3.7.11 AREA 11 - SHOREHAM TO LYME REGIS
   
3.7.11.1 The area is divided into two sub-areas, Wight and Channel.
   
3.7.11.2 Wight
 
3.7.11.2.1 This sub-area has three major headlands, Portland Bill, Durlston Head and St Catherine's Point, two bays and marked channels to the West and East of The Solent and Southampton Water. The coastline is distinctive and provides a good radar picture. The Shambles bank is a danger to vessels navigating in the vicinity of Weymouth Bay. The Needles Channel affords a particularly narrow entrance to the Western Solent for commercial vessels, with outcrops of isolated rocks off The Needles to the east and the Shingles Bank, which is subject to movement at its southern extremity, to the West.
   
3.7.11.2.2 The tidal streams are greater in strength in this sub-area. Off St Catherine's they can reach 3.8kts. Tidal ranges are greater towards the French coast than on the English coast. For example, at the NW Minqiers Lighted Buoy these are in the region of 9.75m. Tidal streams are very strong off Portland Bill, up to 7kts, and may cause heavy seas. Strong winds in the opposite direction to the tidal streams can lead to steep seas.
   
3.7.11.2.3 Crossing traffic between the English and French ports can lead to increased risk of collision with traffic bound for the Dover Strait TSS. Principal ferry routes run between Weymouth and the Channel Is/Cherbourg, Poole and Cherbourg and from the Solent ports to Saint Malo, Cherbourg and Le Havre. The area also has a high level of small craft activity, including fishing and leisure.
   
3.7.11.2.4 Within a radius of 15 miles of St. Catherine's LH there are some 184 traffic routes over which some 19, 256 commercial vessel movements arise per annum (see figure 10 below). There is also a high level of small craft activity, including fishing and pleasure craft.

Reproduced from Admiralty Chart 2450 by permission of the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office and the hydrographic offices of France and the United Kingdom (www.ukho.gov.uk) NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATON

Figure 10: ShipRoutes overlay for depicting some of the 184 routes identified within 15 nm of St.
Catherine's LH

3.7.11.2.5 Consequent upon increased use of the Nab Channel, in the Approaches to the Eastern Solent by commercial vessels and predicted increased usage, and following extensive consultation with users in 2004, THLS established two additional buoys in the approaches and assumed responsibility for the marking of this channel from Esso. Concurrently improvements were made to the marking of the channel, which has been re-designated as for use by vessels constrained in their draft. Discussions are on going with local users over other potential improvements required to mitigate the risk in the area. Already identified, as part of these discussions has been the establishment of a sector light on the Nab Tower and the collection of "real time" wind, tide and swell data and its transmission to users.
   
3.7.11.3 Channel
   
3.7.11.3.1 This sub-area comprises the Casquets Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) and the Channel Islands, including the Minquiers Plateau. The Channel Islands are surrounded by numerous rocks and shoals, which present dangers to all classes of mariner. The tidal streams in the Channel Islands are strong, and tidal ranges increase towards the French Coast.
   
3.7.11.3.2 As is the case with the Wight sub-area, crossing traffic between the ports on the south coast of England, the Channel Islands and the French Ports can lead to the increased risk of collision with vessels using the Casquets TSS. High Speed Craft operate on these routes. Within a 15-mile radius of Channel LV there are some 47, 248 commercial vessel movements over 416 routes per annum. There is also a high level of small craft activity, including fishing and pleasure craft in and around the Channel Islands.
   
3.7.11.4 The main proposed AtoN changes for this area are, as follows: