From Roger Goudge.
IT would appear likely that as a result of your excellent report entitled ‘Boat owners oppose Harbour plans’ (JEP, 19 January) the commercial director of Jersey Harbours has chosen to belittle boat owners by stating that a recent survey on this issue by those with boats in St Helier represented just 3% of the 5,000 Island-wide boat owners in the Island and was therefore virtually worthless.

As commercial director she must surely be aware that there are not 5,000 boat owners in Jersey – indeed the number is closer to half that. She would also be aware that the overwhelming vote against the ‘ponding’ plan for the Old Harbour taken at the 2009 agm of St Helier Yacht Club, which represents 3,600 club members, and the vote taken by the St Helier Boat Owners’ Association which, as its name implies, represents those with boats in that harbour, was also unanimous.

In the summer of 2008, the single biggest survey undertaken in recent years of those who have boats in local harbours resulted in 799 completed forms being returned, which gave a very clear message, particularly on page 6 of the report that followed. Referring specifically to the loss of that drying harbour it stated, among other issues, that a massive 83% of respondents were ‘concerned about costs’ of moorings if this area was made into a marina.

Still more startling was the response that ‘less than 2% of those moored in St Helier Harbour specifically said that they had no concerns about the areas being “ponded”.’ I believe this is a very clear message.

The worrying fact was that this comprehensive survey was undertaken on behalf of Jersey Harbours who, on seeing the enormous ‘anti-ponding’ results, decided not to make this part of the survey public (and one can clearly see why) and concentrating on the percentages that gave them what they wanted to hear.
Jersey Harbours have stated that this is the year of consultation and ‘listening’.

What troubles me and the many boat owners in the Old Harbour is that they totally failed to listen on the matter in 2008, and little or nothing so far has indicated that they will listen in 2010. The ‘Line in the Mud’ starts here.