Wind farm survey results 

More than 80% of respondents to the survey experienced no difficulty travelling through a wind farm.

At the end of last year, we ran a survey asking you to tell us about your experiences of cruising through wind farms. We’d like to say thank you for the great response to the survey and for the information that you provided to us. The more information we have, the better able we are to negotiate with renewable energy developers and government agencies.

The survey demonstrated that whilst many of you do have some concerns about travelling through wind farms, in the main you experienced no difficulty and indeed found the experience a pleasant one.

The survey’s key findings were as follows:

• More than 80% of you who have sailed through a wind farm had no difficulty, with almost a third of you rating the experience as pleasant.
• Over 75% of you who have experienced sailing through a wind farm said you would not alter your passage plan in the future to avoid a wind farm.
• Of those of you who chose to navigate around a wind farm, 50% of you said it was not because of the wind farm itself but rather that it didn’t suit your passage plan to navigate through it. A further 34% of you went around as you were either not aware you could pass through or because there was an exclusion zone preventing you from going through the wind farm due to construction or maintenance work taking place at that time.
• More than two thirds of respondents said they sail through a wind farm up to five times a year, and a quarter of respondents up to 10 times a year.  

Whilst your experiences were overwhelmingly positive, the RYA continues to work at a national and strategic level to ensure that future proposed wind farm developments in UK waters:

• Avoid ‘squeeze’ of craft towards shipping lanes and dangerous coastlines,
• Minimise ‘diversion’ from the safest and most efficient, habitual and traditional routes, 
• Allow the passage of recreational craft through the site, except where temporary construction and maintenance works are taking place.

In addition, throughout the English regions, the RYA has a network of Regional Planning and Environmental Co-ordinators (RPEC) who provide detailed site specific information for developments that fall within their area of responsibility. The RYA also maintains close links with its Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish offices, which work with the relevant jurisdictions.

Wave and tidal energy

Whilst wind farm developments are increasing, both in number and scale, wave and tidal energy installations are also becoming more prominent. This is particularly occurring on the west and north coasts of Scotland, around Northern Ireland, in the Atlantic Approaches and in Falmouth (as reported on in the Spring 2012 RYA Magazine). Installations of this nature present entirely different challenges to wind farms because they are not as visible to boaters, harder to mark and can move around.

The RYA remains involved in discussions regarding these types of renewable energy devices, particularly with respect to their location, marking, lighting and proximity to other nearby developments or busy sea areas.

Here are some of your comments from the RYA wind farm survey

“I think it is vital for our interests that the RYA continues to campaign to keep passage through wind farms available for us.”

“Equivalent to tacking up a narrow channel but in the open sea.”

“I would have gone round but had a problem starting my engine so decided it was safer to sail through than try and sail round against the tide. I would be happy to sail through again as the passage was very pleasant.”

“I was called up on VHF by one of the guard vessels as my original heading was directly into the wind farm. They just wanted to verify my intentions. All very polite. I look forward to sailing through the London Array in the future.”

“I found wind turbulence downwind of the farm annoying”

“I have been round all the wind farms in the Thames estuary throughout the summer in different conditions and have not found it a problem.”

“I have encountered several wind farms in the North Sea and Baltic without experiencing inconvenience. They are normally in pretty shallow water.”

“I have used my radar around wind farms, and despite the literature, I have found no problems in obtaining a totally normal display of each generator.”

“I have sailed past Kentish Flats since they were erected as well as Gunfleet and Thanet. I understand the exclusion is only during the construction period. In fact a Thames Barge runs trips to the Kentish Flats farm out of Whitstable. They are a magnificent sight to get close to; I have come to use them as a navigation aid.”

The RYA answers some of your questions about wind farms

“I could not find any documentation that gave me factual confirmation that I could sail between the wind turbines.”

“Sometimes feel that I should not pass through if maintenance boats are moving around.”

A number of people have encountered similar problems. During construction and maintenance works, all vessels are required to stay at least 500m from both wind farm vessels and turbines. Once the wind farm is in operation, you are free to travel through, taking appropriate safety considerations into account as you would with any other passage.

The only exception is the Greater Gabbard wind farm, off the coast of Suffolk, where an operational safety zone is in place requiring vessels to keep at least 50m from turbines and offshore structures associated with the wind farm.

Just recently, the RYA objected to a proposed operational safety zone by Thanet Offshore Wind Limited in the Thanet wind farm off the north east coast of Kent. This proposal was to create a 50m exclusion zone around each offshore structure associated with the wind farm.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) supported our objection and has advised DECC to reject the application for the operational safety zone.  

 

“I presumed they were linked by cables underwater, so went round them. Even if they are not linked, still not sure how much clearance you should give each one's base.”

Wind turbines are linked by cables under water, but the cables are either buried or on the surface of the seabed and then covered. As such, there is no reason you cannot travel between turbines, within a wind farm.

With regards to how close you can travel to a turbine, the RYA calls for a minimum underwater clearance of 4 metres below chart datum, regardless of how the foundations of the monopole are constructed.

Similarly, the RYA believes that the threat to recreational yachts can be minimised by specifying a minimum rotor height clearance of 22 metres above highest astronomical tide.

“They are a hazard to navigation, and the Irish Sea is being totally over populated by them with even larger ones to be constructed.”

The RYA continually raises the issue of ‘squeeze’ caused by renewable energy developments which are located close together or in areas of high activity. Similarly, the RYA highlights issues regarding the alignment of turbines within a wind farm and with turbines in wind farms nearby, as well as concerns where wind farms are proposed in close proximity to shipping lanes.

That said, the RYA does not believe that navigating around static wind farm generator towers presents any greater risk or requires any different decision making methodology other than that which the recreational mariner routinely applies during the course of normal passage planning and navigation.

Recreational mariners are continually required to make judgements about navigating around unmanned static installations with height restrictions. For example, the risks of navigating under bridges, around headlands, through commercial shipping routes, along rivers and estuaries and into ports and harbours are all assessed and dealt with on a regular basis.

“I did actually look for info on the internet by Googling and didn't find anything. It would be worth the publishers of information ensuring that a Google search would produce the info. The RYA could also help by listing sources of info.”

On the most part, Notices to Mariners are released by developers and distributed to clubs and training centres local to the development. However, these Notices are not as readily available to mariners voyaging from further afield or searching online.

The RYA has raised this issue with both wind farm developers and the relevant governing bodies, to ensure that adequate notice of planned works is available to all interested parties.

 

We continue to be interested to hear of your experiences and you can email us at environment@rya.org.uk.