A FORMER Royal Temple Yacht Club commodore and round-the-world sailor has been forced to berth his new boat at Dover because of silt problems in Ramsgate harbour.

As revealed in the Isle of Thanet Gazette last week, the Race of the Classics has been asked to avoid Ramsgate this year because of dredging at the port.

Now, former RTYC commodore John Barrett has told how he has had to berth his Beneteau First 35 race yacht Stiletto in Dover ahead of the Ostend/Ramsgate/Boulogne racing in May, because Ramsgate's harbour authority could not guarantee Stiletto's keel would not get stuck in silt.

Mr Barrett said: "They are unable to accommodate Stiletto as they cannot guarantee the 2.5 metres of water that the boat safely needs.

"Dover Harbour Marina has welcomed Stiletto with open arms, as they can guarantee the depth in their marina, and will undoubtedly use this problem in Ramsgate as a marketing aid."

Former Ramsgate harbour master Captain Ken Gray, who now manages a Scottish port, believes Thanet council should give up running the port itself and set up a trust ensuring the funds are set aside for necessary dredging works.

In a letter to the Isle of Thanet Gazette, Captain Gray said: "I have spent 27 years managing ports throughout the UK and they all have to dredge, but Ramsgate more than most.

"The fact is that dredging is expensive and time-consuming, and the council has always been short of funds. I am pleased to learn that the port and harbour is benefiting from the Thanet Offshore Wind Farm, and I am sure with good management this will assist in resolving the situation and other problems by making more funds available.

"However, it is my view that Ramsgate harbour and the port should be operated independently from the council as a Trust Port, which would allow income to be invested directly into the port and harbour, and have an independently elected board, similar to my current port."

In a statement, Thanet council said: "The council is giving priority to scheduling in maintenance work at the marina and accommodating the wind farm vessels, which is important for the long-term future of the port.

"The contract for dredging is currently out to tender and that work will be carried out to ensure that we can accommodate the Dunkirk Little Ships in late May, which attract considerable press interest in Ramsgate.

"The first priority for dredging work was the port, so we could ensure that the new ferry could operate."