Latest news with #Garrod
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Yahoo
Former royal yacht rescued by lifeboat crew
A 1930s yacht that was used to teach King Charles III how to sail was rescued by a lifeboat crew after taking on water. Caister Lifeboat was called by HM Coastguard to attend to a 63ft (19.2 metre) vessel near Bacton, Norfolk, on Sunday. The yacht, called Bloodhound, was built for US huntsman Isaac Bell in 1936 and was bought by Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in 1962. Paul Garrod, the chairman of Caister Lifeboat, said: "We found out she was a very, very historic yacht. It was a great job for Caister Lifeboat." The former racing yacht had been sailing from Leith in Edinburgh, Scotland, to the south coast for sea trials. Mr Garrod said the boat was towed to Great Yarmouth, where its crew was put up in a hotel overnight. However, the skipper chose to stay on-board the yacht during the night. Mr Garrod said: "[The Bloodhound] is a lovely looking yacht, beautiful and well maintained... she is the most beautiful thing I ever did see." He said it was "great" to have been involved with the rescue of such a historic boat. The boat was bought by The Royal Yacht Britannia Trust in 2010 and has been berthed in Edinburgh as a tourist attraction. It was previously used by the Royal Family on holidays in the Western Isles and was used by King Charles and Princess Anne to learn how to sail. The Royal Britannia Trust said Bloodhound is one of the most successful ocean racing yachts and competed across the Atlantic, including sailing to Bermuda. Franck Bruyere, the chief executive of The Royal Yacht Britannia Trust, said while the boat was previously used for racing it had not been entered into a competition for decades. He said: "Bloodhound is safe. She has been receiving a lot of good care from the crew and the crew is very experienced. "Pleased to report that at the moment, conditional to further sea trails, the intention is for Bloodhound to sail further down south this evening [Tuesday]." The boat, which has been used for grassroots sailing, will eventually continue its journey for it to be restored. "She used to race... she used to sail around. For us there is nothing better than bringing her back to her former glory," he said. Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Princess Royal in first visit since Philip's death Caister Lifeboat The Royal Yacht Britannia Trust
BBC News
09-04-2025
- BBC News
Former royal yacht rescued by Caister lifeboat crew
A 1930s yacht that was used to teach King Charles III how to sail was rescued by a lifeboat crew after taking on water. Caister Lifeboat was called by HM Coastguard to attend to a 63ft (19.2 metre) vessel near Bacton, Norfolk, on Sunday. The yacht, called Bloodhound, was built for US huntsman Isaac Bell in 1936 and was bought by Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in Garrod, the chairman of Caister Lifeboat, said: "We found out she was a very, very historic yacht. It was a great job for Caister Lifeboat." The former racing yacht had been sailing from Leith in Edinburgh, Scotland, to the south coast for sea trials. Mr Garrod said the boat was towed to Great Yarmouth, where its crew was put up in a hotel overnight. However, the skipper chose to stay on-board the yacht during the night. Mr Garrod said: "[The Bloodhound] is a lovely looking yacht, beautiful and well maintained... she is the most beautiful thing I ever did see." He said it was "great" to have been involved with the rescue of such a historic boat was bought by The Royal Yacht Britannia Trust in 2010 and has been berthed in Edinburgh as a tourist attraction. It was previously used by the Royal Family on holidays in the Western Isles and was used by King Charles and Princess Anne to learn how to sail. The Royal Britannia Trust said Bloodhound is one of the most successful ocean racing yachts and competed across the Atlantic, including sailing to Bermuda. Franck Bruyere, the chief executive of The Royal Yacht Britannia Trust, said while the boat was previously used for racing it had not been entered into a competition for decades. He said: "Bloodhound is safe. She has been receiving a lot of good care from the crew and the crew is very experienced."Pleased to report that at the moment, conditional to further sea trails, the intention is for Bloodhound to sail further down south this evening [Tuesday]." The boat, which has been used for grassroots sailing, will eventually continue its journey for it to be restored. "She used to race... she used to sail around. For us there is nothing better than bringing her back to her former glory," he said. Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
How North Sea tanker crash could impact wildlife-rich coastline
Academics have raised fears over the ecological impact the dramatic crash involving an oil tanker and cargo vessel could have on the Norfolk coastline. The two ships – including one carrying jet fuel - went up in flames in the North Sea off the coast of East Yorkshire on Monday. Although the air quality at ground level has been recorded as at normal levels, experts said the event could damage the environment of the protected Norfolk coastline. Environmental biologist Prof Ben Garrod said "we should be doing all we can to ensure this never happens again". Thirty six people were rescued from the collision and one crew member remained unaccounted for. Prof Garrod, from the University of East Anglia's School of Biological Sciences, said the coast's shallow bay, The Wash, could be particularly impacted. "The Wash is recognised for its local, national and international ecological importance for flora and fauna alike," he said. "Some migrate there, others breed there, and for many species of plants, fungi, and animals, it's home. "The possible addition of tonnes of highly soluble toxic material which shuts down the respiration system into such a fragile and important habitat will likely have far-reaching impacts on our local wildlife, especially fish, birds and mammals. "We should be doing all we can to monitor the impact that the release of tonnes of ecologically damaging chemicals has on our fragile marine environment." The collision occurred at about 10:00 GMT, sparking fires and a mass evacuation, with one crew member saying the incident "came from out of the blue". The Stena Immaculate ship, the US-flagged oil and chemical tanker, was carrying jet fuel on behalf of the US military. The Solong meanwhile, a Portuguese-flagged container vessel, denied that it was transporting 15 containers of sodium cyanide. "There are four empty containers that have previously contained the hazardous chemical and these containers will continue to be monitored," said Ernst Russ, the ship's owner. Dr Paul Johnston, senior scientist at Greenpeace Research Laboratories at the University of Exeter, said he was "very concerned". "The wind is blowing from the north and will drive any material that is released towards the north Norfolk coast," he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme. "There are bird colonies, there will be seals hauled out, dolphins and porpoises passing through the area and animals, together with fish and marine vertebrate. "[They will] all be very vulnerable to toxic events, from both oils and chemicals." Videos from the scene showed large clouds of smoke billowing out from the tanker, and the firm which managed the Stena Immaculate reported "multiple explosions". "The jet fuel will continue burning [but] the heavy fuel oil is more of a problem if it comes ashore - it will fell beaches and be very difficult to clean up," added Dr Johnston. "Any containers that go over the side are likely to be a navigational hazard in so far as any ship that strikes them could become disabled or even sink." When asked if he thought this could result in the largest environmental disaster for a generation, he said it was a "very difficult thing to predict". "And that's why so much effort is being put into salvage efforts in order to minimise the amount of material entering the sea. "An ounce of prevention is worth many tonnes of cure but what we can learn from previous events in terms of clean-up is that it is very, very difficult." Prof Alastair Grant, from the University of East Anglia's school of environmental sciences, said "a detailed evaluation" of the environmental risks posed by the jet fuel would need to be conducted. "It contains up to 25% aromatic hydrocarbons, which are relatively toxic and slow to break down in the environment," he said. "This makes it approximately 50 times more toxic to aquatic life than diesel oil, which in turn is more toxic than crude oil." These concerns were also echoed by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust (NWT), which said "any pollution spillage could be devastating" for habitats in the area. A spokesperson said: "Depending on wind direction and contaminants, The Wash and North Norfolk coast, including NWT Holme Dunes nature reserve could potentially be at risk. "These areas are home to internationally important populations of seabirds and fragile habitats. "We'll continue to keep a close eye on the situation and work with marine authorities if needed." While the incident happened in UK waters, the responsibility for the investigation will fall to the United States and Portugal. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch, however, is already gathering evidence and undertaking a preliminary assessment of the accident. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is also "rapidly assessing" the potential environment impact of the collision. When it is considered safe to do so, the BBC understands the MCA will deploy equipment to contain and disperse the oil spills. The government agency is also working with the owners of the ships and the Department for Transport to understand potential risks to public health. According to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), any public health risk on shore is deemed to be very low. Labour MP Heidi Alexander, the transport secretary, said she was grateful to HM Coastguard, the RNLI and emergency services for their response. "They were on the scene swiftly, have helped rescue those in immediate danger and I know they will continue to work tirelessly over the coming days. "My thoughts are with all those involved, especially the family of the missing crew member. "I am working closely with the MCA as they conduct an assessment of any counter pollution response which may be required over the coming days." Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. North Sea tanker collision - what we know so far Search for ship collision crew member called off Maritime and Coastguard Agency Marine Accident Investigation Branch Department for Transport
BBC News
11-03-2025
- Science
- BBC News
How North Sea tanker collision could impact Norfolk coastline
Academics have raised fears over the ecological impact the dramatic crash involving an oil tanker and cargo vessel could have on the Norfolk two ships – including one carrying jet fuel - went up in flames in the North Sea off the coast of East Yorkshire on the air quality at ground level has been recorded as at normal levels, experts said the event could damage the environment of the protected Norfolk biologist Prof Ben Garrod said "we should be doing all we can to ensure this never happens again". Thirty six people were rescued from the collision and one crew member remained unaccounted for. Prof Garrod, from the University of East Anglia's School of Biological Sciences, said the coast's shallow bay, The Wash, could be particularly impacted. "The Wash is recognised for its local, national and international ecological importance for flora and fauna alike," he said."Some migrate there, others breed there, and for many species of plants, fungi, and animals, it's home."The possible addition of tonnes of highly soluble toxic material which shuts down the respiration system into such a fragile and important habitat will likely have far-reaching impacts on our local wildlife, especially fish, birds and mammals. "We should be doing all we can to monitor the impact that the release of tonnes of ecologically damaging chemicals has on our fragile marine environment." The collision occurred at about 10:00 GMT, sparking fires and a mass evacuation, with one crew member saying the incident "came from out of the blue".The Stena Immaculate ship, the US-flagged oil and chemical tanker, was carrying jet fuel on behalf of the US Solong meanwhile, a Portuguese-flagged container vessel, denied that it was transporting 15 containers of sodium cyanide."There are four empty containers that have previously contained the hazardous chemical and these containers will continue to be monitored," said Ernst Russ, the ship's owner. Dr Paul Johnston, senior scientist at Greenpeace Research Laboratories at the University of Exeter, said he was "very concerned"."The wind is blowing from the north and will drive any material that is released towards the north Norfolk coast," he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme."There are bird colonies, there will be seals hauled out, dolphins and porpoises passing through the area and animals, together with fish and marine vertebrate."[They will] all be very vulnerable to toxic events, from both oils and chemicals." 'Very, very difficult' Videos from the scene showed large clouds of smoke billowing out from the tanker, and the firm which managed the Stena Immaculate reported "multiple explosions"."The jet fuel will continue burning [but] the heavy fuel oil is more of a problem if it comes ashore - it will fell beaches and be very difficult to clean up," added Dr Johnston."Any containers that go over the side are likely to be a navigational hazard in so far as any ship that strikes them could become disabled or even sink."When asked if he thought this could result in the largest environmental disaster for a generation, he said it was a "very difficult thing to predict"."And that's why so much effort is being put into salvage efforts in order to minimise the amount of material entering the sea."An ounce of prevention is worth many tonnes of cure but what we can learn from previous events in terms of clean-up is that it is very, very difficult." Global importance Prof Alastair Grant, from the University of East Anglia's school of environmental sciences, said "a detailed evaluation" of the environmental risks posed by the jet fuel would need to be conducted. "It contains up to 25% aromatic hydrocarbons, which are relatively toxic and slow to break down in the environment," he said."This makes it approximately 50 times more toxic to aquatic life than diesel oil, which in turn is more toxic than crude oil." These concerns were also echoed by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust (NWT), which said "any pollution spillage could be devastating" for habitats in the area.A spokesperson said: "Depending on wind direction and contaminants, The Wash and North Norfolk coast, including NWT Holme Dunes nature reserve could potentially be at risk."These areas are home to internationally important populations of seabirds and fragile habitats."We'll continue to keep a close eye on the situation and work with marine authorities if needed." While the incident happened in UK waters, the responsibility for the investigation will fall to the United States and Marine Accident Investigation Branch, however, is already gathering evidence and undertaking a preliminary assessment of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is also "rapidly assessing" the potential environment impact of the it is considered safe to do so, the BBC understands the MCA will deploy equipment to contain and disperse the oil government agency is also working with the owners of the ships and the Department for Transport to understand potential risks to public to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), any public health risk on shore is deemed to be very low. 'Hugely grateful' Labour MP Heidi Alexander, the transport secretary, said she was grateful to HM Coastguard, the RNLI and emergency services for their response."They were on the scene swiftly, have helped rescue those in immediate danger and I know they will continue to work tirelessly over the coming days."My thoughts are with all those involved, especially the family of the missing crew member."I am working closely with the MCA as they conduct an assessment of any counter pollution response which may be required over the coming days." Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
CBC
21-02-2025
- Automotive
- CBC
Doug Ford's 401 tunnel vision could come with a nearly $100B price tag, expert says
Doug Ford's plan for a tunnel under Highway 401 has gone from a surprise announcement to a full on re-election pledge. And according to one expert's cost estimate, it could be a near $100-billion idea, which would make it the single-most expensive Ontario election promise in the last 10 years, if not the province's history. In September, the PC leader, who was then premier, said his government would explore a tunnel for drivers and public transit under the 401, with a feasibility study to follow. On his re-election campaign in February, Ford said, "We're going to get that tunnel built." Little is known about the plans for the tunnel aside from the fact that the Ministry of Transportation says it could go from Brampton or Mississauga in the west to Scarborough or Markham in the east — a massive, costly, roughly 55-kilometre long project that some say may not solve Toronto's traffic woes. The cost of the tunnel would likely exceed $50 billion, according to Brian Garrod, a past president of the Canadian Tunnelling Association who worked on the Channel Tunnel (or chunnel) connecting England with France as well as several major subway projects in Toronto. WATCH | Ford vows to build tunnel on the campaign trail: Ford vows to build tunnel under Hwy. 401 if re-elected, but won't give a price tag 13 days ago Duration 2:19 That estimate is based on the 3.2 kilometre, $3.3-billion US State Route 99 Tunnel that was finished in Seattle, Washington in 2019. But the price of the 401 tunnel is likely much higher, given the Seattle tunnel was budgeted in American dollars and constructed more than half a decade ago, Garrod said. "Since it was finished in 2019, that number should be inflated just to bring it up to today's date. And that would probably make it $1.7 billion per kilometre," he said. "And these are obviously very rough [figures] because there's zero amount of design done right now." At 55 kilometres, that's $93.5 billion. But that's just for a car tunnel. If Ford wants to add public transit in the form of a train, Garrod says that's a whole other tunnel that could shoot the cost up to around $130 billion. Ford says PCs are a party of 'visionaries' That's estimating that the tunnel would, like the one in Seattle, have four lanes of traffic. Seattle's tunnel, which houses two two-lane roads on top of each other "is pretty much the biggest tunnel diameter that can be done with a machine right now," Garrod said. If Ford is imagining a tunnel with as many lanes as the widest areas of the 401, that may be beyond the capabilities of the tunnelling industry at this point, Garrod says. Ford has not said he would like both roadways to be equal in capacity. But he does say the eye-popping potential price tag could be worth it, because the province's economy is already losing $56 billion every year because of bad traffic. He added the 400 series highways will be at maximum capacity in 10 years. "That's the difference between ourselves and the other parties. We're visionaries. We're thinking 50 years and 100 years out," Ford said Thursday. Will the tunnel work? While Ford justifies the tunnel by citing the cost of traffic to the city, one expert says it's unlikely to have an impact on congestion. "All the research points to the necessity to curb the demand for highway travel rather than create new highways on the supply side," said Steven Farber, a human geography professor and director of the Mobility Network at the University of Toronto. As for Ford floating transit as a potential piece of the project, Farber said there is a need for a new east-west transit corridor in that part of the city. "But we don't start with the tunnel and then decide how we want to fill that tunnel. Let's start with planning." How long would it take? Once construction actually begins, Garrod says it would make sense to break it up into 15-kilometre chunks. The chunks would take a $150-million machine working around the clock five years to tunnel, not including the years needed for design work, contract procurement and construction done afterwards, he said. Spending the money to have multiple machines would make things move faster, he said. But even when construction gets going, there's no guarantee that it will continue uninterrupted. In the case of Seattle's recent project, a boring machine imported from Japan for the project got stuck. "It was finished about two and a half years late compared to the advertised expectations, but it did get built," says Mike Lindblom, who covered the project in his more than two decades as the Seattle Times transportation reporter. That may sound familiar to some in the west end of Toronto, where a boring machine was trapped in 2022. And while experts say the Seattle project serves as a recent comparison, geographically speaking Lindblom said it's more akin to a tunnelled Gardiner Expressway. "A big difference between Ontario and Seattle in this context is that no politician really ran for reelection on: 'I'm proposing a tunnel there,'" he added.
