Photo courtesy www.sailingscenes.co.uk © 2014 David Harding
NAVIGATION
Safety
Marine traffic can be broadly divided between commercial vessels more than 24m long and recreational (or working boats) smaller than this. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency has responsibility for the commercial vessels. In our region, we have an unusually high concentration of small craft, mixed in with commercial traffic, and this creates unique safety problems.
In 2009 the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) stated, in relation to Navitus Bay's zone, "We do not see any part of this zone that could be safely developed. The zone is in a heavily used navigational area". "It is our belief that safety of navigation would be seriously compromised...".
The Netherlands Maritime Research Insitute (MARIN) states, "A wind farm has to be located where shipping densities are low". Yet Navitus Bay's area is exceptionally busy. NBDL’s marine traffic survey counted up to 68 vessels a day transiting it. Clearly, the greater the traffic in the site, the greater the navigational hazard.
We have strong tides in our area, fog and rough seas. In deep water, small boats with mechanical failure will drift rapidly, so turbines are hazards even if the boat intended to keep well clear. Poole, Christchurch, Yarmouth and Lymington are all havens of refuge in heavy weather. The RYA's Cruising Atlas shows several heavily used cruising routes cross the proposed wind farm area. On a northerly passage in rising winds, many boats will be running for shelter along these routes. A wind farm near their course would be an obstacle to reaching safety.
Safety is also compromised at night by red aircraft navigation lights that flash as their beams are cut by blades of the wind turbines. The hardest thing to spot at night from the bridge of a ship is a vessel under sail, displaying a single green starboard or red port side light, so putting a host of red lights in the foreground just multiplies the problem. These small craft never show up well on a ship’s radar, and they are almost impossible to detect in any wind above Force 5 because of the sea clutter, so detecting navigation lights by eye is extremely important to avoid collisions in the approaches to the busiest yachting harbours in Europe.
The wind farm would also pose a risk to search and rescue operations (SAR), particularly by helicopter. A small vessel can founder very rapidly in an allision with a turbine and the speed of SAR would be critical.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency warns that radar, both for ships and aircraft, is degraded in and around a wind farm. Spurious radar returns from turbines have been found to be quite strong, starting at a range of 1.5nm with progressive deterioration in the radar display as the range closes. Multiple reflected and side lobe echoes can mask real targets. Although these effects can be partly suppressed by adjusting radar controls, care must be taken that genuine targets with a small radar signature, such as fishing and pleasure craft, are not also suppressed. This risk is increased by high speed ferries passing close to the edges of the development.
In 2009 the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) stated, in relation to Navitus Bay's zone, "We do not see any part of this zone that could be safely developed. The zone is in a heavily used navigational area". "It is our belief that safety of navigation would be seriously compromised...".
The Netherlands Maritime Research Insitute (MARIN) states, "A wind farm has to be located where shipping densities are low". Yet Navitus Bay's area is exceptionally busy. NBDL’s marine traffic survey counted up to 68 vessels a day transiting it. Clearly, the greater the traffic in the site, the greater the navigational hazard.
We have strong tides in our area, fog and rough seas. In deep water, small boats with mechanical failure will drift rapidly, so turbines are hazards even if the boat intended to keep well clear. Poole, Christchurch, Yarmouth and Lymington are all havens of refuge in heavy weather. The RYA's Cruising Atlas shows several heavily used cruising routes cross the proposed wind farm area. On a northerly passage in rising winds, many boats will be running for shelter along these routes. A wind farm near their course would be an obstacle to reaching safety.
Safety is also compromised at night by red aircraft navigation lights that flash as their beams are cut by blades of the wind turbines. The hardest thing to spot at night from the bridge of a ship is a vessel under sail, displaying a single green starboard or red port side light, so putting a host of red lights in the foreground just multiplies the problem. These small craft never show up well on a ship’s radar, and they are almost impossible to detect in any wind above Force 5 because of the sea clutter, so detecting navigation lights by eye is extremely important to avoid collisions in the approaches to the busiest yachting harbours in Europe.
The wind farm would also pose a risk to search and rescue operations (SAR), particularly by helicopter. A small vessel can founder very rapidly in an allision with a turbine and the speed of SAR would be critical.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency warns that radar, both for ships and aircraft, is degraded in and around a wind farm. Spurious radar returns from turbines have been found to be quite strong, starting at a range of 1.5nm with progressive deterioration in the radar display as the range closes. Multiple reflected and side lobe echoes can mask real targets. Although these effects can be partly suppressed by adjusting radar controls, care must be taken that genuine targets with a small radar signature, such as fishing and pleasure craft, are not also suppressed. This risk is increased by high speed ferries passing close to the edges of the development.
The Economy and Amenity
The RYA’s 2012 Position Statement on offshore wind farms argued against any development within 12nm, not only on grounds of navigational safety for recreational craft but in order to "...retain open space for its amenity and recreational value. Recreational activity is important to the health and well-being of the community as well as providing economic support for the local coastal economies." This is consistent with the approach taken in Holland, for example. Marine leisure is a very valuable component of our local economy.
Yet two-thirds of the Navitus Bay proposal is located within 12nm of the shore, in a particularly busy area for shipping and with an exceptionally high level of small working & leisure vessels. This is contrary to the government’s own recommendations which state that "... the bulk of this new generation capacity should be sited away from the coast, generally outside 12 nautical miles (some 22km)."
Yet two-thirds of the Navitus Bay proposal is located within 12nm of the shore, in a particularly busy area for shipping and with an exceptionally high level of small working & leisure vessels. This is contrary to the government’s own recommendations which state that "... the bulk of this new generation capacity should be sited away from the coast, generally outside 12 nautical miles (some 22km)."