Olympics – Final briefing for MVS deployment at Weymouth

Many of the MVS members who have volunteered to support the Harbour Master during the Olympic sailing events, met in Weymouth yesterday (Wed 26 July) for their final briefing with Peter Mole (Harbour Master) and Dennis George (Senior Berthing Officer).
The first session included vital information on safety, security, customer service, legal control of the harbour and arrangements for competitors and harbour operations.
Dennis then moved on to the various roles of the Harbour Master’s team of six boats which now includes the three MVS craft (Avocet and 2 RIBs) and volunteers. This session covered radio communications, planned events in and around the harbour, boat activities for corporate and leisure visitors, access arrangements and operation of the Town Bridge and slipways.
MVS Avocet alongside in Weymouth Harbour with the Rowing Ferry in foreground
As planned, one of the roles of the MVS boats (in particular Avocet) will be to act as gate keeper for the Weymouth Bay Gate. This is a buoyed access channel through which competitors’ boats pass in the morning and evening, en route to and from the competition areas in Weymouth Bay. Meanwhile, MVS RIBs will patrol the buoyed boundaries of the competition areas, the moorings in the bay and observe and report any potential risks to safety and security, whilst always being ready to respond to the unexpected!
As Appleby will not now be sailing to Weymouth, East Sussex 1 from Eastbourne will be joining the harbour team and is scheduled to arrive on Friday 26 July.
Following the briefing, Dennis George conducted a walking tour for the MVS group to acquaint themselves with the harbour layout and the wide range of activities and services that operate in this very busy harbour. This culminated in a trip on the Weymouth Sea Life Tower at the end of the Pleasure Pier. This provided an amazing view of Weymouth Harbour and Bay, Portland and the Jurassic Coast from 165 feet, as the glass doughnut gently rotated through 360 degrees.
MVS volunteers heading out to Weymouth Bay on Harbour Pilot boat Melwey
Dennis George (foreground) with MVS volunteers on Melway inspecting the buoys
The day finished with a trip on the harbour pilot vessel Melwey to see the buoyed gates and competition boundaries close up – areas where MVS volunteers will be focussing their efforts in the coming weeks.
Sincere thanks go to all the members of the Weymouth Harbour Team for their hospitality, training and guidance throughout this very valuable and enjoyable day.