Kylerea to be obstructed by sub sea electric turbines!
- Thread starter ffiill
- Start date
alan_d
Well-Known Member
I wonder if people grumbled about the desecration of the Great Glen by cutting the canal through it and spoiling the scenery with those locks? Building that eyesore of a castle at Eilean Donan? Putting up those intrusive standing stones at Callanish?
DaveS
Well-Known Member
The point that hasn't been made is that, unlike wind turbines, tidal turbines do not need to have above water structures. The type piloted in Strangford and now proposed for Kyle Rhea do - but only for convenience of maintenance. The designs proposed for the Sound of Islay are completely sub-surface and deep enough to pose no hazard to surface navigation. IMHO that should be the required norm for any navigable water.
What is being proposed for Kyle Rhea is an accident waiting to happen. After a big boat loses control and takes some of the pillars out there will no doubt be a re-casting of the risk assessment, and perhaps re-consideration of whether ease of maintenance should really take precedence over navigational safety. It would seem to me that a better approach would be to think it through properly first.
What is being proposed for Kyle Rhea is an accident waiting to happen. After a big boat loses control and takes some of the pillars out there will no doubt be a re-casting of the risk assessment, and perhaps re-consideration of whether ease of maintenance should really take precedence over navigational safety. It would seem to me that a better approach would be to think it through properly first.
PAPILLONOFCARDEN
Active Member
I remember vividly around 1985 having engine failure at the top end of the Kyles going south into a force 5 plus southerly wind which resulted in a force 6 in my face...exciting stuff!; luckily my sails were reefed, and we were tacking down to obtain help in Orinsay. Just at the point where these water turbine channel markers are proposed, a largish ship steamed round the corner from the opposite direction!My first panic reaction was we were okay as power gives way to sail then the truth hit me....a vessel constrained by its draft in a narrow channel has right of way over all other vessels.We passed by with plenty room to spare but I hate to think what would have happened if I had the additional challenge of tacking to avoid the markers proposed for the turbines!
Just a further note; a similar plan is being examined for the Cuan Sound near Luing.In fact I heard that they want to shut off that channel completely.....it is only at the experimental stage but I shudder to think of the consequences for any poor sailor or fisherman who has to make the longer voyage passed Fladda and round the bottom end of Luing to gain access to Craobh marina and Balvicar Bay on Seil especially when the weather is strong from the west!
Just a further note; a similar plan is being examined for the Cuan Sound near Luing.In fact I heard that they want to shut off that channel completely.....it is only at the experimental stage but I shudder to think of the consequences for any poor sailor or fisherman who has to make the longer voyage passed Fladda and round the bottom end of Luing to gain access to Craobh marina and Balvicar Bay on Seil especially when the weather is strong from the west!
DaveS
Well-Known Member
There was an idea a year or two back of building a causeway containing tidal generators across Cuan Sound. IIRC it got dropped because the proposers seriously underestimated the quantity of material it would involve. (It's also controversial with Luing residents: apparently half of them want a fixed crossing, the rest would rather keep the ferry.) Was this the scheme you were thinking of, or is there a new proposal? Since I keep my boat in Craobh I've an obvious interest.
A1Sailor
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If south going traffic passed west of the turbine and north going traffic east, might this help? Would this be possible; or even sensible?
Sgeir
Well-Known Member
From memory (on a train), the turbines are proposed to be on the Skye side, presumably because that optimises the available tidal streams for generation. The space on the mainland side looked sufficient for two-way traffic, but that's just my opinion.
A1Sailor
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Indeed. The plan in post #17 shows this.
EDIT: And the area between the turbine(s) and Skye looks pretty narrow...
EDIT: And the area between the turbine(s) and Skye looks pretty narrow...
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DaveS
Well-Known Member
Indeed, and particularly when coming south with the tide there is a tendency to be carried into exactly the area proposed for the turbines. The proposal chart shows them to be placed right across the current white sector of the lighthouse, i.e. just where traffic would be expected to be. I really don't like this proposal, particularly since (as I said before) there are other viable designs of tidal generator available that do not involve creating navigational hazards.
penfold
Well-Known Member
That rather misses the fact that periodic maintenance will have to be carried out even with entirely subsea structures, so for a significant portion of the summer there will be a jack-up barge squatting over the turbines like a brood mother. The proportion of the (limited in this case)available depth used by the turbines is high, so even if subsea the turbines will still present a hazard to navigation to any commercial traffic, in addition to the extra temporary hazard of the maintenance barges.
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[32511]
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I am sure HMS Astute could re-arrange things, given half a chance.
penfold
Well-Known Member
Given the crappy handling characteristics of surfaced submarines, I'd be surprised if many, if any, have been through such a shallow and tortuous channel.