Position of wind farms

[Halo]

I am doing some planning for the coming season and want to put the wind farms onto my paper charts. They are on navionics but I can’t find an easy reference for the lat and long of each edge /corner of them. Reeds has a little symbol on the area / distance page for each of their areas but doesn’t seem to give me what I need. Am I missing something?

 

[Daverw]

Put the curser on the location and Navionics will give you the lat/ long

 

[Sandy]

They are quite visible in day light, apart from in fog. At night they are light up like cities! They make navigation very simple,

 

[johnalison]

They are quite visible in day light, apart from in fog. At night they are light up like cities! They make navigation very simple,

Try sailing from Harwich-Roompot, only deciding where to go after seeing a wind farm ahead.

 

[LadyInBed]

Don't they transmit AIS, they should be visible on MarineTraffic.

 

[LadyInBed]

 

[Sandy]

Try sailing from Harwich-Roompot, only deciding where to go after seeing a wind farm ahead.

With my little jaunt along the south coast and up the east one and back this summer I came to the conclusion that it was a bit like a slalom course! I was even called up by a guard ship at 0600 hours on a grey August morning as I crossed the Firth of Forth requesting I remain 2nm clear of a survey ship for yet another Wind Farm. I do think having them offshore is the ideal place for them.

 

[TLouth7]

Chart corrections in NtMs normally include the corner positions, so you could have a look through those. They will also give you the buoyage which is important for farms that are being built as those are often unlit.

 

[RivalRedwing]

If all else fails... pay for your charts to be updated e.g.: How To Update An Admiralty Paper Chart

 

[Sybarite]

The trouble is that when they switch them on they create a hell ,of a draught.

 

[savageseadog]

.............I do think having them offshore is the ideal place for them.

I disagree. The cost of installing and maintaining offshore is massively more than onshore.

eg:-
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...AQFnoECC8QBQ&usg=AOvVaw2mm96FuwBqLG-QvvBCEcyV

 

[johnalison]

I disagree. The cost of installing and maintaining offshore is massively more than onshore.

eg:-
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...AQFnoECC8QBQ&usg=AOvVaw2mm96FuwBqLG-QvvBCEcyV

That appears to come from US data, though I haven’t read it all. It is clear from our wind charts that there is far more wind around our coasts than inland, and I wonder if the balance of costs over here might not be more in favour of offshore farms. I don’t want to give the impression that I am in favour of them. One the whole, I believe that an intense programme of nuclear power would have been a better use of the money.

 

[savageseadog]

That appears to come from US data, though I haven’t read it all. It is clear from our wind charts that there is far more wind around our coasts than inland, and I wonder if the balance of costs over here might not be more in favour of offshore farms. I don’t want to give the impression that I am in favour of them. One the whole, I believe that an intense programme of nuclear power would have been a better use of the money.

The cost of installation will be much greater offshore of course. Working life has to be less than onshore given the environment. I'm not sure about the land costs, I think a rent is payable to the Crown Estate but would expect that to be less than an onshore rent.
In Liverpool and along the North Wales coast there is a small navy of windfarm craft and crews providing maintainance. The cost of this has to be much greater than onshore.

 

[johnalison]

The cost of installation will be much greater offshore of course. Working life has to be less than onshore given the environment. I'm not sure about the land costs, I think a rent is payable to the Crown Estate but would expect that to be less than an onshore rent.
In Liverpool and along the North Wales coast there is a small navy of windfarm craft and crews providing maintainance. The cost of this has to be much greater than onshore.

I don't doubt that offshore installations are more expensive, but their output is also much greater. In the link offshore power is quoted as costing more per KwH than onshore, but my question is whether this also applies to British waters, where they may be a greater differential between onshore and offshore wind speeds.

 

[RivalRedwing]

I suspect 'the cost' is also linked to the amount of nimby ear bending our representatives in Westminster get when comparing offshore with onshore

 

[claymore]

If you were to sail to the Isle of Man from Fleetwood - you won't be needing a chart to tell you where the fekkers are

 

[SteveA]

If you were to sail to the Isle of Man from Fleetwood - you won't be needing a chart to tell you where the fekkers are

I totally agree! Crossing to the IoM a couple of years ago the guard vessel demanded that we keep at least 500m from any installation and followed us until we left the windfarm - very threatening. Later I check with the liaison officer who told me that they were wrong to do this and once the farm is fully commissioned (apart from when work is being carried out on a structure where a 500m exclusion is required) it's only recommended to keep at least 50m from each turbine.

 

[claymore]

I totally agree! Crossing to the IoM a couple of years ago the guard vessel demanded that we keep at least 500m from any installation and followed us until we left the windfarm - very threatening. Later I check with the liaison officer who told me that they were wrong to do this and once the farm is fully commissioned (apart from when work is being carried out on a structure where a 500m exclusion is required) it's only recommended to keep at least 50m from each turbine.

I think if you kept it all on your port side - 500m should just about put you on Walney!!

 

[tillergirl]

I don't doubt that offshore installations are more expensive, but their output is also much greater. In the link offshore power is quoted as costing more per KwH than onshore, but my question is whether this also applies to British waters, where they may be a greater differential between onshore and offshore wind speeds.

I suspect the maintenance requirement offshore was significantly underestimated. Over the recent years there has been a lot of cable repairs and relaying on the London Array Wind Farm and it is hardly old. There is a detailed notice which I will put out on Monday showing cable works later this month which requires quite a few ships, a hotel ships for the workers, divers etc to replace one connection between one turbine and the sub station. If it was a land based Farm, I coubt the cables need little attention but if needed digging them up would be a simple thing. Installation does seem quite simple - drive the monopole until.. donk .. it hits the base rock and then stick everything else on top. But I think the cabling is a bit more expensive.

One can reflect also that the Swin Lighthouse which was screwpiled, fell over!

 

[savageseadog]

I suspect the maintenance requirement offshore was significantly underestimated. Over the recent years there has been a lot of cable repairs and relaying on the London Array Wind Farm and it is hardly old. There is a detailed notice which I will put out on Monday showing cable works later this month which requires quite a few ships, a hotel ships for the workers, divers etc to replace one connection between one turbine and the sub station. If it was a land based Farm, I coubt the cables need little attention but if needed digging them up would be a simple thing. Installation does seem quite simple - drive the monopole until.. donk .. it hits the base rock and then stick everything else on top. But I think the cabling is a bit more expensive.

One can reflect also that the Swin Lighthouse which was screwpiled, fell over!

I have wondered about the stability of offshore turbines. I guess a lot of offshore engineering expertise goes into the design but I can't help but wonder if they have it right. The sandbanks that these installations are often on are mobile, can the column take the pressurs?