Westward Shipping News was given access to view inside Plymouth’s Longroom Port Control Station, which manages the daily shipping movements in and out of the Sound and wider dockyard port of Plymouth.
The Longroom is based at the Royal Marine Barracks in Stonehouse and looks out strategically across the panoramic views of the city’s waterfront, Sound, and the river Tamar.
The tower is a unique building and comes under the statuary control of the King’s Harbour Master (KHM) Rob Giles, a former Warfare Officer in the Royal Navy for 18 years.
Rob Giles oversees with his team all vessel movements throughout Plymouth Sound, particularly military and support vessels serving the largest Naval Base in Western Europe, from nuclear submarines and large warships to the many allied navies visiting or on FOST training.
The King’s Harbour Master, Rob Giles, said, “I’ve been in the role for over two years and always marvel at the sheer scale of our responsibilities, geographic area, and many of the exciting plans for the port over the next 10 years.”
“We are the senior port authority and work closely with (ABP) Millbay Docks, where over 500 or so movements take place every year with Brittany Ferries, while at the other end of the waterfront, Cattewater Harbour Commissioners are responsible for the commercial wharves, cargo vessels, and crucially oil vessels that keep the artery of the South West economy running smoothly, and not forgetting fishing and recreation at Sutton Harbour,“ he said.
“Plymouth is seeing a growth in cruise liner visits, recreational craft, together with our local marinas, water events, rowers, canoeists, divers, surfers, and swimmers, and the National Marine Park and Freeport, and our aim at KHM is to assist legitimate and safe access and activity throughout the waters of the Dockyard Port of Plymouth ” he said.
There are two Port Control Stations (PCS), the Flag Port Control Station (Flag), which oversees movements and operations in the Hamoaze, and the Longroom Port Control Station, which manages the moves into and out of the Sound and incorporates a separate incident room to deal with any maritime emergencies in the waters of Plymouth.
Tim Faull, Vessel Traffic Services Manager, said: “We are the shore-side support system that provides messages and guidance to ships, hazard warnings, and extensive management of shipping traffic in and out of the Dockyard Port, from small vessels to large ships. We also run daily information on our website about all the shipping movements and events happening in the port,” he said.
The Vessel Traffic Services is part of a wider network at the heart of the port’s day-to-day activities, with port control keeping radar, cameras, and radio watch and coordinating shipping movements that involve the movement of vessels including nuclear-powered submarines, civil tankers, continental ferries, cruise ships, and coasters, all of which transit a relatively narrow and constraining tidal channel before they manoeuvre onto berths.
Andrew Jones, Deputy King’s Harbour Master (DKHM), said: “We are an independent authority accountable to the Secretary of State through the Naval Base Commander, who is primarily responsible for the protection of the port.”
“It also has far wider responsibilities, ranging from environmental issues and oil pollution contingencies, navigation lights and buoyage, and management of water space for all users, including military, commercial, leisure, and business continuity,” he said.
Part of KHM’s organisation are the admiralty pilots for the safe movement of large crown vessels. They provide round-the-clock services every day of the year and are managed by the Chief Admiralty Pilot on behalf of KHM.
For more information about the KHM and its services, please visit: https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/khm/plymouth
