Channel Lightvessel
Channel lightvessel 23 at Canning Dock | |
History | |
---|---|
United Kingdom | |
Operator | Trinity House |
In service | 25 November 2006 |
Out of service | August 2021 |
Status | Withdrawn as of August 2021 |
General characteristics | |
Type | Lightvessel |
Channel | |
Racon | O |
First lit | 1979 |
Deactivated | August 2021 |
Characteristic | Fl W 15s |
Channel lighted buoy | |
Markings | vertical stripe (red, white) |
Operator | Trinity House |
Racon | O |
First lit | August 2021 |
Light source | LED lamp |
Range | 9 nmi (17 km; 10 mi) |
Characteristic | Fl W 10s |
Channel was the name of a lightvessel station located in the English Channel between 1979 and August 2021, when it was replaced with a light buoy. It was also one of the 22 coastal weather stations whose conditions were reported in the BBC Shipping Forecast. The vessel's position was 49°55′N 2°54′W / 49.917°N 2.900°W, approximately 56 km (35 mi) north-northwest of Guernsey.
The lightvessel marked the western end of the English Channel Traffic Separation Zone.[1]
Signals
The light, on a 12 m (39 ft) tower, had a range of about 15 miles, and flashed for .3 seconds every 15 seconds. The fog signal gave a single 2 second blast every 20 seconds. The agile radio beacon transmitted the letter "O" in morse code on X band and S band frequencies for nine seconds every thirty seconds.[2]
History
The Channel lightvessel was established in 1979 as part of the Off Casquets Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS), introduced following the 1978 grounding of the Amoco Cadiz.[3] The lightvessel was intended to clearly define the TSS, as such schemes were at the time a new feature, rather than marking a physical hazard to navigation.[3]
In May 2021 it was announced that the vessel would be replaced by a Type 1 buoy in August 2021.[4] In August 2021 Trinity House stated that the replacement had been completed,[5] with the Channel Lighted Buoy being deployed by THV Galatea.[6][7] The light vessel was towed away by THV Patricia.
The light on the buoy flashes every 10 seconds. The agile radio beacon transmits the letter "O" in morse code on X band and S band frequencies for twenty seconds every sixty seconds.[8]
References
- ^ "Channel Lightvessel". www.trinityhouse.co.uk. Trinity House. Archived from the original on 4 March 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
- ^ "NOTICE TO MARINERS No.66/06". Trinity House. 30 October 2006. Archived from the original on 26 April 2011. Retrieved 19 June 2012.
- ^ a b "Channel Lightvessel replaced by Safe Water Mark Type 1 buoy". Flash: The Trinity House journal (35): 18.
- ^ "Trinity House to replace Channel Lightvessel with Type 1 buoy". Trinity House. 12 May 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
- ^ "Lighthouse vessel marking shipping English Channel lanes replaced with buoy". BBC. 20 August 2021. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
- ^ "Replacing the Channel Lightvessel with a Type 1 buoy". Trinity House. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- ^ "Channel Buoy deployment from THV Galatea (20 August 2021)". YouTube. Trinity House. 15 September 2021. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- ^ "12/2021 Channel Light Vessel Channel Lighted Buoy". www.trinityhouse.co.uk. Trinity House. 16 July 2021. Retrieved 19 November 2021.