Stranded Llanelli beach pontoon is reminder of halcyon shipping days

A rusting pontoon weighing several tonnes has washed up on Llanelli beach.

It broke free from heavy retaining anchor chains just 100 yards offshore in February.

The pontoon was made by Spencer Davies Engineering and owned and installed by the former Llanelli Harbour Trust which ceased to exist when the Trusts lands were sold to the former Llanelli Borough Council in the early 1990’s.

The pontoon has been removed from the eastern end of Llanelli beach because of the danger of it being taken out to sea on imminent high tides where it could become a danger to boating in the estuary or shipping in the Atlantic.

The metal pontoon was installed by the Trust 40 years ago and replaced others that had been constructed in wood when the Harbour Trust was formed circa 1890 and Llanelli harbour was handling up to 2,000 vast tonnage ships annually.

Its purpose was to offer refuge to people stranded on high the sandbanks opposite Llanelli beach cut off from the land by the channel caused by the Machynys training wall that cut a deep water passage to the sea from Llanelli round the coast to Burry Port and out passed Worms Head.

Since the training wall was breached more than 30 years ago so has the deep water channel making the pontoon as a strandings refuge.

A spokesman for the RNLI said:

“With the advent of the Millennium Coastal Park and heavy use of the coastal path from Bynea to Pembrey there was a natural early warning system to anyone who wandered into the estuary and got caught out by the tides especially from those occupying property round the coast at Llanelli and from the Discovery Centre.”

“They have great vistas from elevated positions over the estuary and forsee people who may be getting into difficulties.

“It is important the pontoon was removed from the beach because it could have been serious if it was reclaimed by tides broke free to the open sea to became a shipping hazard.”

“Response times by the Burry Port RNLI who have two new fast boats have also improved which makes the need for one isolated pontoon redundant.”

County leisure services spokesman Ron Cant said there were signs all round the Millennium Coastal Park warning visitors of the dangers or 0f being caught out by fast incoming times.

“The pontoon has never been the responsibility of the county council and there had been calls for its removal because of abuse shouted at park users from drunken youth occupying the pontoon and on other occasions launching fireworks towards people walking on the promenade.”