Crown Estates flogging off the Western Solent for wind farms.

KristiferColumbus

KristiferColumbus

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Did you know that?Just heard it on BBC Radio Solents Nick Girdler program.(Very good by the way particularly for a good laugh).
The paper reviewer this morning (maritime advice type agency bloke from down in Bournmouth).Sorry cannot be more specific but you can no doubt hear it again on the listen again facility.Said the Crown Estates have flogged off the sea bottom & now it is proposed to build loads of wind farms on it.So what do you think of that?Can we rely on the RYA to step in & appose this development of should it be left in the hands of "Finding Sanctuary" who are no doubt concerned? but probably not on behalf of yachtsmen & then there is of course the ROYAL Yachting Association not exactly impartial in this matter......?
Oh what a minefield.Anyway I feel that many of you will no doubt be concerned & may have something to say about it....

Incidentally the paper review this morning was very good & informative with regard to the piracy problem in the Persian Gulf/Somalia.
 
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This was announced last year with a large windfarm planned about 10-12mls offshore from Bournemouth and Poole. It was praised as being eco friendly without destroying the sea views from prime tourist beaches.

I think it has all the ingredients of a potential disaster. I wonder how eco friendly it will seem once the first broken down ship drifts into it in a storm? This not like the shallow water windfarms elsewhere, this one will be in deep water, not that far from the eastbound shipping lanes up the Channel and directly in the inshore shipping area approaches to the western Solent. What would happen if 'green' technology in the form of windfarms does open battle with 'old carbon' technology in the form of a laden supertanker?
 
Well we've got to do something at some point (i.e. before they run out) to replace fossil fuels, and in doing that someone somewhere's quality of life will be lessened in some way as a result, like with nuclear power stations. Will it work? Will it be massively over budget at the taxpayers expense?
 
Nothing to do with quality of life or nimbyism this one. To me it seems just plain crazy to build a large area of obstacles close to a heavy shipping traffic area, right off the Jurassic Coast and prime tourist beaches. Still I suppose several million gallons of evil smelling crude would be a tourist attraction for a time, just like collecting the timber from the beaches or the container goods in Lyme Bay were.

As for nuclear, this area is already just 60mls dead downwind of the huge French nuclear power station on Cap De La Hague, never bothered me at all and we regularly sail past it, even fish there.
 
Lets blow up the Isle of Wight

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What possible objection could yachtsmen have to a windfarm ten miles offshore? If sailors object to this type of development they will appear to be the most outrageous NIMBYS in the entire histoy of NIMBY-ism and our opinion is never likely to be taken seriously again.

A windfarm is an object in a known fixed position, much like the Isle of Wight. Maybe we should blow the Isle of Wight up in case a supertanker collides with it.

- W
 
Nuclear Power

We were told years ago .. That this was the way forward .. We would be able to supply all the energy requirements for a small town the size of Birmingham :rolleyes: for a couple of pence ..

So now we have Windmills popping up all over the place .. Gas supplies from RUSSIA .. Electricity and Gas prices fixed by the FRENCH and a Prime Minister that will hang onto office till he is escorted of the premises ..

So what is the way forward ..
 
Wind farms are a complete wast of time. Over promoted by interested parties, but will never cover their costs. Lots here, always several out of service in any cluster. Nuclear is tricky, but works well. 85% of our bill is from it.
A
 
Robin said:
I think it has all the ingredients of a potential disaster. I wonder how eco friendly it will seem once the first broken down ship drifts into it in a storm? This not like the shallow water windfarms elsewhere, this one will be in deep water, not that far from the eastbound shipping lanes up the Channel and directly in the inshore shipping area approaches to the western Solent. What would happen if 'green' technology in the form of windfarms does open battle with 'old carbon' technology in the form of a laden supertanker?
Click to expand...

How many supertankers have hit Portland Bill or the Isle of Wight recently?
 
Cloud cuckoo land

A few thousand windmills ( made in China, of course) dotted around the coast is not going to solve the Uks looming energy crisis..

As we all know who use 'em on our boats--It is all about choice. Do you 'try' to run the fridge from the wind or charge the battery or run the laptop.

Perhaps when every house in the Uk has its very own solar water heating plant, photovoltaics and wimndmill all coupled to an energy meter we will understand that the 32inch Plasmas, multiple halogen ceiling lights, stand by appliances, dishwashers, dryers, powershowers etc will have to go.. Grim isn't it ?

Or we could build and invest in something intelligent.. Nothing more reliable than the tides around the UK.
 
Robin said:
This was announced last year with a large windfarm planned about 10-12mls offshore from Bournemouth and Poole. It was praised as being eco friendly without destroying the sea views from prime tourist beaches.
Click to expand...

Be a handy aid to navigation if gps packs up. Could also be good for fishing if you are into that. Whether I would sail through or around is something I'm still not sure off at present.
 
Re Bosun Higgs

I read that during WW2 the Western Solent was 'blocked' from Hurst across to the Wight to keep out enemy submarines--and that on a very low spring tide it was just possible to wade and breath and walk across between the two--I am not sure I believe the latter bit, but be careful what you wish for !

Re TwisterKen.. Antifouling that works ? -that is just plain subversive.
 
Until we come to understand that population expansion lies at the bottom of all environmental problems, and do something to limit the population growth, it makes not a scrap of difference what measures you take to produce extra electricity. The government cheerfully announces that the UK population will rise by 10 million or more over the next 20 years. How much electricity will THAT use??
 
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