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| Status | Withdrawn as of August 2021 |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 Lightvessel was the name of a lightvessel station located in the English Channel between 1979 and August 2021, when it was replaced with a lighted buoy. It is also one of the 22 coastal weather stations whose conditions are reported in the BBC (Met Office) Shipping Forecast - the weather station is still announced as Channel Lightvessel Automatic despite being replaced by the buoy, as of 2025[update].[1] 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.[2]
Signals
[edit]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.[3]
History
[edit]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.[4] 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.[4]
In May 2021 it was announced that the vessel would be replaced by a Type 1 buoy in August 2021.[5] In August 2021 Trinity House stated that the replacement had been completed,[6] with the Channel Lighted Buoy being deployed by THV Galatea.[7][8] The light vessel was towed away by THV Patricia.
Channel Light Buoy
[edit]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.[9] The light is an LED with a range of 9 nautical miles.[10]
References
[edit]- ^ "Shipping Forecast - 15/09/2025 - BBC Sounds". www.bbc.co.uk.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Trinity House to replace Channel Lightvessel with Type 1 buoy". 12 May 2021.
External links
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