Amended shipping routes, prior
Amended Shipping Routes – 1st August 2013
On 1st August 2013 at 0000 UTC, extensive changes to the ship routeing systems in the Dutch sector of the North Sea entered into effect, modifying approaches to the Hook of Holland, North Hinder Junction and IJmuiden.
The amendments have been introduced to ensure the safety of shipping in the area, where there is a growing use of offshore wind farms, nature conservation and dredging operations, and to improve access to the main Dutch ports by making efficient use of the available navigable space. Changes include:
• A new traffic separation scheme (TSS) has been introduced to the approaches to IJmuiden, providing separate traffic lanes for traffic moving in opposite directions, adding lanes to the north of the junction and adding a cautionary area to the south leading to the Hook of Holland
• amendments to the approaches to the Hook of Holland. The TSS lanes have been moved further out (west) from the port, the northeast/southwest crossing area has been brought closer to a right angle and the area leading north to IJmuiden has been extended. Anchorage areas have been significantly modified
• the North Hinder junction area has been reconfigured and the extent of the anchorage area has been reduced
• prohibiting vessels from sailing within charted ‘areas to be avoided’
• explicitly advising vessels sailing in ‘precautionary areas’ to navigate carefully.
Amended shipping routes, after
These changes were adopted at MSC 91 and are outlined in the IMO papers NAV 54 and COLREG.2-Circ.64.
