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* 18137 (T) |
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Sweden. not area bound. General information to mariners during winter conditions. |
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See: 2024:1010/18138(T) |
Time: Until spring of 2024. Mariners are advised to particurlarly 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, se further information in Swedish NtM Notice 18138(T). ICE BRIDGES: Floating bridges are sometimes laid across narrow straits enabling transportation when neither vessels nor road vehicles can be used. BUOYAGE: Buoyage at sea in Bay of Bothnia, Sea of Bothnia and Lake Vänern is generally withdrawn during the ice season. Buoyage may also be withdrawn inside small harbours. The movement of ice can bring buoys and spar buoys out of 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 Lights, Racons, AIS, radar reflectors and top marks may be damaged or withdrawn during the winter.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. After the ice has melted in the spring it generally takes significant time before all buoyage have been overhauled and/or replaced. CABLE FERRIES: The cable might lie on top of the ice which makes it impossible to pass the ferry route. At some road ferry crossings speed restriction apply when the water is covered by ice. Refer to information in Swedish NtM. DGPS: The range of DGPS-transmitters may be reduced due to ice covering the aerials. ICE BOOMS: Ice booms are established at some locations in Trollhätte Canal during wintertime to avoid drifting ice floes from affecting the 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 on winter navigation, contact information to ice breakers etc. can be found on the webpage www.sjofartsverket.se/winternavigation and in the booklet ”Winter Navigation”. The webpage http://baltice.org contains valuable information on winter navigation in the entire Baltic Sea region. 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 glass on lights and light-buoys may quickly become covered by rime, snow and ice. This could make the light faint or invisible or colored sectors to appear as white. Snow on the solar panels could result in discharged batteries which could make the light unlit, faint or its character wrong. NOTICES TO MARINERS AND NAVIGATIONAL WARNINGS: Normally no navigational warning or NtM is issued when buoys are withdrawn in waters covered by ice. If a buoy is withdrawn or a racon is removed from a buoy well before the waters have been covered by ice, a warning and notice will be issued in accordance with normal procedures. This is also the case when buoys of great importance are withdrawn in areas that rarely are covered by ice, e.g. The Sound or the west coast of Sweden. PILOT BOARDING. Pilot boarding places may be moved or withdrawn if the area is covered by thick ice. Always request updated information from the Pilot ordering central or from the pilot boat. PROHIBITION TO BREAK THE ICE. It might be prohibited to break the ice in some areas. Refer to Swedish NtM for further information. REPORTING. Ships en route to Swedish and Finnish ports in Bay of Bothnia and Sea of Bothnia, which are subject to traffic restrictions, shall report to ICE INFO on VHF channel 82 (or tel +46(0)10 492 76 00) when passing latitude 60-00N. RACON. When severe ice conditions are expected, Racon buoys will normally be replaced by ordinary light-buoys in order to avoid damage to the electronic unit. ROADS ON THE ICE. The ice might be used by islanders for transportation. This is more common in our northern waters. The Master should ensure, before proceeding in ice-covered waters between inhabited islands and the mainland, that the ice is not used for transportation. SPEED RESTRICTIONS. In some fairways speed restrictions apply when the water is covered by ice. This is announced in Swedish NtM. TRAFFIC SEPARATION SCHEMES. If a TSS is covered by ice it may be temporarily withdrawn by the Swedish Transport Agency. Information about this will be given on NAVTEX and in Swedish NtM. WINTER NAVIGATION 2023 - 2024 is an official publication with information on 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. |
Ufs A, chapter 6.5 |