Supporting safe and efficient use of one of the UK’s busiest waterways
Rock Seven, in collaboration with ABP Southampton, Gill and Hydrosphere, has launched a new Solent weather website to support safety and voyage planning for all Solent users, both professional and recreational: http://www.rock7.com/wind.
The highly accurate real-time weather data comes from a new weather station on the ABP Southampton managed Calshot Spit Light Float in the Solent, which integrates Rock Seven’s RockFLEET vessel tracking and communications system with Gill instruments. Aids to navigation supplier, Hydrosphere, has supported the project by providing installation and maintenance for the weather station.
“This freely available weather data will complement the data already available in the wider Solent Area. The format is easily accessible via desktop computer and on smartphones and tablets. Detailed weather information and trends will be very beneficial to commercial and leisure users,” commented ABP Port of Southampton.
The RockFLEET system uses the Iridium satellite network, specifically the low-cost Short Burst Data service, to deliver weather data from Calshot Spit. RockFLEET is designed to provide global vessel tracking and M2M data communication from anywhere in the world.
“Adding tracking and M2M satcom capabilities to buoys and floats is a simple process with the RockFLEET system, as demonstrated through development of the Calshot Spit Light Float weather station, which is now delivering accurate real-time data 24/7,” says Nick Farrell, Director, Rock Seven.