British Shipping Areas

Viking - North Utsire - South Utsire - Forties - Cromarty - Forth - Tyne - Dogger - Fisher - German Bight - Humber - Thames - Dover - Wight - Portland - Plymouth - Biscay -Trafalgar - FitzRoy (formerly Finisterre) - Sole - Lundy - Fastnet - Irish Sea - Shannon - Rockall - Malin - Hebrides - Bailey - Fair Isle - Faeroes - Southeast Iceland.

THE BEAUFORT SCALE

The Beaufort Scale is a measure for describing wind speed, based on the effect it has on the condition of the sea. It was first created in 1805 by Admiral Sir Francis Beaufort. He standardised previous works in this area done by others, during his time as an administrator in the Royal Navy.

The scale, which ranges from 0 to 12, does not measure wind velocity but the effect wind velocity has on the condition of the sea and land. The scale was first made as standard in the Navy during the 1830's and was adapted for non military use in the 1850's.

The scale was first classified as how wind conditions affected the sails of the powerful warships known as Man Of War, pictured above, which ranged between just sufficient to give steerage through to that which no sail could withstand. Therefore at 0 all sails would be up, at 6 half of the Man Of War's sails would be up and at 12 all sails would be down.

However in 1906, with the advent of steam vessels, the scale was changed to the effect wind velocity had on land as well as sea.

In 1946 the scale was extended from forces 13 - 17, to apply to special cases such as hurricanes and cyclones, although today hurricanes are now measured on the Saffir-Simpson Scale with, 1 equivalent to the Beaufort Scale's 12 and cyclones are measured on the Fujita Scale, again with 1 being equivalent to the Beaufort Scale's 12. However all these scales measure sea conditions in open sea and not along the shore line.

The Beaufort Scale is probably most recognised as being used during the Shipping Forecast which is broadcast four times a day on the B.B.C's Radio 4 at 00.48 hrs - 05.20 hrs - 12.01 hrs - 17.54 hrs.

The reason the shipping forecast is broadcast on B.B.C Radio 4 is because it is transmitted via Long Wave and F.M, both of which are clearly received at sea at all times. The Shipping Forecast is known for it's very strict format, beginning with gale warnings, followed by each shipping area forecast in a clockwise direction, always starting with shipping are Viking, followed by wind direction, strength of the wind, precipitation and finally, visibility. Britain's thirty one shipping areas are:

Viking - North Utsire - South Utsire - Forties - Cromarty - Forth - Tyne - Dogger - Fisher - German Bight - Humber - Thames - Dover - Wight - Portland - Plymouth - Biscay -Trafalgar - FitzRoy (formerly Finisterre) - Sole - Lundy - Fastnet - Irish Sea - Shannon - Rockall - Malin - Hebrides - Bailey - Fair Isle - Faeroes - South East Iceland.

THE BEAUFORT WIND SCALE

A knot is a measure of speed used at sea. A knot is defined as sixty minutes a degree of longtitude at the circumference of the earth at the equator, which measures 360 degrees, therefore the circumference of the world at the equator equals 21,600 minutes / knots.

The average speed of a cruise ship is between 20 - 30 knots and the average speed of a battle ship is between 12 - 18 knots. However, the world's fastest sea going vessel, an Australian catamaran called the Francisco, can travel at a top speed of around 58 knots, which is equivalent to about 67 land miles an hour or 107 land kilometers an hour. Knots are never defined as knots an hour.

A nautical mile is equivalent to 1.151 land miles or 1.852 land kilometers. A sea going vessel never travels at a rate of nautical miles an hour, they only cover distances over a number of nautical miles.

kn = knot

km/h = kilometers an hour

mph = miles per hour -

> = Above

< = Below.

0 - Calm - <1kn - <1km/h - <1mph.

1 - Light Air - 1-2 kn - 1- 5km/h - 1- 3 mph.

2 - Light Breeze - 3 - 6 kn - 5 -11 km/h - 3 - 7 mph.

3 - Gentle Breeze - 7-10 kn - 12 -19km/h - 8 -12mph.

4 - Moderate Breeze - 11-15kn, 20 - 28km/h - 13 -17mph.

5 - Fresh Breeze - 16 - 20kn - 29 - 38km/h - 18 - 24mph.

6 - Strong Breeze - 21-26kn - 39 - 49km/h - 25 - 30mph.

7 - High Wind - 27- 33kn - 50 - 61km/h - 31- 38mph.

8 - Gale - 34 - 40kn - 62 - 74km/h - 30 - 46mph.

9 - Strong Gale - 41- 47kn - 75 - 88km/h - 47- 54mph.

10 - Storm - 48 - 55kn - 89 -102km/h - 55 - 63mph.

11 - Violent Storm - 56 - 63kn - 103 -117km/h - 63 - 72mph.

12 - Hurricane - > 64kn - >118km/h - >73mph.

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