Jersey Cables - 3 Breaks !!

[RIBW]

Wave Sentinel seems to be on the job repairing the Jersey to Goonhilly (direct) cable - 60 miles N of Morlaix.
Two questions :-
The press are insinuating that a ship (King Arthur) anchoring is to blame - but there? Its effectively in the path of ships routed by the W & SW going TSSs.

Also does anyone know where the other two breaks are on, I assume, the Guernsey to Dartmouth cables?

Only curious
Bob

 

[TallBuoy]

Cables very rarely break of their own accord, let alone three at a time.

 

[rgarside]

See also the damage to the UK-France Interconnector power cables, around the same area. [ Part of "Hard" brexit??] Bet the culprit will be hoping he had his AIS turned off.

Anything big enough to do that damage should have had AIS, so anchoring related speed & direction changes should be obvious.

 

[Angele]

http://jerseyeveningpost.com/news/2016/11/30/possible-internet-and-telephone-disruption/

 

[dom]

http://jerseyeveningpost.com/news/2016/11/30/possible-internet-and-telephone-disruption/

Pity those ship captains didn't read this thread:

http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?468844-Musings-on-anchor-trip-line

 

[Angele]

Pity those ship captains didn't read this thread:

http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?468844-Musings-on-anchor-trip-line

Nah. I reckon it is the MoD UXB guys in Portsmouth harbour towing the ordnance brought up by the dredging too far out to sea before ....... BOOOOOOOMMM !!

 

[aussi]

"the three underwater cables, which are each 100 miles apart, were damaged over a five-hour period"

Oh dear, someone posted this article without fully engaging their brain. Should be 100 miles long, I suspect, unless the Channel Islands are a bit bigger than I remember them being…

 

[johnalison]

Didn't the Russian ship Admiral Kusnetsov (=Smith) pass this way recently?

 

[RIBW]

..... does anyone know where the other two breaks are on, I assume, the Guernsey to Dartmouth cables? Bob

Mystery solved!
Wave Sentinel seems to have moved to repair the Guernsey to Dartmouth cable and, nearby, the Pierre de Fermat is repairing the Guernsey to Blackpool cable. Both ships are close together about 7 miles south of the Channel Light Vessel.

It still leaves the question - Did a ship really try to anchor that close to the TSS (or even drag its anchor there)

Cheers
Bob

 

[laika]

Wave Sentinel seems to have moved to repair the Guernsey to Dartmouth cable and, nearby, the Pierre de Fermat is repairing the Guernsey to Blackpool cable.

In looking at an undersea cable map to see if there really *is* a Guernsey to Blackpool cable (it seemed unlikely and I can't see one on a cable map) I came across this article suggesting that the culprit has been identified:
http://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2016/11/jerseys-vital-undersea-fibre-optic-cables-cut-ship.html

 

[doug748]

There is a Blackpool just west of Dartmouth, can't say I have ever seen any evidence of a cable station but it does correspond to the map I looked at.

Lovely beach and cove.

View attachment 61472
Richard Knights

 

[ex-Gladys]

Blackpool Sands is a private, gorgeous beach (you pay to go on the beach) I'd be surprised if the owners allowed that

 

[Angele]

There is a Blackpool just west of Dartmouth, can't say I have ever seen any evidence of a cable station but it does correspond to the map I looked at.

Lovely beach and cove.

View attachment 61472
Richard Knights

Indeed. This from http://www.bratch.co.uk/channelislandssubmarinecables.html

12. Liberty (UK <> Guernsey) (2008) [3][10][11]

Installed: April 2008

Length: ~130 km (estimated from [12])

Location: Blackpool Sands, Dartmouth, UK <> L'Ancresse Bay, Vale, Guernsey

Description: Unknown

Operator(s): BT, JT

Notes: Also known as BT Liberty [5] and Channel Islands-9 [10][11]. Part of Project Liberty.

 

[JumbleDuck]

It still leaves the question - Did a ship really try to anchor that close to the TSS (or even drag its anchor there)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-jersey-38141230

 

[RIBW]

In looking at an undersea cable map to see if there really *is* a Guernsey to Blackpool cable (it seemed unlikely and I can't see one on a cable map)

Blackpool is a beautiful sloping sandy beach just south of the entrance to the River Dart - on less detailed cable maps it may look as though there is a second cable route into Dartmouth. (Sorry to previous posters whohave already pointed this out)
I can't remember paying to access the beach but if I owned it I would be very happy to accept an annual fee for the wayleave!
It is possible that there is no terminal equipment at Blackpool - the landing may need just a regenerator to facilitate the next cable leg.
Cheers
Bob

 

[RIBW]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-jersey-38141230

Yes, that was the original press position - I still have trouble believing it given the position of the breaks and the 100km distance between the locations.
Cheers
Bob

 

[{151760}]

In looking at an undersea cable map to see if there really *is* a Guernsey to Blackpool cable (it seemed unlikely and I can't see one on a cable map) I came across this article suggesting that the culprit has been identified:
http://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2016/11/jerseys-vital-undersea-fibre-optic-cables-cut-ship.html

There's a bay in Devon, north of Start Bay called Blackpool Sands. Perhaps that's where it comes ashore?

 

[macd]

There's a bay in Devon, north of Start Bay called Blackpool Sands. Perhaps that's where it comes ashore?

I believe it's known locally as 'Echo Bay".

 

[Spyro]

BT Subsea station at Bude record all shipping AIS and are able to replay the exact time and date the cables were cut. They can measure the distance to the break and work out exactly who was there.

 

[laika]

So no donkey rides, tower and kiss me quick hats? Not the real blackpool?

Navionics shows the cables coming into blackpool sands. The picture and names makes it look like sand but apparently it's shingle:
http://blackpoolsands.co.uk

I would ask "so anyone anchored off there?" but in the context of the current discussion....