The Port of Southampton fully supports the new Merchant Shipping (Watercraft) Order

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Other Businesses

ABP Property

Our property division brings together an unrivalled land bank spanning 21 multi-modal locations around the country, with 960 hectares of port-based development land.

ABPmer

Drawing on 60 years of experience, ABP Marine Environmental Research (ABPmer) provides specialist marine environmental research and consultancy services.

UK Dredging

UK Dredging (UKD) operates the largest British-owned dredging fleet and specialises in the provision of reliable and cost effective port maintenance dredging services.

The Merchant Shipping (Watercraft) Order comes into force on 31 March 2023 which enables relevant agencies more powers to prosecute people for the dangerous misuse of watercraft.

  • The legislation defines a Watercraft as a “craft capable of moving under its own mechanical power” and includes Personal Watercraft (commonly referred to as jet skis) and other powered recreational craft.
  • It also puts an onus on the owner of the watercraft to ensure that they take “all reasonable steps to ensure that the watercraft is operated in a safe manner”. If you own a jet ski and you let others use it, you are responsible for their actions. 

ABP Southampton will work alongside the Hampshire Marine Unit to educate, enforce, and prosecute those operating powered watercraft in a reckless, dangerous, or inappropriate manner.

A Notice to Mariner’s has been issued: 2023 No 39 Port of Southampton - Merchant Shipping (Watercraft) Order 

For more information about the new piece of legislation, click here.