New York Bight - Wind Energy Areas at Sea

[Montanan]

Originally Posted by CaptNemoO2

This is my home waters, I have been sailing this area of the south shore of the island for 35 years... Everytime they mention putting structures here, I think of Ambrose Light. It was hit by a ship, torn down and replaced. Then it was hit by a ship again and repaired. Then it was hit again by a ship for the third time and the Coast Guard said screw it, now you only get a bouy! It's like that old internet wives tale about the aircraft carrier and the lighthouse... "You deviate course!" "No, you deviate course, I'm a lighthouse!" Ambrose was a great race mark for most of my childhood. I fully expect (or rather won't be surprised if/when) one of these new super container ships ends up mowing down a field of wind generators, especially since they are putting them in the anchorage where they wait for entry into NY Harbor, and in the separation zone of the TSS (the wind generators NYS is looking to put in on their own are closer in then the ones the feds are proposing here). On the plus side, maybe it will get more Coast Guard presence out of Jones Beach and they will have the USACE dredge the inlet the right way this time!

If a ship has an allision with a turbine or support structure the ship will likely be primarily at fault and will be liable for damages. That is what marine insurance is for. No big deal if one turbine is taken off line or needs to be replaced every once in a while. The structures and farms are well lighted for ships and for airplanes and will be easily discernable by radar, and I suspect will also be transmitting by AIS, as anchored and not underway or making way. One would have to be a truly drunken sailor to run into such massive structures, albeit mechanical failures could result in going off course. Little boats can do no harm to these strong foundations. They will be very similar to oil and gas platforms which ships and boats rarely have issues with. I suspect many fisherpersons will be placing their lines near the artificial reefs as the marine life will become quite enhanced after the damage to the bottom recovers and attractive biologics grow on the foundations.