A STRUCTURAL assessment is being carried out on the retaining wall of Watchet Marina following concern about its capacity to moor larger vessels.

West Somerset Council, which owns the facility, is awaiting a report by a consultant engineer after discovering that bolts securing the pile top supports had pulled away from the wall.

The problem was first noticed a few weeks ago by James Burnell, manager of Watchet Harbour Marine Ltd, which operates the marina.

Council interim executive director Adrian Dyer told the Free Press this week that the consultant carrying out the assessment had been involved in the construction of the marina more than 12 years ago.

He said the initial results raised a questionmark over the design capability of the wall to take larger vessels.

Mr Dyer alerted the Watchet Harbour Advisory Committee last week and said he had advised the marina operator that only small boats should be moored on the pontoon linked to the retaining wall until the full results of the structural assessment have been received.

"We are awaiting a condition report, together with the costed solution to the problem," said Mr Dyer.

The pontoon has been home to the 20-metre-long and 40-ton gunboat the Gay Archer and three other boats of a similar size.

Mr Burnell said he was in the process of attempting to move the vessels elsewhere within the marina.

"But it isn't easy. They have been there for a large number of years and we are having to wait until suitable locations become available.

"We are doing everything we can to minimise any future problems but we must stress that the wall is not at risk - the problem with is the pontoon the boats are moored to."

Mr Burnell said the exact specifications of the pontoon had never been made clear.

"One thing that is very clear is that when the marina was originally designed and built, the envisaged size of the boats that would be moored there was much smaller than the reality.

"No-one expected the size of the boats we have now."

But Mr Burnell said he also believed that the severe weather in recent months was also a contributory factor to the damage.

"We have had extreme weather - the worst experienced for a very long time and although Watchet has largely escaped, I think it has played a part."

Members of Watchet Boat Owners Association were told of the situation in their latest newsletter.

In it a spokesman said there had been "some wild rumours" regarding the state of the retaining wall following on from the recent high tides and gales.

He said at the recent harbour advisory committee, council representatives had advised the marina operator that technical advisors had informed them the size and weight of boats moored on the pontoon far exceeded design capability and this was the single contributory factor in the failure of the bolts.

As a result, the council had advised the marina operator to reduce the number of heavy boats on the pontoon and that as owners they would hold the operator responsible for any future damage if that requirement was not met.

The spokesman said WBOA members were being strongly advised to relocate their boats if they were advised to do so.