Vital work to keep the Exe Estuary free of navigational obstructions has been carried out by Exeter’s Harbour Patrol Team.

The Team spent much of Sunday (August 14) night re-floating a 28ft abandoned yacht on the banks of the River Exe near Turf Lock.

The yacht had been left to decay in the water and was considered a navigational danger to other vessels in the estuary, as well as a threat to wildlife and the environment.

The Team, under the watchful eye of Harbour Master Grahame Forshaw, waited for high tide on Sunday night - which came around just before 10pm – when they were able to re-float the yacht, before towing it back to Topsham.

Once at Trout’s Boatyard, the wreck was lifted out of the water before being taken away on a flat-bed lorry for scrapping.

The Council’s harbour patrollers monitor the Exe Estuary and the Canal for wrecks to improve navigation and prevent environmental damage.

Over recent times the team has discovered more than 30 abandoned boats on the Exe, in varying forms of decay.

The team does everything possible to locate the owners of these wrecks so that they can be lifted out of the Exe and disposed of responsibly.

As well as carrying out work to remove wreckages from the estuary, the team maintain markers and buoys that are vital to navigate the Exe as well as mooring points for yachts and small boats.

The Team also carry out regular patrols to ensure the 10 knot speed limit for powered craft is maintained and important ‘no-go areas’ around wildlife save havens in the estuary are not breached.

Abandoned boats on the Exe are becoming more and more of a problem for the Team. Many fibre glass boats built in the 1960s and 70s are now coming to the end of their working of useful life. The cost of disposing of them is in the region of £300 per foot.

The City Council’s Harbour Patrol Team are urging people to consider the responsibilities of taking on an older boat and think about the long term costs of renovation and eventual disposal.

They are also asking members of the public to report any sightings of abandoned boats. Many are left hidden behind reeds along the river and estuary.