Anyone any Thoughts Or Experience of Sailing Near or Through Windfarms?

[savageseadog]

We have some very large ones in Liverpool Bay. I have sailed right through one on an offshore race once for a few miles, I really wasn't sure if the wind was affected or not. I found that on a starboard beat in a West wind the wind lifted as I continued. I have no idea if the wind itself lifted or if it was an effect of the wind farm. The wind strength seemed unaffected and I didn't notice any turbulence.

 

[LittleSister]

I've sailed a number of times through one of the wind farms in the Thames Estuary - there's a marked passage, with the pylons a little more widely spaced, for one of the traditional gats through the sandbank on which the wind farm stands. I've also departed from that passage and sailed between the standard spaced pylons.

I've not noticed any effect on the wind strength, turbulence or direction (though I'm usually concentrating more on not hitting any pylons than the finer details of the wind). There must be some effect on the wind, but perhaps it's not great at sea level.

 

[Mudisox]

The few times I have gone through wind farms, it was pretty calm and I was under motor. All races have them as no go areas though.

 

[Sharky34]

We have some very large ones in Liverpool Bay. I have sailed right through one on an offshore race once for a few miles, I really wasn't sure if the wind was affected or not. I found that on a starboard beat in a West wind the wind lifted as I continued. I have no idea if the wind itself lifted or if it was an effect of the wind farm. The wind strength seemed unaffected and I didn't notice any turbulence.

Don't they have guard boats anymore?

 

[Lightwave395]

Glided in light winds through the field off the Frisian Islands, didn't seem to have any effect one way or the other (don't know if I was not supposed to)

 

[savageseadog]

Don't they have guard boats anymore?

When under construction they are exclusion zones with guard boats. When completed they are open for navigation, or at least the ones I have experience of. I suppose when maintenance is carried out there would be some control, possibly an NOM.

 

[LittleSister]

The ones on the East Coast can (once completed) be sailed through, with an exclusion zone around each pylon (50m IIRC) and a wider one around workboats undertaking operations (250m or500m, perhaps?).

I believe it is forbidden to sail through some (most?) of those on the continental side of the North Sea.

 

[michael_w]

I've sailed through The Galloper wind farm a few times. The wind was reduced and the tide swirled round the pylons.

 

[[163233]]

There's lots of info about them here:-
Homepage | KIS-ORCA

Mostly aimed at the fishing industry, I was surprised that you can even fish through them.

 

[savageseadog]

There's lots of info about them here:-
Homepage | KIS-ORCA

Mostly aimed at the fishing industry, I was surprised that you can even fish through them.

Occasionally the forum is actually useful.

 

[TLouth7]

The ones on the East Coast can (once completed) be sailed through, with an exclusion zone around each pylon (50m IIRC) and a wider one around workboats undertaking operations (250m or500m, perhaps?).

I believe it is forbidden to sail through some (most?) of those on the continental side of the North Sea.

While I would not advocate interfering with workboats in the vicinity of windfarms, they are typically only limited in their ability to manoeuvre. There is no exclusion zone around workboats by default.

Only a couple of the Dutch windfarms are open for navigation (notably the one off Ijmuiden). You have to be broadcasting on AIS so not useful for all yachts.

 

[LittleSister]

The ones on the East Coast can (once completed) be sailed through, with an exclusion zone around each pylon (50m IIRC) and a wider one around workboats undertaking operations (250m or500m, perhaps?).

While I would not advocate interfering with workboats in the vicinity of windfarms, they are typically only limited in their ability to manoeuvre. There is no exclusion zone around workboats by default.

Agree. What I wrote wasn't very clear. There is usually a guard boat in attendance when significant operations are underway, and an exclusion zone declared via local Notice to Mariners.

From the London Array 'Operations and Maintenance'
'Advisory Caution Zones
Mariners should be aware of certain navigational hazards within the wind farm, especially in places where the water is shallow, including:
‘J’ tube structures protruding up to 4m from turbine foundations (see figure 2)
Service vessels manoeuvring close to the turbine access ladders.
To help you navigate these hazards safely, we’ve introduced Advisory Caution Zones of 50m around all wind turbines and offshore substations. Please stay at least 50m away from all turbines and offshore substations at all times.
If we need to make major repairs to the turbines or offshore substations, these Advisory Caution Zones will be increased to 500m, in the interests of safety.'
http://www.eastcoastpilot.com/LA_Ops&Maintenance_2013.pdf

 

[lw395]

Presumably one would expect the wind speed to be reduced by the turbines and hence the direction refracted?

I can't say I've observed this in practice, too much else going on.