2005 Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA6 Technical Report - Boating. Identifying recreational cruising routes, sailing and racing areas within the SEA 6 area (Irish Sea)

This report is a contribution to the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA6) conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (now Department of Energy and Climate Change). Historically there has not been a database of recreational use of the UK's marine environment. This lack of information was highlighted by the SEA which was carried out for the three strategic wind farm development areas: the Thames Estuary, Greater Wash and the North West (Liverpool Bay). In response the RYA published a document in 2004 entitled Sharing the Wind, which provided information on recreational boating in these strategic areas for consideration during the planning, design and approval process for wind farms. This report extends the work undertaken in Sharing the Wind to the SEA6 region.

The report provides information on cruising routes, general sailing and racing areas, anchorage areas, the intensity with which each route is used, and the location and size of shore based facilities. The work was produced as a result of consultation with a large number of clubs, regional committees and local experts throughout the SEA6 area, which are listed in the back of the report. There are a total of 143 clubs within 2 miles of the coast, with an estimated membership of 37,000, that use the SEA6 region for boating activities.