Channel was the name of a lightvessel station located in the English Channel between 1979 and August 2021, when it was replaced with a light buoy. It was also one of the 22 coastal weather stations whose conditions were reported in the BBC Shipping Forecast. The vessel's position was 49°55′N 2°54′W / 49.917°N 2.900°W / 49.917; -2.900, approximately 56 km (35 mi) north-northwest of Guernsey.

The lightvessel marked the western end of the English Channel Traffic Separation Zone.^[1]

The light, on a 12 m (39 ft) tower, had a range of about 15 miles, and flashed for .3 seconds every 15 seconds. The fog signal gave a single 2 second blast every 20 seconds. The agile radio beacon transmitted the letter "O" in morse code on X band and S band frequencies for nine seconds every thirty seconds.^[2]

The Channel lightvessel was established in 1979 as part of the Off Casquets Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS), introduced following the 1978 grounding of the Amoco Cadiz.^[3] The lightvessel was intended to clearly define the TSS, as such schemes were at the time a new feature, rather than marking a physical hazard to navigation.^[3]

In May 2021 it was announced that the vessel would be replaced by a Type 1 buoy in August 2021.^[4] In August 2021 Trinity House stated that the replacement had been completed,^[5] with the Channel Lighted Buoy being deployed by THV Galatea.^[6][7] The light vessel was towed away by THV Patricia.

The light on the buoy flashes every 10 seconds. The agile radio beacon transmits the letter "O" in morse code on X band and S band frequencies for twenty seconds every sixty seconds.^[8]

• UK Met office weather observations for the past 24 hours at Channel Lighted Buoy