Current P- and T-notices

Sweden. not area bound. General information to seafarers during winter conditions.

See: 2024:1044/18953(T)

Time: Until spring of 2025.

Seafarers are advised to particularly observe the following during the winter season:

BEFORE BREAKING ICE: To avoid accidents to persons using the ice for transportation and recreation special attention is required before breaking the ice near shore and in archipelagos, see further information in seperate temporary NtM.

ICE BRIDGES: Pontoons are sometimes laid across narrow straits enabling transport to islands, when neither vessels nor road vehicles can be used.

BUOYAGE: Buoyage in Bay of Bothnia, Sea of Bothnia and Lake Vänern is generally withdrawn during the ice season. Buoyage in harbours may also be withdrawn. The movement of ice can bring buoys and spar buoys off position or submerge them. Lights, Racons, AIS, radar reflectors and top marks may be damaged or withdrawn during the winter. During ice conditions, floating aids to navigation should generally be considered to be unreliable. In the spring it generally takes time before all aids to navigation have been overhauled and/or replaced.

CABLE FERRIES: The cable might lie on the ice which makes it impossible to pass the ferry route. At some ferry crossings speed restrictions during winter apply. Refer to information in Swedish NtM.

DGPS: The range of DGPS transmitters may be reduced due to ice or snow covering the transmitters.

ICE BOOMS: In some places in Trollhätte canal, ice booms are established during winter to avoid ice affecting traffic. For the same reason, a rope is laid across River Nordre älv at Kornhall.

ICE-BREAKING SERVICE: The Swedish governmental ice-breaking service provides sea ice-breaking from open waters to inshore waters protected from sea- and pack ice. Information regarding winter navigation, contact information to ice breakers etc. can be found on the website www.sjofartsverket.se/winternavigation and in the booklet ”Winter Navigation”. The website http://baltice.org contains information for winter navigation in the entire Baltic Sea area.

ICE MAPS and TRAFFIC RESTRICTIONS: Daily updated ice maps and current ice restrictions are published on the websites www.smhi.se/icechart and http://baltice.org.

LIGHTS: The lens on lights and light-buoys may become covered by frost, snow or ice. This could make the light faint or to seem unlit. Sectors may falsely appear as white. Snow on the solar panels can result in discharged batteries, which could result in the light becoming unlit or faint. The light character might also be incorrect.

NOTICES TO MARINERS AND NAVIGATIONAL WARNINGS: Normally no navigational warning or NtM is issued when buoys are withdrawn in waters covered by ice. This also applies to buoys in areas that rarely are covered by ice, e.g. The Sound or the west coast of Sweden. If a buoy is withdrawn or a racon is removed well before the waters have been covered by ice, a warning and notice will be issued in accordance with normal procedures.

PILOT BOARDING. Pilot boarding positions may be moved or withdrawn in ice covered areas. Updated information can be requested from the Pilot coordination center or from the pilot boat.

PROHIBITION TO BREAK THE ICE. A prohibition to break the ice may be issued in some areas and fairways. Refer to Swedish NtM.

REPORTING. Ships en route to Swedish and Finnish ports in Bay of Bothnia and Sea of Bothnia, which are subject to ice restrictions, shall report to ICE INFO on VHF channel 82 or by telephone +46(0)10 492 76 00 when passing latitude 60-00N.

RACON. When severe ice conditions are expected, Racon buoys may be replaced by ordinary light-buoys in order to avoid equipment damage.

ROADS ON THE ICE. Ice roads are sometimes established where the ice is strong enough to be used for transports. This is more common in the north. Masters must make sure that the ice is not used for transports before proceeding in ice-covered waters between inhabited islands and the mainland.

SPEED RESTRICTIONS. In some fairways speed restrictions apply when the water is covered by ice. This is announced in Swedish NtM.

TRAFFIC SEPARATION SCHEMES. TSS may be temporarily withdrawn by the Swedish Transport Agency. Information about this is published in Navigational warnings and in Swedish NtM.

WINTER NAVIGATION is an official publication with useful information for shipping in the Baltic Sea area during winter conditions. The publication is available for download at www.sjofartsverket.se/winternavigation or may be ordered from the Swedish Maritime Administration's Ice-breaking Department, Ph +46 771 63 25 25.