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PS Monarch

Discussion in 'Everything Else Heritage' started by MrC, May 20, 2015.

  1. buzby2

    buzby2 Well-Known Member

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    Expected update:
    Due to Corona Virus Monarch will not be running for the forseeable future.
    ORCA, our sister company Wareham River Cruises, will still run from the 1st of April unless Government advice changes.
     
  2. buzby2

    buzby2 Well-Known Member

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    Latest update:
    Due to the small size of Monarch, coupled with government social distancing rules and given that passengers will be with at least one other person who is not a member of their immediate household, it has been decided that it is not possible or safe to run trips until at least the end of June.
    We will continue to monitor the government guidelines and if distancing rules are relaxed, hopefully we will be back at the start of July.
     
  3. buzby2

    buzby2 Well-Known Member

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    Latest News:
    We are not currently operating (not even from 4th July) as government guidelines updated on the 11th June state: "Tourist and trip boat operators must remain closed. Tourist and trip boats will reopen when restrictions on ticketed leisure activities are lifted."
    Despite the relaxing of lock down from the 4th July the above advice has not been changed so sadly we will not be able to start unless the above advice is changed.
    We assume (for want of any clear advice) that we have been put in the same category as theatres and sports events hence why our industry has been told we cannot reopen.
    We will be limited to max 5 passengers per trip if we can run.
     
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  4. buzby2

    buzby2 Well-Known Member

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  5. MrC

    MrC New Member

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    The trips times were not removed as 1 I forgot, and 2 I get the impression must people never get past the front page!

    I am awaiting an update from the owner this week as to what he has decided to do regarding running for this season. The website will be updated as soon as I know.

    The Governement has at least changed the rules and has allowed us to run from the 4th, however we are not sure yet how we can operate within Covid guidelines.
     
    Last edited: Jul 12, 2020
  6. MrC

    MrC New Member

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    The lift out for cleaning and antifoul application has been put on hold for now.
     
  7. MrC

    MrC New Member

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    Monarch will operate weekends from August. Times will be as usual, see website for these and any exclusions due to tides. Monarch will not operate over the BH weekend.
     
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  8. buzby2

    buzby2 Well-Known Member

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    Thanks for update Mr C.
    Hope everything goes according to plan next month.
     
  9. buzby2

    buzby2 Well-Known Member

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    Bump .......

    According to the latest website update - As lockdown has delayed scheduled winter maintenance Monarch will not be operating in April.
    Let's hope for good weather, in the interim, and that maintenance works may be completed in time for operations to start over the early May Bank Holiday weekend (1st - 3rd)
     
  10. buzby2

    buzby2 Well-Known Member

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    The website does not appear to have been updated lately so presume lockdown has caused more delays than at first envisaged.
    Hopefully Winter works can be undertaken now allowing a resumption of services during May - or soon after.
     
  11. MrC

    MrC New Member

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    The owner is hoping to be operating from the end of May beginning of June depending on how the maintenance goes, the boat yard is so busy it is not possible to lift her out until May. It is exceedingly quiet with very few tourists in the area, so it would not be economical for Monarch to be running now anyway.
     
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  12. buzby2

    buzby2 Well-Known Member

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  13. MrC

    MrC New Member

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    Monarch will be leaving Wareham for pastures new and will not be returning to the Frome. The website has been taken down. At the moment further details cannot be provided for reasons of confidentiality.
     
  14. buzby2

    buzby2 Well-Known Member

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    Such a shame. Will miss my occasional sorties along the Frome.
    Hope it's going to a good home.
     
  15. buzby2

    buzby2 Well-Known Member

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  16. MrC

    MrC New Member

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    The couple who have repeatedly used their boat to make it unsafe for Monarch to operate have also done the same to one of the other trip boats operating from the quay. The male has assulted the operator of the trip boat twice, made fraudulant complaints to the council, and made fraudulant insurance claims, encouraged other boat owners to stop Monarch and the other trip boat from operating as well as spreading lies that the operators of the trip boats have harrassed the female. These two have spent most of the summer taking every opertunity to intimidate the wife of the trip boat operator who is disabled and unable to avoid them. They have also by their actions put the lifes of the trip boat passengers at risk. Despite the council confirming that the byelaws refered to in the article not only being valid, but also enforcable have taken no action against this couple, despite being sent evidence of their actions over two years. It took a complaint to the monitoring office of Dorset Council for them to act on any of the complaints the operators of both trip boats made, the licensing office actually lying to both operators over the byelaws and dening it was their job to enforce them in any case. The police are not interested, in fact the operator of the trip boat was told by the investigating officer that he should have expected to be assailted, and what did he expect the perpatrator to do? The operator of the other trip boat has also made the descion to stop operating.
    Although it cannot be proved it is suspected that there is another party pushing the couple to cause the issues the trip boats have had as it has only started in the last three years.
    If you are planning a holiday to Dorset, avoid Wareham it really is not a nice place.
     
  17. johnofwessex

    johnofwessex Resident of Nat Pres

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    The whole point of Local Authority Licensing is to prevent this sort of thing happening.

    I suggest a complaint to The Ombudsman
     
  18. Greenway

    Greenway Part of the furniture

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    A little too to late it appears; Monarch has been sold according to the Purbeck Gazette (Post 75) as a private yacht.
     
  19. MrC

    MrC New Member

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    You cannot contact the ombudsman until the complaint made against the council has been closed and you have a record of the complaints number. Dorset Council have never acknowledged any complain regarding the issue above thus making it impossible to apporach the ombudsman. The council even denied being responsable for enforcing their own byelaws, after a query to the minstry of housing, communities and local government confirmed that it is the councils responsibility to enforce them they just ignored any further emails sent to the enforcement office.

    A complaint to the monitoring officer (the councils anti corruption unit) finally got a response, and a load of false promises made regarding enforcement. A breach of the byelaws that has lsated 4 months and is still on going has rather proved that support from DC is not going to happen. DC also knowlingly allow a similar business to operate without the legally required licenses, an issue that has again been raised and ignored.

    Who it is that pays for DC's licensing and enforcement department's Christmas parties and drinks nights must be putting a lot of money in the kitty.
     
  20. johnofwessex

    johnofwessex Resident of Nat Pres

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    If you submit a complaint but dont get a reply after a month then you can go to TheOmbudsman
     

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