return to sea as per Movements.
The departure formation will form up in harbour as follows:
P2000x4
MV BOUDICCA
RN Frigate
Foreign Frigate
10. For the period 1815-2015, the main navigable channel from the entrance to the Nab Deep Water Channel (50 38.0N 000 57.5W) to North Sturbridge Buoy (50 45.5N 001 08.3W) is to be clear of all vessels greater than 20 metres in length. This is to ensure that the formations encounter no large vessels as they pass each other. Traffic able to safely navigate outside the buoyed channel may continue. All vessels not involved in the sail past are to remain well clear and avoid hampering either formation.
11. Saturday 8 June. There are two D-Day 75 events on this day. The first is the return of MV BOUDICCA, currently expected at OSB at 1245. The ship will be escorted by 4 P2000 craft for this entry. Details will be published in QHM Movements.
12. The final D-Day 75 event is a Fireworks Display on Southsea Common on the evening of Saturday 8 June. This will take place from 2200 to 2220 and a separate LNTM will be issued with Exclusion Zone details.
13. Cancel this Local Notice to Mariners on Sunday 9 June 2019.
Thursday 30 May 2019
S O Hopper
Queen's Harbour Master
Owners, Agents, Charterers, Marinas, Yacht Clubs and Recreational Sailing Organisations should ensure that the contents of this Notice are made known to the masters or persons in charge of their vessels or craft.
