Real-time Wind
Data for Ogden Point, Victoria, BC
Custom meteorological solutions for unique customer needs.
In 2004, the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority (GVHA) of Victoria, British
Columbia, Canada, approached AXYS  Technologies Inc. regarding possible
ways of providing real-time data on wind conditions at the entrance
to Victoria Harbour. Occasional strong winds were creating
challenging conditions for cruise ships visiting the facility.
The GVHA recognized the
importance of real-time wind data to ship captains and pilots
maneuvering near the breakwater.
Ogden Point is a local landmark situated at the end of a long
breakwater. The "Point" is a large concrete pylon with
a single navigational light. There is electrical power available
for operating the light, however the dog-legged breakwater is
nearly three-quarters of a kilometer of solid concrete, with
no place to run additional data cabling.
The AXYS solution involved a R. M. Young anemometer reporting
wind data to the AXYS Watchman500™ DCP which has
the power and flexibility to integrate any monitoring device
into virtually any data collection network.
The Ogden Point Watchman500™ is set to collect real-time wind data, as well as temperature and
humidity. Data is relayed via line-of-sight VHF transmissions
direct from the Point to the Pilot's office located near the
breakwater's start. At first, a large cable-laying ship parked
directly in the line of sight posed a challenge, however careful
attention to antennae selection and placement negated this issue.
The AXYS service team carried out the installation and commissioning
in one day.
Today, real-time wind, temperature and humidity data is displayed
on a custom GUI in the Pilot's office, as well as ten minute
updates posted onto the GVHA homepage. “This response to
the safety needs of ship operators is a vital addition to service
Victoria’s cruise sector and tourism industry,” states
Paul Ridout of King Bros., the local brokerage and shipping agency
that brings cruise ships to Ogden Point. And not just the cruise
industry benefits from recent implementation of AXYS Technologies
weather data to Ogden Point. Explains Michael Cormier, CEO of
the GVHA, “This meteorological data will improve the safety
and management of the harbour’s traffic schemes, benefiting
cruise ship, floatplane, yachting and commercial fishing and
boating sectors.”
AXYS' state-of-the-art Ogden Point weather station
is a showcase project for their AIS Port Sentinel which provides a full suite of weather information
for ships, port authorities and harbour masters.
AXYS Technologies Inc. also provides weather monitoring solutions for roadway, aviation and agriculture.
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