Top Qs
Timeline
Chat
Perspective
Channel Lightvessel
Former lightvessel station in the English Channel From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Remove ads
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, approximately 56 km (35 mi) north-northwest of Guernsey.
The lightvessel marked the western end of the English Channel Traffic Separation Zone.[1]
Remove ads
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]
Remove ads
References
External links
Wikiwand - on
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Remove ads