Channel Lightvessel

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.

Channel
Channel lightvessel 23 at Canning Dock
History
United Kingdom
OperatorTrinity House
In service25 November 2006
Out of serviceAugust 2021
StatusWithdrawn as of August 2021
General characteristics
TypeLightvessel
Channel
RaconO Edit this on Wikidata
First lit1979 Edit this on Wikidata
DeactivatedAugust 2021 Edit this on Wikidata
Characteristic Fl W 15s Edit this on Wikidata
Channel lighted buoy
Markingsvertical stripe (red, white) Edit this on Wikidata
OperatorTrinity House Edit this on Wikidata
RaconO Edit this on Wikidata
First litAugust 2021 Edit this on Wikidata
Light sourceLED lamp
Range9 nmi (17 km; 10 mi) Edit this on Wikidata
CharacteristicFl W 10s Edit this on Wikidata

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
  1. "Channel Lightvessel". www.trinityhouse.co.uk. Trinity House. Archived from the original on 4 March 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
  2. "NOTICE TO MARINERS No.66/06". Trinity House. 30 October 2006. Archived from the original on 26 April 2011. Retrieved 19 June 2012.
  3. "Channel Lightvessel replaced by Safe Water Mark Type 1 buoy". Flash: The Trinity House Journal (35): 18.
  4. "Trinity House to replace Channel Lightvessel with Type 1 buoy". Trinity House. 12 May 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  5. "Lighthouse vessel marking shipping English Channel lanes replaced with buoy". BBC. 20 August 2021. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  6. "Replacing the Channel Lightvessel with a Type 1 buoy". Trinity House. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  7. "Channel Buoy deployment from THV Galatea (20 August 2021)". YouTube. Trinity House. 15 September 2021. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  8. "12/2021 Channel Light Vessel Channel Lighted Buoy". www.trinityhouse.co.uk. Trinity House. 16 July 2021. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
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