Safety Guidance Notes for Small Boat Passage of the River Severn

The Safety Guidance Notes were compiled some time ago and were last updated in 2001. There have since been a number of changes to the facilities available to small craft in the Severn Estuary - the manner in which the local weather forecasts provided by the Coastguard are broadcast has changed a little, a new marina has been opened at Portishead, Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) and procedures are now formalised at Avonmouth and Cardiff. Lydney Dock is once again available to leisure users.

The Safety Guidance Notes have therefore undergone some revision, and are available from the link below. The notes are only intended as basic information to assist the novice navigator in the development of further enquiries before setting out. It goes without saying that the reader should exercise some caution and make additional enquiries if they are in any doubt about about making the passage and what may be encountered en-route.

Revised Guidance Notes (as a downloadable pdf file)