Dart Harbour

Dart Harbour & Navigation Authority ( Dart Harbour ) is a Trust Port. The Trust Port was originally constituted by Act of Parliament in 1897 and amalgamated with the River Dart Navigation Commission to form the Dart Harbour and Navigation Authority on 1st August 1975. Trust ports are independent statutory bodies established under local Acts of Parliament. They are run by boards of trustees who reinvest all profits for the benefit of all port users and wider regional and local interests. In 2006 a review of the corporate identity has led to the Authority being known as Dart Harbour.

Dart Harbour has a Board of Members with day-to-day operation delegated to the Harbour Master to manage the Harbour.

Dart Harbour is also a Competent Harbour Authority and a Local Lighthouse Authority. Competent Harbour Authorities are expected to maintain a pilotage service and can make pilotage directions, including making pilotage compulsory. Local Lighthouse Authorities can establish navigation marks within their area of jurisdiction and must maintain these to suitable standards.

Dart Harbour is expected to provide safe navigation within the harbour. It does this by:

Maintaining a pilotage service
Establishing navigation buoys and beacons within its jurisdiction
Maintaining navigation marks to a set standard
Establishing moorings within the harbour
Licensing others, with some restrictions, to establish moorings within the harbour
Cleaning up any oil spill (link here to oil spill contingency plan
Having a waste management plan in place
Enforcing national legislation
Making and enforcing byelaws