5 Ice Information
5.1 International co-operation
Nordic icebreaker collaboration takes place in the Gulf of Bothnia, the Åland Sea, the Baltic Sea north of the latitude through Dueodde on Bornholm, and in The Sound, the Kattegat and Skagerrak between open water and waters protected from sea ice, drift ice, pack ice, and similar ice hazards.
5.2 Icebreaking information services
In winter conditions the ship reporting systems and national VTS services provide information on way points and contact information of icebreakers for ships sailing in the area. Information about operational icebreaking services in the Baltic Sea area can be obtained from the icebreaking Service provided by each coastal state:
List of icebreaking information services:
Information issued by the respective Administrations can be found on the common website www.baltice.org
5.3 Winterisation of ships
Ships should be adapted for safe operation at low outdoor air temperatures down to minus 30°C. This applies to the hull structure material, deck equipment (anchor handling and mooring, towing and cargo handling), the main engine cooling system, and the material of the propeller including its sufficient immersion to reduce interaction with ice. The stability of ships at low air temperatures under open water conditions should be sufficient taking into account the probability and the danger of ice accretion. The responsible Administrations may set operational instructions for ships sailing in ice-covered waters.
5.4 Information about ice conditions
Information about ice conditions in the Baltic Sea area can be obtained from the national ice services that are listed below and from the common websites: http://www.bsis-ice.de and www.baltice.org An icechart is available for very fast downolad: http://www.smhi.se/icechart
List of national ice services:
5.5 Safety requirements
The Authorities and Administrations of countries around the Baltic Sea may set traffic restrictions for the safety of vessels sailing in ice conditions. Adequate ice strengthening is required for ships sailing in ice conditions. Even more stringent traffic restrictions than required by ice strengthening may be applied for operational reasons.
5.6 Equivalence of ice classification rules
The equivalence of the ice classes of different Classification Societies with the Finnish-Swedish Ice Class Rules is based on a comparison of hull structural requirements. Equivalence is assessed based on the principle that the hull structural strength given by the rules of a classification society is to a similar standard as the hull structural strength obtained by applying the Finnish-Swedish Ice Class Rules. The requirements of the Finnish-Swedish Ice Class Rules regarding the power of the main engines should also be met. The equivalence table can be found as an annex in the HELCOM Recommendation 25/7
List of equivalence of ice classification rules:
Classification Society |
Ice Class |
|
|
|
|
Finnish-Swedish Ice Class Rules |
IA Super |
IA |
IB |
IC |
Category II |
Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (Rules 1995) |
UL |
L1 |
L2 |
L3 |
L4 |
Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (Rules 1999) |
LU5 |
LU4 |
LU3 |
LU2 |
LU1 |
Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (Rules 2008) |
Arc 5 |
Arc 4 |
Ice 3 |
Ice 2 |
Ice 1 |
American Bureau of Shipping |
IAA |
IA |
IB |
IC |
D0 |
Bureau Veritas |
IA SUPER |
IA |
IB |
IC |
ID |
CASPPR, 1972 |
IA |
B |
C |
D |
E |
China Classification Society |
Ice Class B1* |
Ice Class B1 |
Ice Class B2 |
Ice Class B3 |
Ice Class B |
Det Norske Veritas |
ICE-1A* |
ICE-1A |
ICE-1B |
ICE-1C |
ICE-C |
DNV GL |
Ice(1A*) |
Ice(1A) |
Ice(1B) |
Ice(1C) |
- |
Germanischer Lloyd |
E4 |
E3 |
E2 |
E1 |
E |
IACS Polar Rules |
PC6 |
PC7 |
- |
- |
- |
Korean Register of Shipping |
1A Super |
1A |
1B |
1C |
1D |
Lloyd's Register of Shipping |
Ice Class 1AS FS (+) Ice Class 1AS FS |
Ice Class 1A FS (+) Ice Class 1A FS |
Ice Class 1B FS (+) Ice Class 1B FS |
Ice Class 1C FS (+) Ice Class 1C FS |
Ice Class 1D Ice Class 1E |
Nippon Kaiji Kyokai |
NS* (Class IA Super Ice Strengthening) NS (Class IA Super Ice Strengthening) |
NS* (Class IA Ice Strengthening) NS (Class IA Ice Strengthening) |
NS* (Class IB Ice Strengthening)
NS (Class IB Ice Strengthening)
|
NS* (Class IC Ice Strengthening)
NS (Class IC Ice Strengthening)
|
NS* (Class ID Ice Strengthening)
NS (Class ID Ice Strengthening)
|
Polski Rejestr Statków |
L1A |
L1 |
L2 |
L3 |
L4 |
Registro Italiano Navale |
ICA CLASS IA SUPER |
ICA CLASS IA |
ICE CLASS IB |
ICE CLASS IC |
ID |
5.7 Dates of traffic restrictions
The normally expected dates for traffic restrictions due to ice, on the Swedish side of the Gulf of Bothnia, for various ice and tonnage classes.
List of normally expected dates for traffic restrictions due to ice:
Lowest ice class Finnish-Swedish Ice Class Rules |
Least deadweight |
Gulf of Bothnia |
|
Sea of Bothnia |
|
|
|
from |
to |
from |
to |
II |
1 300 dwt |
1 Dec |
14 Dec |
1 Jan |
14 Jan |
II |
2 000 dwt |
15 Dec |
31 Dec |
15 Jan |
31 Jan |
1C |
1 300 dwt |
15 Dec |
31 Dec |
15 Jan |
31 Jan |
1B |
2 000 dwt |
1 Jan |
14 Jan |
1 Feb |
14 Feb |
1A |
3 000 dwt |
15 Jan |
30 Jan |
15 feb |
31 Mar |
1A |
4 000 dwt |
31 Jan |
9 Apr |
- |
- |
1A |
3 000 dwt |
10 Apr |
9 May |
- |
- |
1B |
2 000 dwt |
10 May |
14 May |
1 Apr |
14 Apr |
1C |
1 300 dwt |
15 May |
30 May |
15 Apr |
30 Apr |
II |
2 000 dwt |
15 May |
30 May |
15 Apr |
30 Apr |