Boats moored at Jull Wharf (foreground) and Nelson Quay as the Napier City Council and owners grapple with the questions of the future of the wharves. Photo / Doug Laing
Boats moored at Jull Wharf (foreground) and Nelson Quay as the Napier City Council and owners grapple with the questions of the future of the wharves. Photo / Doug Laing
Four boats which had been among 17 stranded at their moorings by the closure of the Nelson Quay wharf at Napier dockside suburb Ahuriri have been moved to safer berths.
But three, moored at Jull Wharf, also fenced off, on the opposite side of the Iron Pot mooring zone, areonly accessible from the water.
The vessels were moved under harbourmaster supervision on Friday afternoon and evening, as the Napier City Council negotiated with owners following the sudden closure announcement on Thursday.
The council told boat owners on Monday: “We are working on options for how and when each of the remaining vessels can be moved.”
“Plans for each boat will be made on a case-by-case basis and will be signed off by the harbourmaster,“ the council said. ”Any vessel movements will be undertaken under his direction and supervision."
A council spokesperson told Hawke’s Bay Today access from the water to the boats moored at Jull Wharf was safe and the boats would remain there for the time being.
The boats still moored at Nelson Quay were in a safety exclusion zone, with access from the wharf closed and from the water prohibited, with a safety exclusion zone barrier in place.
The council is considering Meeanee Quay as an option, but says that’s subject to an engineering assessment of its condition, expected to take a few days.
It says that depending on the outcome of that assessment, it may allow some vessels to move to Meeanee Quay, but it warned it could require the signing of a disclaimer accepting the risk of berthing there.
“It is important to note that there are no easy fixes in any option we’re considering,” it said.
“If Meeanee Quay is not an option based on the engineering assessment, then movements anywhere else won’t happen in the short term,” the council says.
Cracks on the Nelson Quay footpath, marked by white paint are being monitored by the Napier City Council. Photo / Doug Laing
Meanwhile, the council said it was monitoring cracks which had appeared on the footpath on the quayside towards the Bridge St end.
