Our neighbour, Channel Infrastructure, is doing some work to keep the harbour open to the large ships that discharge fuel at its jetty.

Ship spotters (and we know there are more than a few of you out there!) will see this dredger, the William Fraser, tied up at Northport while she’s not working in Channel Infrastructure’s berth area.

The dredger is scheduled to start work on Channel Infrastructure’s project on Monday 8 June. We expect that she will be in the harbour for up to two weeks.

If you’re a boatie entering or leaving the harbour while this dredger is working in the vicinity of Channel Infrastructure, please remember that she is likely to be restricted in her ability to manoeuvre. We’re asking boaties to respect this, as they would any other commercial vessel engaged in operations.

She will be flying a series of shapes that indicate her compromised manoeuvrability. These will also indicate which side it is safe to pass her on.

During the day she’ll be flying a ball, a diamond and a ball, arranged vertically, to indicate a vessel restricted in its ability to manoeuvre. Two vertical balls will indicate the side you should keep clear of, while two vertical diamonds will indicate the side on which you can pass safely.

If she’s operating at dusk or at night these shapes will be replaced by lights. Three vertical lights in a sequence of red-white-red to indicate restricted manoeuvrability, with two vertical green lights marking the side that is safe for passing. Two vertical red lights will send an obvious message about the dangerous side.

We look forward to these important works being completed in a safe and timely manner.