As of August 1st, new North Sea Shipping Routes are set to come into force. Pleasure craft and performance boats share the North Sea with fishing boats and merchant ships alike, making navigation quite tricky in the high traffic areas.

Several Traffic Separation Schemes (TSS) are to be revised, new anchoring areas will be established and others will be changed.
Former ammunition dumping grounds will become “Areas to be Avoided”.

Revising the shipping routes will assign the available marine space more effectively, maintain safe shipping systems and improve access to the Dutch main ports. The North Sea shipping lanes are among the busiest in the world and Rotterdam is the busiest port in Europe.

The old routing system will apply until 1st of August 2013 00:00 UTC (02:00 local time). New nautical charts and ENC’s have now been released and should be on board before the changes take place. Many buoys will be moved on 30th and 31st July. During this change process marine traffic will be updated and advised through live navigation messages and Notices to Mariners. NtMs and addresses of chart agents are published on www.hydro.nl and www.ukho.gov.uk

Rijkswaterstaat manages the Dutch network of roads and waterways. There is more information about the changes on the Rijkswaterstaat website.

Have you ventured out on the North Sea or do you stay closer to the East coast? Whether you enjoy the adventure of the high seas or exploring the inland creeks of the Blackwater we may have the perfect boat for you here at Boatshed Essex.

Peggy

Image credit: Quistnix via Wikimedia Commons.

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