Channel Swimming & Piloting Federation "Nothing great is easy", Captain Matthew Webb

Sandettie Buoy Data Notes 

Notes on Sandettie Lightship Buoy data 

  • Sandette Lightship Buoy is owned and operated by the UK Met Office. Its position is 51.103 N 1.800 E (51°6'9" N 1°48'0" E) - roughly due North from Calais and due East of Dover.
  • The Sandettie Lightship information is considered essential data within the context of World Meteorological Organization Resolution 40. Met Office confirmed that it is freely available to publish under the terms of the Open Government Licence for Public Sector Information. Please see: http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/about-us/legal/tandc#Use-of-Crown-Copyright.
  • This automated buoy provides an hourly feed of various weather and sea parameters. The data feed is provided in WMO GTS code forms e.g. "BBXX 62304 19144 99511 10018 46/98 /3102 10140 20061 40094 57002 22200 00150 10701 70005". This string of characters carries full metereological information collected by the station. For interpretation of GTS codes see http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/www/WMOCodes/Manual/Volume-I-selection/ManualCodesSel.html.
  • Data quailty: it is easy to see that there are glitches in the way station sensors work or the way they report the measurements. We are planning to clean the records in the near future, but for now we rely on readers' intelligence in interpreting the feeds. We all know North Sea does not freeze in one hour and 100 mph winds in the middle of the summer are very unlikely!
  • Because Sandettie station is a buoy, the air temperature gauge is very near the sea surface. It means that the sea will greatly moderate the air temperature reading. This is the main reason for significant differences when comparing to e.g. Dover or Calais air temperatures. Sandettie readings will always be much closer to the sea temperature, especially on very cold or very warm days.
  • 27 Feb 2025RSS Feed

    2025 Notice of CS&PF AGM & Motions

    Notice of CS&PF AGMFor the year ended 31st December 2024To be held atThe Channel Suite, Leas Cliff HallThe Leas, FolkestoneCT20 2DZ1pm on the 15th March 2025 Officer and committee positions due for election in 2025 President: Mike Ball (nominated by the CS&PF committee)Vice-President: Michael Oram (nominated by the CS&PF committee) The ChairmanThe SecretaryTwo Committee member positionsNotices of Motion Motions:Motion 1) Proposed by Tony Kenyon; seconded by Eddie SpellingThe committee discussed the need to raise the swim administration fees to cover increasing costs. It was agreed to increase the administration fees by £30. A revised CS&PF rule is required to be ratified at the AGM.The following rule revision is proposed to reflect the increased administration fee.Revised RuleCS&PF fees:2026 Administration fees payable with all swim applications. Administration fees cover the costs of running the CS&PF Office and general CS&PF expenses. Applications submitted to the CS&PF Office before the deadline of 30 April will be charged a discounted administration fee of:Solo - £200Relay £240Applications received by the CS&PF Office after 30 April will be deemed to have exceeded the time allowed for postage and will be charged a full fee of:Solo £225Relay £265Motion 2) Proposed by Kevin Murphy; seconded by Tony KenyonThis AGM requests the committee to:i) Institute honorariums for the offices of CS&PF Secretary and CS&PF Treasurer;ii) Consider at what level these honorariums should be set.Motion 3) Proposed by Tony Kenyon, seconded by Kevin MurphyReplace the existing Clause “8 Management paragraph B” of the published CS&PF rules. The current wording was found to be unclear by the committee.Proposed wording:B. President and Vice PresidentThe positions of ‘President’ and ‘Vice President’ shall be nominated by the elected members of the CS&PF Committee. Only the committee nomination for the roles shall be put before the next AGM for ratification.Either or both positions can remain vacant if the committee does not make a nomination, or if a nomination is not ratified by the membership at the next AGM.The Vice President is expected to work in conjunction with the President. When the President completes their term, the Vice President is familiar with the role to step up. A former President is not permitted to be nominated for a future role as Vice President. If ratified at the AGM the appointment of these positions is for three years from the date of ratification. If they are not ratified, the committee will reconsider their nominations at the next committee meeting.The ‘President’ and the ‘Vice President’ shall be considered full members of the CS&PF Committee. They will receive notice and be invited to each committee meeting and be counted in the quorum with full voting rights.The maximum term for both of these positions is two consecutive appointments. Once this maximum term has been reached the incumbent must step aside from that role for at least three years, preferably six (equivalent to two consecutive terms). Eligibility to be considered for subsequent nomination for either role after the maximum term has been reached is at the discretion of the elected members of the CS&PF Committee.At the discretion of the elected members of the CS&PF Committee a retiring President may be given the honorary title of ‘President Emeritus’. This title is used to denote perpetual status of individuals who made significant contributions to the CS&PF.Motion 4) Proposed by Cliff Golding, seconded by Mike BallProposed amendments in red Assessment swims - (solos)All swimmers taking part in a solo swim must complete a self assessment swim of at least 6 hours in open water at a temperature of no more than 61F/16C. Such a swim should be carried out either as a training swim or as an organised event which the committee considers (in its discretion) to be a suitable alternative. In either case, the assessment swim should take place no more than 18 calendar months prior to the 1st June in the year of the application. Winter Swim Assessments. If a swim is registered to take place between 1 November and 30 April, the qualifying temperature for an assessment swim will be 12c or less, or as defined by the pilot.Assessment swims - (relays)All swimmers taking part in a relay swim must complete a self assessment swim of at least 1.5 hours then leave the water for a minimum of 1 hour and a maximum of 1.5 hours at a temperature of no more than 61°F / 16°C.  They must then return to the water and swim for 1 more hour in open water also at a temperature of no more than 61°F / 16°C. These two swims should be carried out either as a training swim or as an organised event which the committee considers (in its discretion) to be a suitable alternative. In either case, the assessment swims should take place no more than 18 calendar months prior to the 1st June in the Year of application. If a relay swimmer carries out a training swim, or takes part in an event lasting 4 hours or more at a temperature of no more than 61°F / 61°C, the Committee will consider that a suitable assessment swim for a Channel relay swim.Winter Swim Assessments. If a swim is registered to take place between 1 November and 30 April, the qualifying temperature for an assessment swim will be 12c or less, or as defined by the pilot.Every application for a solo or relay swimmer must complete a Swim Assessment Form available for download from the CS&PF web site and submit this together with supporting proof/ratification of the self-assessment swim or (if an organised event wherein satisfactory participation is a matter of public online record) the website address at which such proof is evident. Voting will be by paper ballot for any contested positions or motions. Read more

CS&PF NEWS

Sandettie Lightship Observations

8pm, 23rd February 2025


Water: 46.4 °F (8 °C)

Air: 52.5 °F (11.4 °C)

Wind Speed: 29.9 kn (55.4 km/h)

Wind Direction: SSW (200°)

Channel Weather 

The CS&PF President, Mike Ball and all the committee are deeply saddened by the passing of Ady Brown.… https://t.co/E17pLxZwgw

2 years ago