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[email protected], tel: 01252 555213More offshore windfarms are
being planned for the east
coast of England and
Scotland following a new
sector deal between the
industry and the UK
Government.
By 2030, a third of all
electricity in the UK will be
generated by offshore wind
facilitated by the expansion or
development of sites in the
North Sea and east coast of
Scotland, including the Firth of
Forth, Norfolk and East Anglia.Renewable UK, which is the
trade association for wind
power, wave power and tidal
power industries, has
stressed that the safety of
sailors will continue to be
considered when looking at
new developments.
Its comments come after the
cruising manager of the RYA,
Stuart Carruthers, raised
concerns that the needs of
sailors could become
‘inconvenient’ in the race to
develop offshore wind.He also argued that
adjacent wind farm
developments must be taken
into account when planning
new projects because of the
in-combination effect on
shipping and navigation.
The head of external affairs
at Renewable UK, Luke Clark,
said the offshore wind sector
deal includes further
commitments by the industryto work with government and
a wide range of maritime
stakeholders to ‘ensure that
we continue to share the
same space effectively’ and
‘guarantees safety for
everyone, including
recreational sailors’. This will
include looking at the impact
of cumulative developments.
The Crown Estate, which
manages the seabed, is
expected to launch a new
offshore wind leasing round in
the spring.Recreational boaters crossing
busy shipping lanes in the
Solent are being reminded to
keep a good look out following
the fi ndings of an investigation
into a collision between a ferry
and a motor cruiser.
Both Red Funnel’s Red
Falcon passenger ferry and the
10m Doral motor cruiser,
Phoenix were sailing to Cowes
when the incident happened in
the Thorn Channel on 29
September 2018. Phoenix,
which was not fi tted with an AIS
transceiver or a VHF radio, was
pinned against the ferry’s bow
for 18 seconds and was
seriously damaged. Red Falcon
was not damaged. There were
no injuries and no pollution.
The Marine AccidentInvestigation Branch (MAIB)
found that the lookout on both
vessels was solely by eye. The
ferry’s chief offi cer and master
didn’t see the Phoenix on the
starboard bow due to the motor
cruiser being obscured by the
sun’s glare and window frame
blind arcs.
Both mariners were seated on
the bridge which reduced the
effectiveness of their lookout asthey couldn’t monitor
radar targets. The bridge
window sun screens
were also not lowered.
In its report, the MAIB
stated that Phoenix’s owner did
not see Red Falcon because he
did not look astern for other
traffi c when entering the Thorn
Channel at a shallow angle. It
also highlighted that his
knowledge of the COLREGS
was limited and he was not
aware of local guidance
intended to prevent confl ict
between recreational craft and
commercial shipping.Red Funnel carried out its
own internal investigation and
has taken steps to improve
navigational watchkeeping
practices. As a result, the MAIB
has made no recommendations
in connection with this incident,
but is continuing to investigate
another collision involving Red
Falcon on 21 October 2018,
which left the ferry grounded and
a 32ft yacht sunk in Cowes
Harbour during dense fog.
On 27 September 2018,
another Red Funnel ferry, Red
Eagle entered Cowes Harbour
small craft mooring area in fog,
hitting a number of yachts. The
Cowes Harbour Commission
investigated, putting in place a
temporary general direction
prohibiting vessels 48m and
above from navigating the Inner
Fairway or River Medina if
visibility is two cables or less.More offshore windfarms in North Sea
Better watchkeeping required
The development of
offshore wind will be
focused on the east coast
of England and ScotlandG
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The MAIB criticised the
offi cers in command of
the Red Funnel as well as
the owner of this
powerboat after collisionLaurieT
ennant