Biscay shipping lanes

[BlueSkyNick]

There is a TSS at Finisterre and another at Ushant.

Is it reasonable to draw or imagine a pair of lines joining the two TSS's together, and hence to assume that the majority of shipping crossing the bay will stay within or close to these lanes?

There will clearly be other ships heading into ports within the bay, ie Bordeaux, Bilbao etc which need to be observed, but I anticpiate these will be in the minority.

Have I got it all wrong?

 

[capnsensible]

Done this a few times and it has been exactly as you suggest. Had far more interesting moments dancing with fishing boats, they get everywhere. Who also amuse themselves barracking merchant ship crews on channel 16. Particularly off Spain and Portugal. Gotta say despite the safety implications, it has amused me on occassion!

 

[bilbobaggins]

At times, it seems like the M25 - except they're still moving. Great long streams, almost nose to tail, having come out of Europort and Bremen 'when the tide served' and all doing similar service speeds. The view I took was to keep a long way clear when vis. was limited - e.g. after dark and in rain.

Even though they may well see you, many will NOT alter for you, 'cos the things are mostly on autopilot between waypoints, the Certificated Deck Officers are trying to catch up on needed sleep and/or paperwork after/before the Channel, and that means the ill-trained South-East Asians with phony papers are standing on the bridge with instructions to 'call me only in an emergency'......

Many ships, coming NE, now route *right outside* the Off Ushant TSS.....

/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[iangrant]

Nick
The one of finisterre is a double TSS two inners and two outers it's marked up on the chart can't remember which one is which but one pair is for hazardous cargo.
We went wide of both then crossed the entrance south of the finisterre lanes and only met one ship.

Wide of the coast of France we saw nothing but a few Dolphins.

Cheers
Ian

 

[BlueSkyNick]

Thanks all,

we are doing La Coruna to Vannes, so already cleared Finisterre and will be staying well inside the 'lanes'.

Usual watchkeeping practice will be applied.

(Ian - read you PM's and emails!!)

 

[zefender]

I agree with capnsensible, the fishing fleets are far more worrying. I came across a huge fleet of about 30 large fishing boats in Biscay one night, apparently bobbing and weaving all over the place. There were so many that tracking them on radar was just impossible (for me anyway!). One minute you'd think you were on a cautious course around them and the next it seemed you were in the middle of them all on collision course with about 3! A bit unsettling if the weather and sea are lively too.

 

[jimbaerselman]

Fishing vessels, streaming into and out of harbours on autopilot, are your biggest traffic threat. Outbound, all hands are preparing the gear, and there's often no one at the bridge. Inbound, they're all busy gutting and sorting; no one on lookout til they're a mile or two from port.

If you see flashing yellow strobes on a pair of vessels, don't go between them unless you want to join their catch. They'll be joined by a purse seine net, often on the surface.

Busiest places are around Guilvinec in Brittany, and many of the Spanish ports . . .

 

[Danny Jo]

[ QUOTE ]
Fishing vessels, streaming into and out of harbours on autopilot, are your biggest traffic threat. Outbound, all hands are preparing the gear, and there's often no one at the bridge. Inbound, they're all busy gutting and sorting; no one on lookout til they're a mile or two from port.

[/ QUOTE ]
Yes. Special rules apply for fishing vessels. Some fly the pair of cones shape all the time - this can be taken to mean that they are always engaged in fishing operations, even sailing to (sorting fish = fishing operation) or from port (preparing nets = fishing operation), so keep clear at all times. Those that don't fly the shapes are also always engaged in fishing operations but can't be **sed to faff about with colregs (they're written by suits, for Pete's sake), so keep clear at all times.