Four more mariners with global experience have joined the Port of London Authority (PLA) to help ensure continued navigational safety for vessels visiting the UK’s busiest port.

They join a team of over 100 pilots, working round the clock to guide, in and out of port, the growing number of vessels navigating the tidal River Thames each year.

Last year, was the busiest ever for the PLA’s sea pilots. It saw them board almost 11,000 vessels navigating their way up and down the estuary, as trade recovered, following the COVID-19 lockdowns.

Adding to 12 PLA trainee pilots appointed in 2021, the new recruits have embarked on a five-year training programme, to equip them with the skills and knowledge essential for vessels’ safe navigation of the tidal Thames.

• David Barnett, from Cork, started his marine career aboard tankers in 2012, before moving to ferries. For the past three years, he has mainly worked on UK routes to Ireland and continental Europe.
• A Kent resident all his life, David R Hocking trained first as a Trinity House cadet. On qualifying, he worked as a deck officer on aggregate dredgers around Europe, predominantly on the Thames.
• Sailing the world with cruise line Holland-America for the first nine years of his career, Stuart Little joined Svitzer Marine in 2020, mainly operating tugs on the Thames and Medway. He moved to London from Preston four years ago.
• After graduating from Plymouth University, Adam Smith worked initially for the Seabourn Cruise Line, before joining Trinity House as a trainee cadet in 2013, rising through the ranks to become a master. He now lives in Dorking, Surrey.

The team’s work involves boarding and disembarking ships while underway, in all weathers and at all times of day and night, demanding a high level of training and safety awareness.

Bob Baker, chief harbour master at the PLA, said: “The addition of more new blood into our pilotage team not only helps meet growing demand, but will also ensure we can continue to offer a reliable service to our customers, as longer-serving pilots retire.”

Throughout the pandemic last year, the team delivered a 98.8 per cent service level to customers.

Divers employed by the Port of London Authority (PLA) helped remove a giant anchor, lodged in the bed of the River Thames near Gravesend (9 February).

The exact age of the iron anchor - measuring over 15 feet in height and weighing more than five tonnes - is a mystery.

It’s presence deep in the tidal Thames’ muddy waters was confirmed by routine surveys of the river bed, undertaken by the PLA’s hydrographic team, using a high-resolution multi-beam sonar, to identify changes in the river bed and objects that could pose a navigational risk for vessels.

Divers Ryan Pearce and Jason Durkin were deployed on the river on consecutive days, tasked with salvaging two submerged items with the potential to obstruct river traffic.

The anchor was top of their list of items to remove from the Gravesend Reach.

On Thursday (10 February), they turned their attention to a smaller, rectangular pile, which proved trickier to locate in the pitch-black waters, and required brute force to dislodge it from the bed of the river.

Ryan, a diver since 2008, explained: “You can’t see anything down there; you have to work by touch.”

A PLA crew aboard London Titan returned both the divers’ finds safely back to dry land.

Few of Mark Towens' many friends and colleagues from across the river community had any idea that he was battling resurgent skin cancer, when he welcomed Prince William to the launch of the tidal Thames’ first-ever drowning prevention strategy in May 2019.

First diagnosed in 2005, shortly before his marriage to his “rock”, Claire, Mark had, with typical drive and determination, resolved to fight his illness every step of the way. With the constant support of Claire, his family and friends, he did just that.

As inaugural chairman of the Tidal Thames Water Safety Forum, he came to see the multi-agency work to tackle accidents and suicides on the river as his legacy and had personally secured the duke’s support.

Mark was characteristically humbled and deeply appreciative of the campaign to raise money for specialist treatment of his condition, which reached its target in a matter of weeks last year.

His only route for the treatment in Tel Aviv was a flight for Israeli nationals trapped in Europe by COVID-19 restrictions. On landing, he and Claire had to persuade the airport officials to allow them to go direct to hospital rather than go into quarantine.

Born in 1981, Mark lived in Northfleet for the first 18 months of his life, before moving to Gravesend.

A star pupil at the town’s grammar school, motion sickness cut short his dream of being an airline pilot.

He joined the PLA in 1999 as a marine apprentice, becoming ports marine surveyor in 2005. He rose through the ranks and was appointed harbour master in 2014, aged 32.

He had taken particular pride in helping to organise HM The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee pageant and was a key player in arranging other milestones in the river’s calendar, including the Boat Race and the New Year’s Eve fireworks.

Throughout his career, he made special efforts to mentor young trainees following in his footsteps, inspiring respect and loyalty from them for his commitment and leadership.

Balancing both family life as a father and a recurrence of his illness, he secured a university MBA with customary aplomb.

Mark combined a direct, no-nonsense style with infectious good humour and charm, even when his health was deteriorating.

A desire to always do his best was second nature for him.

As a proud member of the Company of Watermen and Lightermen and Globe Rowing Club, he came second in the 2004 Doggett’s Coat and Badge Race, much to his annoyance.

His teams triumphed nine times in the traditional Thames Barge Driving Race, staged annually between Greenwich and Westminster.

He approached all team pursuits with PLA colleagues with limitless competitive zeal; from crazy golf to ice skating and white-water rafting, victory was always in his sights.

An insatiable thirst for adventure also took Mark on sailing expeditions around the world, including aboard the tall ship Winston Churchill, from the Canary Islands to the Azores.

Cycling, another of Mark’s passions, led him to complete numerous charity bike rides.

A love of American cars, shared with his father, inspired them to import a 1967 Chevrolet Camaro from Florida.

Mark was also a keen fisherman.

Family was particularly important to Mark. When his illness became terminal, he made the most of the opportunity to spend time with his closest relatives, regularly embarking with them on trips and adventures for as long as he could.

He celebrated his 40th birthday with a family dinner at the top of The Shard, overlooking his beloved river.

As his medical condition worsened, it was Mark’s last wish to spend Christmas at home with Claire and his children, Jamie and Katie, which he managed to do.

Following his funeral in Gravesend, (27 January) tug boats on the river staged a water canon display as a mark of respect.

Mark died on New Year’s Day.

He will be much missed by all who knew him.

A drive to maintain tidal River Thames workers’ skills throughout their careers has been hailed by the UK maritime minister as a model for the rest of the country to follow.

Meeting river workers on the Thames in central London (25 January), Robert Courts MP described the Thames CPD (Continuous Professional Development) programme, led by the Thames Skills Academy (TSA), Port of London Authority (PLA) and Company of Watermen & Lightermen as “an exemplar for ensuring that safety is at the heart of greater use of the nation’s inland waterways.”

Boat operations on the tidal Thames, the UK’s busiest inland waterway, are set to accelerate rapidly over the next decade. The boom in online shopping, linked to the pandemic, has generated unprecedented interest in using the river for the transportation of light freight and parcels. The river’s network of passenger piers is also expanding eastwards.

From early 2024, Thames CPD will be mandated by the PLA for all tidal Thames boat masters, from Teddington to the North Sea.

To encourage early-sign up to Thames CPD, by lowering costs, the PLA has launched a five-year investment programme of over £150,000 to roll out a two-day course at HR Wallingford in Oxfordshire, developed by the TSA with employers, to ensure boat masters can contend with a variety of scenarios, at the helm of a virtual vessel. It mirrors long-established training in the aviation industry and other sectors, putting workers through their paces in a safe setting. The programme was established by Tideway, the company managing the construction of London’s “super sewer”, due for completion in 2025.

Robert Courts said: “I salute all the partners involved in the Thames CPD programme for their drive and determination to make it a reality.

“It is a really significant step forward in ensuring that the nation’s premier waterway is a global beacon of best practice.”

Christopher Rodrigues CBE, whose six-year term as PLA chairman ends this spring, explained:

“I am proud to conclude my time at the PLA with this Thames CPD programme in place. It will help underpin safety on an increasingly busy river and sustain the skills of the Thames’ workforce for years to come.

“Though the river may sometimes appear slow-paced and traditional, the reality is starkly different. Technology, Net Zero and increased opportunities for commercial and leisure use all mean the river is changing faster than ever before, making a robust, long-term approach to CPD absolutely imperative.”

Katherine Riggs, chief executive of the TSA, said: “The pace of change on the river is getting faster all the time, making it essential for mariners to keep skills up to date with all the latest developments through CPD, to help keep the river safe and prosperous.

“The new Thames CPD programme will help workers at the helm of boats to access training on all aspects of river operations and ensure their skills remain relevant, meeting employers’ needs.”

Derek Mann, master of the Company of Watermen & Lightermen, commented: “Thames CPD provides a structure for training of the Thames’ workforce, enhancing the high standards already in place and firmly underlining the value of the river as a place of work, for current and future generations.“

Employers supporting the programme include City Cruises, Cory, GPS Marine, Walsh, Livett’s Group, Tideway, Transport for London/Woolwich Ferries and Uber Boat by Thames Clippers.

Details of the Thames CPD programme are available at: ThamesCPD.co.uk.

New biofuel storage tanks, installed by the Port of London Authority (PLA) on the Thames in Gravesend, are accelerating an ambitious plan to halve its carbon emissions.

Part of a commitment to achieve Net Zero by 2040, a pair of three-tonne, steel tanks, installed out of sight at Royal Terrace Pier, next to the PLA’s London River House headquarters, have a capacity to store 20,000 litres of pollution-busting hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO).

By 2025, the PLA is targeting a 50% reduction in the 2,054 tonnes of carbon emitted across its entire operations in 2014. Currently, fuel used by its vessels is responsible for more than 75% of the PLA’s total carbon emissions.

Two more similar tanks for storing green fuels are due to be installed at Barrier Gardens Pier in Woolwich this spring, completing a major refurbishment to make it both safer and more sustainable.

Steven Clapperton, who leads the PLA’s newly-created directorate of Sustainable Marine Operations, said: “This is a major step forward in our plan to decarbonise our round-the-clock work to keep the tidal Thames safe for all its users, from Teddington to the North Sea.

“The introduction of HVO is positive news for both carbon emissions and air quality.

“Our trials show it reduces emissions of nitrogen oxides and particulates by at least 50%, compared to conventional diesel.”

Thames Marine Services Ltd (TMSL) has been appointed as the PLA’s HVO supplier, following a competitive tender process. Business director Robert Dwan said: “We are proud to be at the forefront of work to minimise the river’s carbon footprint.

“Supplying all types of vessels - from house and passenger boats, to tugs, container and navy ships - we have invested to modify our barges to carry more environmentally-friendly fuels.

“We aim to help all our customers on the journey to Net Zero, which is so important for the long-term health and prosperity of the river and all those who rely on it to make a living.”

Contractors Taylor Fuel Controls and ET Marine have helped the PLA design and install the new tanks.

NOTE FOR EDITORS

Trials conducted by the PLA showed HVO cut nitrogen oxide emissions by 51-78%, compared to gas to liquid (GTL), and particulate matter by 76-99%, compared to 50-93% for GTL.

More than £90,000 has been awarded to 24 organisations promoting activity on the tidal Thames and inland waterways in London, Kent and Essex, as part of a new programme led by the Port of London Authority (PLA).

The recipients of the Active Thames grants include clubs from Richmond in the west, through Wapping and Tower Hamlets in the centre of the capital and out to Gravesend and Shoeburyness in the east.

Active Thames aims to encourage groups that are less likely to engage in physical activity on the river, including individuals from ethnically diverse communities, lower socioeconomic groups, and those with disabilities.

In a survey last year, people involved in watersports across the region voiced their desire to see improvements in diversity and inclusion, and there was a high demand for coach and volunteer development.

The Active Thames partners working to better serve the watersports community include Active Essex, Kent Sport, London Sport, British Canoeing, British Rowing, RYA, Canal & River Trust, Thames Path National Trail and the PLA.

Jenny Cooper, PLA sports manager, said: “Active Thames is supporting access, diversity and inclusion in sports and every recipient is ambitious about making watersports open to all.

“The grants will see new communities on the water in London, Kent and Essex and will help develop the next generation of coaches and volunteers.”

Chris Earle, head of recreational paddling at British Canoeing, said: “British Canoeing is excited to be collaborating with Active Thames to support clubs tackle inequalities and increase participation within communities alongside the waterways of the Thames.

“By co-creating opportunities to overcome barriers to participation we are confident that our investment and support will result in sustainable activities which provide equal access to opportunities in inclusive, fun, safe, and accessible environments.”

Islington Boat Club’s grant will fund crucial training for instructors and volunteers while Royal Dolphins Rowing Club will be able to provide taster sessions to more disabled people in east London.

Active Thames is a key part of the Thames Vision 2035 river development framework. Making it possible for more people to get afloat and active on the river is one of the Vision’s six main goals.

Find out more at activethames.co.uk.

A full list of the 24 recipients:

Black Girls Hike UK provides a safe space for black women to explore the outdoors. £1000 will subsidise paddling sessions in East and South London this summer, and signpost to local clubs and coaching courses. (London)

Blue Therapy Active will use £5000 to purchase kayaks, safety equipment and clothing and provide weekly paddling sessions at Southend on Sea, Two Tree Island, Shoeburyness and Chalkwell. They intend to reach more women and encourage them to become coaches and will work with people signposted from local mental health organisations who are looking to return to exercise and improve their overall health and mindset. (Essex)

The Bluetits Chill Swimmers is a social enterprise committed to empowering a community of cold water swimmers. One group benefiting from the funding is regularly active in Whitstable. 80% of the group are female and over half joined in order to experience the health benefits of cold water therapy and sea swimming. £940 will provide training for the founding members so that they can tackle their waiting list, and support more people to enjoy cold water swimming safely. Active Life Ltd are providing this training and helping support the club’s development. (Kent)

Chelmsford Canoe Club have been awarded £4671 and will be spending their funding on the provision of new boats- sit-on-top kayaks. The club feels confident that this type of boat will get people involved more quickly and safely, combatting any concerns around Covid-19 or fears of getting trapped. It will help the club tackle their lengthy waiting list. The club also intends to run river clean ups in the summer. (Essex)

Following a successful pilot in 2021, £5000 will support Cody Dock Environmental Canoe Club to run regular paddling sessions with river clean-ups and citizen science environmental survey safaris. New audiences will be called to action via a different purpose - the environment. The club has a community engagement lead who ensures activities are as inclusive as possible and that their reach is representative of Newham and Tower Hamlets. (London)

Danson Park Adventures had an incredibly busy summer in 2021 with sailing and paddlesports courses all fully booked. £2000 will provide bursary support for coaching qualifications for young people on Danson Lake in Bexley and on the Thames. (London)

Dittons Paddleboarding Club run free community paddlesports sessions on the Grand Union Canal and the Thames. £1500 will train volunteers in first aid and water rescue, so they can increase the number of free sessions on offer. Dittons have a keen desire to make paddlesports a more inclusive and diverse sport. (London)

Fulham Reach Boat Club provide rowing for all. £5000 will support learn to row courses for secondary school pupils in Hammersmith and Fulham and broaden the appeal and accessibility of rowing and the great outdoors now and into the future. (London)

Globe Rowing Club aim to diversify their club by attracting and retaining more people from ethnic minorities, young people and women. Like many clubs, they do not have enough coaches. £4000 will enable Globe RC to attract, retain and develop coaches and reach new audiences. (London)

Gravesend Rowing Club need an engine for their safety boat. A grant of £3300 will allow the club to deliver rowing courses over the winter and provide adequate safety cover for activity sessions for local schools and community groups. (Kent)

Gravesend Sailing Club want to make sailing more accessible to the local community and have organised regular dinghy taster sessions. £2000 will support the training of Dinghy instructors, helping to get more people out on the Thames in Kent. (Kent)

Herne Bay Sailing Club are an RYA Sailability and RYA training centre with proven success in working with people who are visually impaired and with people who are deaf. They intend to use £5000 to purchase equipment to support their work and keep costs as low as possible. (Kent)

Islington Boat Club on the Regents Canal is a charity providing boating, personal development, health awareness and employment training to children, people with disabilities, schools and youth groups and the Upper Deckers club provides potentially isolated older people with free activity sessions. Canoeing, kayaking, powerboating, sailing, narrowboating, bell boating and mountain biking, as well as off-site days and residential trips, are all on offer. A grant of £4943 will provide crucial training for instructors and volunteers, supporting their continuation of their community engagement and the work of the charity in Islington. (London)

Laburnum Boat Club is a multisport charity in Hackney working with disadvantaged and disabled young people. £4815 will support kayak, canoe and SUP day trips on the tidal Thames and inland waterways, and the mentoring and qualification pathway running alongside sessions will support the overall wellbeing and development of each child. (London)

London Sports Trust will use £4400 to support a new programme, Changing the Tide. The programme aims to use the proven combination of watersports, positive role models and continued learning opportunities to improve the health, wellbeing and employment prospects of some of the most vulnerable teenagers from deprived housing estates. Kayaking, canoeing and coach development will be on offer at Thames-based sites Cremorne Wharf and Fulham Reach. (London)

London Youth Rowing provide opportunities for disadvantaged young people to experience the benefits of rowing through a range of coaching, inclusion, and health programmes. LYR have just started to deliver watersport on the Olympic Park in East London and will partner with Active360 to create multi-skilled watersports coaches, and help address the current shortage of SUP trained coaches in East London. A grant of £8010 will support coach development and provide equipment in order to help open up watersports with a particular focus on young people, people from minority ethnic backgrounds and people from lower socio-economic backgrounds. (London)

Newham Ability Camp is a pan disability multi sports club that runs three sessions a week for young people with disabilities. Sports offered include cricket, basketball, badminton, archery, football, boccia and softball and with a grant of £742 will support the club to access rowing sessions, provided by experienced coaches at London Youth Rowing. Many parents reported a worrying deterioration of their child’s mental health during lockdown with depression, becoming withdrawn and behavioural issues associated with extreme anxiety. Being back together in the club and taking part in sporting activities like rowing will help the children rebuild their confidence and mental wellbeing. (London)

Phoenix Canoe Club is located next to the Welsh Harp reservoir which borders Barnet and Brent. They offer kayaking, sailing, canoeing, SUP and bell boating to a range of community groups and are currently working with Mencap, Mind, disability groups, and with organisations specialising in disadvantaged and ethnic minority participants and refugees. £5000 will support the continued delivery of sports sessions and provide disability training for staff. (London)

The Royal Dolphins Rowing Club is a disability rowing group based at the Royal Docks Adventure in Newham. A grant of £3172 will go towards upskilling coaches and the provision of taster sessions for more disabled people from across East London. Members will be able to make new friends, become part of a new community, take part in a regular physical activity, and improve their physical and mental wellbeing. Growing the Royal Dolphins will raise the profile of adaptive rowing in East London. The Royal Dolphins are currently supported by the Royal Albert Dock Trust and London Youth Rowing and have competed in events such as the Great River Race. (London)

Sea-Change Sailing Trust provide residential voyages on an engineless sailing barge- the Blue Mermaid- on the Thames Estuary. They seek out young people who have experienced some disruption or disadvantage in their lives. When onboard, young people live and work together; learning to handle the sails, steer the barge, climb the rigging, cook, and clean. As well as the nautical skills they develop skills like resilience, teamwork, respect for others and communication. A grant of £3500 will provide both bursary support for disadvantaged young people in Kent and Essex and staff training to provide the next generation of young leaders and support the succession plan of the trust. (Kent and Essex)

Sport Works and The AHOY Centre have developed an innovative partnership which aims to engage disadvantaged groups who have never participated in sailing before. £4762 will allow Sport Works and The Ahoy Centre to deliver sailing sessions for disabled people. Participants enjoying sailing on the Thames will be recruited from local special schools and adult day centres, and the local councils Disabled Children’s Teams and Adult Social Care teams will actively refer into the project. (London)

The Thames Barbarians Pilot Gig Club is one of the newest clubs on the Thames. £2500 will support club development with cox training, masterclasses, coach development, safety and seamanship. It will also support taster weekends for the local community and introduce Cornish Pilot Gig rowing to the Kent community. (Kent)

Tower Hamlets Canoe Club are excited to be launching a programme for blind and visually impaired adults to enjoy canoeing at Shadwell Basin, a potentially pioneering model for other clubs around the county. £5000 will support coach training, equipment and provide bursary support so that sessions are provided at a low cost to individuals. The club will work with Metro Blind Sport and British Canoeing to find their audience and promote this offer. (London)

Wapping Youth FC are looking forward to creating a new group of paddlesports community at Shadwell Basin Outdoor Activity Centre, a charity in East London. Working with partnering communities from low socio-economic backgrounds and with the council to identify at-risk young people, Wapping Youth FC are looking to create an inclusive paddlesports group and will also focus on initiating conversations about mental health. £5000 will support their paddlesports sessions. (London)