Which charts show shipping lanes?

[ZULU40]

Originally Posted by StuM

Get in touch with Robert Redford and find out where he got his chart in All Is Lost. It had a shipping lane marked

Im junk mailing Redford now!

[jalmberg]

Originally Posted by ZULU40

Im junk mailing Redford now!

Maybe an Admiralty chart?

[ZULU40]

Originally Posted by jalmberg

People talk and write about 'shipping lanes': avoiding them and crossing them at right angles and such. But other than the approaches to large harbors like NY Harbor, none of the charts I own actually show any shipping lanes.

Are there actual 'shipping lanes' other than these approaches? If so, how do you know where they are? Which charts show them?

Thanks!

-- John

As ships are guided by predictions on wind and sea conditions in an effort to save fuel and make the best speed, and hence can be found anywhere on any ocean. Its only really definable near ports or straights.

[Robin3]

When sailing the congested waters of the English Channel as I did for most of my life, I drew my own 'lanes' on my charts by connecting the straight line routes between the several TSS systems that were marked on the charts. Shipping likes taking the easiest, cheapest route not the scenic one. OK so ships would leave and depart the 'lanes' to match their particular delivery/collection points, but pretty much mostly follows the straight line between TSSs as can be seen in the density map from AIS shown in an earlier post. Note it doesn't mean you never see ships outside of the 'lanes' and it can be going in any direction but it helps to predict the most likely.

Redford's 'All is Lost' had many sops to publicly perceived situations, more so than factual ones, as I recall shouting at the screen.

[PappysSailing]

Hey, hang on here. Yes, there are established shipping lanes, called Safety Fairways, listed on charts and some of them are far offshore, 100 plus miles. Check out NOAA chart # 11300 Galveston to Rio Grande which shows most of the western half of the Gulf of Mexico. While vessels are not required to stay within those offshore lateral boundaries (non- TSS) they often will... as they can be fairly certain that no oil rigs or other structures have been placed within the lines. Hence, "safety fairway." Having said that, as a recreational vessel, I try to stay several miles away if I'm running parallel, but close enough to hear the radio traffic, in case. Cheers, Pappy

[holmek]

Pilot charts show shipping lanes. the charts are published for each month of the year and for each ocean. they are particularly useful to plot an ocean crossing on as they are divided into 5 deg squares showing the weather averages for that month. and particularly nice for those that are not digitally literate.!! they can be downloaded and printed for free in a miniature format,or ask your chart supplier for the full size versions.

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by PappysSailing

Hey, hang on here. Yes, there are established shipping lanes, called Safety Fairways, listed on charts and some of them are far offshore, 100 plus miles. Check out NOAA chart # 11300 Galveston to Rio Grande which shows most of the western half of the Gulf of Mexico. While vessels are not required to stay within those offshore lateral boundaries (non- TSS) they often will... as they can be fairly certain that no oil rigs or other structures have been placed within the lines. Hence, "safety fairway." Having said that, as a recreational vessel, I try to stay several miles away if I'm running parallel, but close enough to hear the radio traffic, in case. Cheers, Pappy

Oooops, my bad..... in my defence its 49 years since I was last in the Gulf of Mexico.....

Pic for them as don't have a copy of chart #11300

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by holmek

Pilot charts show shipping lanes. the charts are published for each month of the year and for each ocean. they are particularly useful to plot an ocean crossing on as they are divided into 5 deg squares showing the weather averages for that month. and particularly nice for those that are not digitally literate.!! they can be downloaded and printed for free in a miniature format,or ask your chart supplier for the full size versions.

Those are just handy 'aids' so you can quickly lift off the distance between major ports such as Wellington to Panama or San Francisco to Yokohama.

Pre computer days there were books such as the Admiralty Distance Tables, the pilot charts , or work it out longhand....

A look at the PNW gives an idea of the reality these days...

[PappysSailing]

El Pinquino, Well, other than a few hundred new rigs (and some safety fairways?), doubt much else has changed in the Gulf. Maybe it's time you came back for a sail with us after 49 years. Never too late to have a happy childhood ! Cheers, Pappy

[GrowleyMonster]

If any chart deserves to be called, "kewl" it is a pilot chart. Common shipping routes are shown, as well as currents, prevailing wind and sea conditions, etc on a month by month basis, for all waters. The pilot charts are a must download, even, or maybe especially, for the armchair cruiser.

[Lodesman]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

Pic for them as don't have a copy of chart #11300

They're on the net - the yanks are nice like that: Chart 11300

[Lodesman]

Originally Posted by ZULU40

Im junk mailing Redford now!

Ugghh! There were about 6 other sailors with me when I saw that awful film. Now it continues to piss me off. Like there would be a 3500-mile long TSS across the Indian Ocean. Or "Sumatra Straits" exist. Worst. Movie. Ever.

[El Pinguino]

And he is using a ball-point on the chart!!!!!!!

[GrowleyMonster]

Originally Posted by Lodesman

They're on the net - the yanks are nice like that: Chart 11300

I wish everyone had their charts free for download. You would think it would be considered in the public interest, right?

https://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/staff/chartspubs.html from here you can find lots of cool stuff. Lots of very handy publications useful to all, not just Americans or those venturing into US waters. Such as the pilot charts. Bowditch. Distance Between Ports. Sailing Directions. world Port Index. And both Raster and Vector charts of all US waters along with some charts of use to sailors in the Caribbean and other areas containing a US territory or posession. There are even PDF charts designed specifically to be printed. Unfortunately NOAA cannot provide charts for free for other parts of the world due to copyright, etc, until everybody else is on board with the free charts thing.

[ZULU40]

Originally Posted by Lodesman

They're on the net - the yanks are nice like that: Chart 11300

well that is nice, thanks