RYA Press release

[Sans Bateau]

As OldHarry mentioned in an earlier post, the RYA promised to keep us better informed of important information that may affect our sailing and boating. True to their word we have today received this press release from them.


RYA PRESS RELEASE
18 February 2011


RYA CONCERNED OVER PREFERRED WINDFARM DEVELOPMENT SITE ANNOUNCED TODAY

Eneco, the project developers behind the proposed offshore wind park off the Dorset and Hampshire coasts and to the west of the Isle of Wight, today (18 February 2011) announced their preferred location for the wind park to be positioned.

Following a year-long investigation of a 279 square mile of seabed awarded to Eneco by The Crown Estate to identify the most suitable place to locate the wind park, an area of 76 square miles approximately 8.2 miles from Peveril Point in Swanage, 10.2 miles from Bournemouth and 8.4 miles south west of The Needles and the Isle of Wight coast has been chosen.

“Eneco’s announcement confirms that they have identified their preferred development area within the West of Wight Round 3 Zone. At this stage, however, Eneco has not produced any detailed plans as to how many turbines are proposed or how they might be laid out within this area”, commented Caroline Price, RYA Planning and Environmental Advisor.

The RYA met with Eneco last May to discuss concerns about the West of Wight zone, and explained the importance of the area for recreational boating and emphasised how busy this area is for both recreational and commercial vessel traffic.

“Navigation through operational windfarms should not create significant additional risks for recreational boaters, however we are concerned that the preferred development area as confirmed by Eneco is poorly located from a wider navigational perspective” continued Caroline.

The RYA has arranged further meetings with Eneco to discuss the detail of the proposed development and to re-emphasise concerns over Eneco’s preferred location. It is understood that Eneco is keen to engage directly with clubs and training centres in the local area and the RYA would therefore encourage interested groups to attend the information days being held by Eneco around the Solent and to register their individual concerns and comments directly with Eneco.

Public information days to hear more about the Zone Appraisal and Planning (ZAP) process and the location of the wind park will be held on the following days:
· Weymouth: Pavilion Theatre – Wednesday 16th March 2011
· Poole: RNLI Lifeboat College – Thursday 17th March 2011
· Newport, Isle of Wight: Quay Arts Centre – Wednesday 23rd March 2011
· Lymington: Lymington Community Centre – Thursday 24th March 2011
· Christchurch: Regent Centre – Friday 25th March 2011
· Bournemouth: Pavilion Theatre – Wednesday 30th March 2011
· Swanage: Mowlem Theatre – Thursday 31st March 2011

If you would like to attend one of these days then you should contact the Eneco press office on email: eneco@mistral-pr.co.uk or visit www.enecowindoffshore.co.uk

If you would like to know more about how the RYA is involved in offshore energy developments, please go to the information and advice pages of the RYA website.

 

[Searush]

I don't know what you are worrying about, we have miles of them off the N Wales Coast, across the mouth of the R Dee & off Wirral. They are easy to see & no problem to sail round or through. What exactly do you see as the issue, or is it simple NIMBY-ism?

This is just one of 3 or 4 fields of windmills;

 

[Sans Bateau]

The point of the exercise is that the RYA are making boat owners aware of what is going on, its up to each individual to decide what he should do with the information.

 

[prv]

What exactly do you see as the issue, or is it simple NIMBY-ism?

Largely, in my case. They're bloody ugly, pointless things and I don't want to have to look at them. (I don't want anyone else to have to look at them either, which is perhaps a departure from classical nimbyism about necessary infrastructure.)

Pete

 

[Signed Out]

Largely, in my case. They're bloody ugly, pointless things and I don't want to have to look at them. (I don't want anyone else to have to look at them either, which is perhaps a departure from classical nimbyism about necessary infrastructure.)

Pete

I know which I'd rather look at out of my window...

or?

But then eye of the beholder and all that. Can't be fegd to go against rants though, so won't broach their use...

 

[glashen]

From the POV of a Christchurch based yachtsman there are for me two issues here, one is the sense or otherwise of a large off shore wind farm as planned. Frankly the economics and politics are complicated, I agree it would be better if we were now further along the nuclear route and we should do more to cut waste, but wind power will be part of the mix in the future so we can hardly expect all the windmills to be somewhere else.

My more specific concern is how will it affect my sailing, here there could be more information, I hear that it is usual to be able to sail though wind farms and if this is the case the planned field might just a bit of extra interest on what is normally a fairly dull cross channel trip. I can't see that it should be any more inconvenient than those pesky ships in the shipping lanes.

 

[st599]

I know which I'd rather look at out of my window...

or?

But then eye of the beholder and all that. Can't be fegd to go against rants though, so won't broach their use...

You'll look at both though, as the wind farm can't provide enough power, and you need the gas fired station running on standby.

Pointless waste of money.

 

[Signed Out]

You'll look at both though, as the wind farm can't provide enough power, and you need the gas fired station running on standby.

Pointless waste of money.

If the point was to make 100%, and not supplement. Thing called the grid...
And it's Nuke.

 

[Signed Out]

Dambuggah. Said I wouldn't play that game.

 

[Sailfree]

Graffiti on the water.

I do wish they would concentrate on tidal barrages and tidal generators as they will produce electricity in a reliable consistant way.

I can already see it - as soon as its complete we will have the lowest average wind speed in years and **** sailing!

 

[allangray3]

Wind farms

Amazing RYA suddenly intrested when the South coast is affected. Not a sodding word when North Sea proposals where fielded. Lets see what happens when some floating Gin palace has to go out of there way when doing a marina hop.

 

[peterveustace]

RYA press release

Getting back to the OP - yes, well done the RYA who alerted me to this. Specially as Eneco appear, so far, to have omitted to publicise their "Public Information Days" beyond announcing the dates and venues in their press release. Little more than 2 weeks before the first one, and I had to call the RYA to find out what *time* the so-called information days are taking place. A minor detail? The RYA hadn't spotted it, and neither had they spotted that all the distances quoted by Eneco are *land* miles.

All of which, added to the fact that Eneco don't answer their phones on a Monday morning, makes me very suspicious as to whether they give a flying fid for us yotties.

I'm not necessarily against wind farms, I just object to big companies who think they can block off large chunks of the sea and prohibit passage through them - yes, that's what the situation will be between 2016 and 2018 while they are building the thing - while carrying out the absolute minimum of consultation with ordinary guys like us who will be affected!

BTW, I used to work in the PR departments of multinationals - now I am gamekeeper turned poacher!

 

[Searush]

Well, I am actually pro-windfarms - and we have some of the biggest on our patch. They are not a big deal for yotties, easy to sail thro or round.

However, for the silly NIMBY's who don't want them off their precious bit of coastline this document may make interesting reading.

Trinity House make some excellent points about siting them outside the shipping lanes &, given the appalling standard of lookout by many large commecial vessels, I think they may have a point.

 

[capnsensible]

Hiya Searush, just a question about watchkeeping on larger ships. Not sure about poor standards in busy shipping lanes. My impression, and it is only that, is there may be fewer in crew thesesdays but they are more technically trained. Simply don't know. Is yours based on something?? Genuine question, not a wind up.

CS

 

[st599]

If the point was to make 100%, and not supplement. Thing called the grid...
And it's Nuke.

Doesn't work as a supplement, due to the variability of wind, you need to keep thermal stations spun up to cover sudden increases in demand or drops in wind. Until you can get a large enough number, spread over a large enough area, it doesn't work. The UK may not be large enough.

 

[strakeryrius]

I don't know what you are worrying about, we have miles of them off the N Wales Coast, across the mouth of the R Dee & off Wirral. They are easy to see & no problem to sail round or through.

How many times have you sailed through them at night or in conditions of poor visibility?

 

[Robin]

Well, I am actually pro-windfarms - and we have some of the biggest on our patch. They are not a big deal for yotties, easy to sail thro or round.

However, for the silly NIMBY's who don't want them off their precious bit of coastline this document may make interesting reading.

Trinity House make some excellent points about siting them outside the shipping lanes &, given the appalling standard of lookout by many large commecial vessels, I think they may have a point.

Well since you think they are no problem, maybe they should spread them right across to France from the South Coast, with buoyed channels between them for the shipping 'lanes'. They could even string tidal generators between them as well.

Do you think that would be OK or a tad too risky? If it is too risky, at what point does it become so, what is a 'safe' distance from the busiest waterway in the world or the inshore routes inside them? Would YOU sail through them in fog with a 5 knot cross tide? Would you be able to beat upwind in heavy weather, gale even, to pass them all, or would you have to risk the slalom route?

No, quite agree, no problem at all, can't think why we are at all concerned.

 

[Signed Out]

Amazing RYA suddenly intrested when the South coast is affected. Not a sodding word when North Sea proposals where fielded. Lets see what happens when some floating Gin palace has to go out of there way when doing a marina hop.

Probably aware of the moaning from the wealthy few, no, wealthy majority down there that make all the noise. And most of them are probably from down that way themselves.

All think that North of their country retreats in Norfolk is all like Redcar/Teesport, yet at the same time think that having Fawley is "doing their bit"... "Quite enough industry here thankyou".

While at the same time there are numerous windfarms in the NW (and other power/industrial installations) and it's still a far more beautiful place.

Oh, and of course there's no important shipping from Liverpool, Barrow, Heysham, Fleetwood or Workington...

(I. Must. Avoid. These. Petty. Little. Rant. Thread. Drifts.).

 

[Sans Bateau]

Amazing RYA suddenly intrested when the South coast is affected. Not a sodding word when North Sea proposals where fielded. Lets see what happens when some floating Gin palace has to go out of there way when doing a marina hop.

Dont be so cynical. The RYA are responding to criticism brought against them for their lack of information over the MCZ issue, and that covers the whole of the UK.

The RYA are responding to the campaigning by members of the Boat Owners Response Group, who happen to be based in the South. The RYA might well have engaged with a Northern group had anyone taken the trouble to set one up.

So just because we went out of our way and took the trouble to do something, dont start a North/South moan.

 

[Major Catastrophe]

I have no problem with them ascetically and I even enjoy the optical illusion they give when driving West along the A55 in North Wales. As you approach a bridge you can see the blades over the top of some buildings and they look very big and appear to be just on the other side of the buildings.

After you pass under the bridge and look out to sea, the turbines area actually way offshore and the blades suddenly look tiny.

I have sailed past them on two occasions and they are no in the way and far enough apart to not be a hazard to inshore boats. The only ship that is likely to get close to the Llandudno array is the one that parks at the jetty to collect stone from the quarry.

But, as a solution for our power requirements they are horrendously expensive, hugely inefficient and a monstrous political gesture.