WEBCAM INSTALLED AT LARGS FERRY TERMINAL
A new harbour webcam has been installed at Largs Ferry Terminal to improve the availability of vital information for mariners and other harbour users, as well as ‘live’ content for ferry enthusiasts.
The external webcam stream forms part of a new package of environmental and tidal information introduced by Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL), which owns the harbour.
The data is available on CMAL’s website and has been introduced primarily to provide mariners and other harbour users, both commercial and leisure boats, with real-time weather updates. Information on wind speed, temperature, tide level and barometer statistics accompany a video feed from the high-definition webcam.
After a successful pilot, the webcam has been made a permanent feature this month as part of a wider harbour development project. As the owners and statutory harbour authority for 26 ports, harbours and slipways across the West of Scotland and the Clyde Estuary, CMAL plans to replicate the project across other major ports and harbours in the coming months.
After conducting a privacy impact assessment several control measures have been put in place to protect the privacy of harbour staff and port users, including a 30-minute live feed delay and transparent video masking, which blurs the view of some staff and public areas to obscure them from sight.
David McHardie, harbour master at CMAL said:
“The introduction of live monitoring systems at Largs harbour, including the webcam stream, forms part of our commitment to enhancing the availability of harbour environmental information across our network. The safety and security of those who use our ports and harbours is a priority, and real-time, easily accessible weather updates will be a useful tool to make use of our waterways safely.
“While the primary aim of the new weather data package is to aid mariners, I’m sure those with an interest in boats and ferries will enjoy being able to watch them berth at the harbour; it may even make a good feature for home schooling.
“We have worked closely with our supplier, The Scottish Communications Group, to ensure the data is GDPR compliant. Following the success of the pilot programme and subsequent implementation of these measures at Largs pier, we look forward to expanding it across the rest of our network.”
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