HELCOM publishes mariners’ routeing guide for the Baltic Sea

Helsinki, 8 August (HELCOM) – The Helsinki Commission has released a mariners’ routeing guide for the Baltic Sea entitled the HELCOM Transit Guide for the Baltic Sea, which provides essential information for a safe navigation in the region. The Guide supplements the nautical chart portfolio for the Baltic Sea. It includes information on reporting systems, ice conditions, maritime assistance services, special regulations, as well as water levels and land rise.

“The HELCOM Transit Guide for the Baltic Sea is the first publication of its kind in the region,” said Anne Christine Brusendorff. “It is a single source of navigational information for masters planning their route through the Baltic.”

The Guide was developed within the last year by the HELCOM Transit Route Expert Working Group. The chart is designed and printed by the German Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH). Germany also offered to keep it up to date.  

“The initial idea of this project was to provide mariners with an easy to use guide which allows users to instantly access necessary information, and we can be proud of the result,” said Hans-Heinrich Callsen Bracker, Chairman of the HELCOM Transit Route Expert Working Group. “Maintaining the printed version and developing and continually improving the web version of the Guide will be our next challenge,” he added.

Denmark as the lead country will be in charge of the development of an advanced online version of the Guide.

To order your copy of the Guide, please visit the BSH web site at: http://www.bsh.de/en/Products/Charts/Routeing%20Guides/index.jsp

For more information, please contact:

Mr. Tadas Navickas
Professional Secretary
Tel: +358 (0)207 412 642
Fax: +358 (0)207 412 639

E-mail:  tadas.navickas@helcom.fi

Mr. Nikolay Vlasov
Information Secretary
Tel: +358 (0)207 412 635
Fax: +358 (0)207 412 639

E-mail: nikolay.vlasov@helcom.fi