THE ‘safety police’ of Portsmouth Harbour are looking for more volunteers – and cash – to ensure the service’s continued success.

The Volunteer Harbour Patrol, or VHP, was set up in the spring of 2004 to make the waters of Portsmouth Harbour safer by using trained volunteers, all experienced mariners, to offer friendly advice to all who use the waters during the summer.

And that’s a lot of people.

“Look around the harbour. It’s marina, marina, marina – there are more than 5,000 yachts and boats moored here,” said Cdr Kendall Carter, Queen’s Harbour Master, in charge of the VHP.

“We’re the second busiest port in the UK – this summer has been absolutely manic, especially since the beginning of August and Cowes week.”

From late April/early May until the end of October/early November, the VHP boats and jet skis are on the water every weekend, every bank holiday, and some of the busier weekdays when the volunteers can spare the time.

The 40 or so volunteers are drawn from all walks of life: ex-RN, ex-Army, police force, even a postman (yes, called Pat), who give up on average two days every month to keep the harbour safe.

Personal water craft – or jetskis as most people know them – were in the headlines a few years back, but rarely today, thanks to two VHP jetskis and dedicated areas for these fast craft (they can reach speeds in excess of 60mph) off Eastney and Lee-on-the-Solent.

Most transgressions are down to ignorance – not knowing the harbour, not knowing the rules, such as failing to use the dedicated channel for boats under 20m rather than the main channel.used by warships, ferries and commercial shipping.

The harbour entrance is, not surprisingly, the choke point. At peak times in high summer there could be 100 craft an hour moving in and out of Portsmouth.

And, to be fair, most sailors are law-abiding. They wave merrily to the patrol craft. But there is one big bugbear for the VHP team.

“You regularly see children riding in RIBs without life jackets or buoyancy aids – you can very easily get ‘bumped’ off a RIB. You can pick up an aid for perhaps £30,” said former CPO Ken Bichard, vice chairman of the VHP.

The VHP is not a police force – there are MOD police launches and Hampshire Constabulary’s boats to tackle criminal activity. It is limited to educating and advising harbour users on safety issues. (Interestingly, there’s no law to make you wear a life jacket on your own boat, nor do you need a ‘driver’s licence’ to skipper a yacht.)

Nor is the patrol the AA of the high seas, although much of the team’s time is spent towing home broken-down vessels (invariably through lack of fuel).

“Some people see the sea as the last bastion of freedom and don’t like being told what to do, but most people accept that we’re here to help and give us a friendly wave,” said Mr Bichard.

Rules dictate the patrol cannot charge for its service. Aside from the goodwill of the volunteers, it relies on sponsors and donations to maintain its four boats and two jet skis.

“Our jetskis have done about 40 times more miles and time in the water than an average jetski simply because they’re on patrol all summer – and when it comes to servicing anything connected with a boat costs far more than a car for example,” explained Cdr Carter.

To date, the generosity of sponsors such as Serco, VT and Raymarine have kept the boats in the water, but more support – and volunteers – are needed to ensure the service continues.

“No other port runs anything on the scale of the VHP and it’s crucial to the safe running of Portsmouth Harbour in the summer,” Cdr Carter added.

More details are available from VHP or 023 92723124.