Opening of navigation in the first French offshore wind farm
During the construction of offshore wind farms, the areas concerned are generally closed to navigation, and are subject to notices to mariners to that effect. But once opened, the constraints become less severe. With the opening of the first offshore wind farm in Saint-Nazaire, France is discovering this management. Since January 1, 2023, navigation has been reopened off the Loire coast, but under certain conditions, updated in May 2023, and for certain boats only.
How to navigate the wind farm?
The reopening of navigation within the Saint-Nazaire wind farm is limited to vessels with an overall length of less than 25 meters. Passenger ships are still excluded.
To navigate in the restricted area, vessels must maintain an active watch on VHF channel 16. If they are navigating at night, or with a visibility of less than 5 km or with a wind greater than or equal to 4 Beauforts according to the local Météo France bulletin, they must be equipped with an AIS class A or B transmitter.
There are also a series of rules to follow:
- Vessels navigating between wind turbines must not exceed a speed of 12 knots.
- Boats should not approach within 50 m of a wind turbine.
- Boats should not approach within 200 m of the electrical substation.
- Anchoring ban
- Any underwater activity or underwater navigation is prohibited
- Towed or aerotracted devices, such as water-skiing, wakeboarding, buoys or kitesurfing are prohibited.
- Troll fishing is prohibited.
The regulations could be made more flexible, depending on the feedback from the first months of operation.
Navigate safely
For the yachtsman, sailing at the foot of wind turbines is an unusual experience. It is important, especially for sailboats, not to forget the effects on the wind and the induced devents.
Finally, as the park is located offshore, and is not a shelter in the sense of the regulations, the boat must have the safety equipment for semi-offshore navigation.
