52 icebreaker escort operations performed in eastern part of Gulf of Finland during 24 hours on March 15-16
52 vessels were escorted by icebreakers in the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland during 24 hours on March 15-16, says Ice Operations Headquarters of the Baltic Sea Ports Administration.
Since the beginning of this winter navigation season icebreakers performed 1466 operations including 733 operations at Big Port St. Petersburg, 251 operations at the port of Vyborg and Vysotsk, 130 operations at the port of Primorsk and 352 operations at the port of Ust-Luga.
10 icebreakers are in operation.
According to Ice Operations Headquarters, the convoy meeting point is at buoy No 4 of the Big Ship Channel (60 degrees 11.5 minutes north latitude; 27 degrees 46.1 minutes east longitude).
Between the entrance buoy and buoys No 23, No 24: new ice of 5-10 cm thick. Between buoys No 23, No 24 and and the Golden Gate: concentrated ice of 20-35 cm. In the water area of Big Port St. Petersburg: brash ice of 15-30 cm thick and concentration of 9/10ths to 10/10ths.
Between the port of Vyborg and the port of Vysotsk: shore ice of 25-25 cm thick. Between the port of Vysotsk and the Halley island: 25-30 cm thick ice. From Halley to Buoy No. 4 of Big Ship Channel: floating ice and ice floes of up to 20-35 cm thick.
At port Primorsk: shore ice of up to 35 cm thick and concentration of 10/10ths. Between buoys No 3-4 and buoy No 6 of the Big Ship Channel: consolidated ice of up to 25 cm, with ice ridges.
Between the convoy meeting point and buoy No 4 of the Big Ship Channel: ice floes of 15-25 cm thick. Between buoy No 4 and No 10 of the Big Ship Channel: highly consolidated ice of 25-35 cm thick. Between buoy No 10 and buoy No 3 of the entrance channel: ice compression and ice ridges.
At the port of Ust-Luga: consolidated ice of 20-35 cm thick. In the mouth of the river: 30 cm thick land ice.