On the 1st of August 2013 00:00 UTC (02:00 local time) the routeing system in the Dutch part of the North Sea will change extensively.
A number of Traffic Separation Schemes (TSS) will be revised and in the approaches to IJmuiden a new TSS will be introduced. New anchoring areas will be established and others changed. Former ammunition dumping grounds will become “Areas to be Avoided”.
Shipping Safety
The North Sea is one of the world’s most intensively used sea areas. A revision of the routeing system is needed to ensure the future safety of shipping, to improve access to the Dutch mainports and to efficiently allocate the marine space.
New Nautical Charts Must Be On Board
The new routeing system comes into force on the 1st of August 2013 00:00 UTC (02:00 local time). Until this moment the old routeing system will apply. New nautical charts and ENC’s were released mid June and all will be available though the usual distributors. All shipmasters are reminded that new nautical charts must be on board before the changes take effect.
Buoys Moved
On the 30th and 31st of July and on the 1st of August, numerous buoys will be moved. Before and during the operation, marine traffic will be closely informed through Notices to Mariners and live navigation messages.
More information on the new shipping routes is available on the Rijkswaterstaat website.
Notices to Mariners (NtMs) and addresses of chart agents are published on the website of the Netherlands Hydrographic Office and of the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO).
Picture: Shipping routes now and as of 1 August.
