Short Overview
Passage Planning Guide, Baltic: Danish Straits, 2025-26 Edition is an essential resource for ships navigating the Danish Straits and provides guidance to aid Masters and navigating officers in the creation of passage plans for the transit.
The guidance applies in either direction through the Straits via the Great Belt and the Sound and includes an overview of the navigational references for each leg of the routes.
In cooperation with DanPilot and BIMCO, this new edition has been fully revised to incorporate the latest guidance and practical advice for ships transiting the region, with reference to important information such as pilotage, anchorages, reporting requirements and traffic.
Detailed Overview
Passage Planning Guide, Baltic: Danish Straits, 2025-26 Edition provides information on essential passage planning practice, including elements local to the Danish Straits, to help navigating officers compile an effective passage plan. It includes practical guidance for the transit, with reference to traffic, pilotage, anchorages, tidal streams and climate, reporting requirements, bridge clearances, etc.
Annotated chartlets, which now feature satellite imagery, are provided for each leg of the transits of the Great Belt and the Sound, illustrating aids to navigation and potential hazards to shipping.
The Guide illustrates 'hotspot' areas where high vigilance is required and lists the pre-emptive measures that should be taken by the ship. Also included are a number of case studies that examine the causes of various groundings and collisions in the Straits.
This new edition now includes a section on guidance for Masters, which provides a helpful overview of important information for arriving ships, such as pilotage, communication, bunkering and STS operations. Significant updates and additions have been made to information regarding reporting systems and requirements, pilot ladder arrangements, traffic in the Straits and the Fehmarnbelt Construction Project.
In preparation for this new edition, Witherbys has worked in consultation with DanPilot, the pilot service of the Danish State, to fully revise and update the Guide.
Contents Listing
Foreword
Acknowledgements
Notices
Glossary
Note on Spellings
Baltic Sea Chart Datum (BSCD2000)
Explanation of Routes Shown on the Chartlets in this Guide
Part 1 Background and Supporting Notes to the Guide
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Master's Guidance for Arriving Ships (Notification and Papers)
1.3 Regional Maritime Authorities
1.4 Underkeel Clearance Management (UKCM), Bridge Clearance
Limits and DW Routeing
1.4.1 Bridge Clearance Limits
1.4.2 Least Depths
1.4.3 UKC and Maximum Draught
1.5 Pilotage
1.5.1 Pilotage
1.5.2 Pilot Boats
1.5.3 Pilot Ladder Arrangements
1.5.4 Pilot Equipment
1.5.5 Ship's Conduct with Pilot on Board
1.5.6 Great Belt and The Sound Pilot Arrangements
1.5.7 Remote Pilotage
1.6 Navigation in the Region
1.6.1 Belt Traffic and BELTREP
1.6.2 Sound Traffic and SOUNDREP
1.6.3 Fehmarn Belt Traffic and Fehmarn Belt VTS
1.6.4 Kadetrenden Traffic and Kadetrenden VTS
1.6.5 Buoyage
1.6.6 Vessel Tracking
1.6.7 Stores Transfer, Bunkering, Crew Change in Transit
1.6.8 Jamming and Spoofing
1.6.9 Firing Practice and Military Exercises
1.6.10 Ferries
1.6.11 Military Vessels
1.6.12 Offshore Renewable Energy Project Vessels
1.6.13 'Shadow Fleet' Vessels
1.6.14 Pleasure Craft
1.6.15 Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link
1.7 Passage Planning
1.7.1 Preparation for the Passage
1.7.2 Purpose of Passage Planning
1.7.3 Principles of Passage Planning
1.7.4 Error Management
1.7.5 Preparations for Planning
1.7.6 Preparing the Passage Plan
1.7.7 Preparing ECDIS
1.7.8 Preparing or Amending Passage Notes
1.7.9 Pre-Entry Bridge Team Meeting
1.7.10 Monitoring the Passage Plan
1.7.11 Notices and Warnings
1.7.12 Charts and Nautical Publications
1.8 Climate and Meteorology
1.8.1 Tidal Streams, Water Flow and Currents
1.8.2 The Great Belt and Approaches
1.8.3 The Sound
1.8.4 Prevailing Winds, Rainfall and Seasons
1.8.5 Sea Ice and Ice Accretion
1.8.6 Wind
1.8.7 Rainfall, Storms and Lightning
1.8.8 Weather Forecasts and Warnings
1.8.9 Sea Level Forecast
1.8.10 Visibility
1.9 MARPOL and Environmental Requirements
1.9.1 Reporting Pollution Incidents
1.9.2 Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA)
1.10 Action in Emergencies
1.10.1 Emergency during Pilotage
1.10.2 Salvage and Scandinavian Open Form
1.10.3 Pre-designated Emergency Anchorages
1.11 ISPS Code Requirements
Part 2 Case Studies, Groundings, Collisions and Traffic Hotspots
2.1 Inbound Traffic Hotspots
2.1.1 T33 Southbound
2.1.2 Hatter Southbound DW
2.1.3 Hatter Southbound TSS
2.1.4 Femern Eastbound
2.2 Outbound Traffic Hotspots
2.2.1 Femern Westbound
2.2.2 Hatter Northbound DW
2.2.3 Hatter Northbound TSS
2.2.4 T33 Northbound
Part 3 Passage Notes - Inbound: Skagen to Bornholm
Southbound via Great Belt
Southbound via The Sound
Passage Notes - Outbound: Bornholm to Skagen
Northbound via Great Belt
Northbound via The Sound
Part 4 Annexes
Annex 1 Bridge Team Briefing Card
Pre-Entry Bridge Team Meeting
Annex 2 SAR and Telemedical Contact Details
SAR Contact Details
TMAS Contact Details
Additional Information
Number of Pages: 148
Published Date: March 2025
Book Height: 297 mm
Book Width: 210 mm
Weight: 2 kg
Publication Date: March 2025
Author: Witherbys, DanPilot & BIMCO
ISBN: 1917308416