Over the last day period icebreaker escort services in the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland were provided to 9 vessels, says Ice Operations Headquarters of Baltic Sea Ports Administration. Three icebreakers are ready for operation.
Since the beginning of the 2015-2016 winter navigation season icebreakers have assisted 825 vessels.
The Semen Dezhnev, Karu, Ivan Kruzenshtern, St. Petersburg, Mudyug, Yermak, Kapitan Sorokin, Vladivostok, Kapitan Nikolayev, Murmansk and Kapitan Plakhin icebreakers are available for operation (operational reserve of Rosmorport’s North-Western Basin Branch).
Fast 15-20 cm-thick ice is observed along the shore of the Neva Bay. From the Entrance Buoy to buoys No 3-4 – ice free water; to the C-1 – 10-15 cm thick flow ice of 7 ths. The channel is open for transit.
The channel is open for transit. Between BSF and buoys No 29/30 – – ice free water. Buoys No 29/30 to Picket 132 – 10-15 cm thick flow ice of 6-7 ths. The channel is open for transit.
On the Port of Primorsk access channels the 5-15cm-thick ice is observed. Land ice is observed along the coastline of the port's basin and the Bjerkezund Strait. The channel is open for transit.
Water area of port Ust-Luga is ice-free.
The 10-15cm-thick ice is reported on the approaches to the port of Vysotsk, from Rondo and toward Vikhrevoi, 15-25cm-thick land ice on the Vysotsk-Vyborg channel.
Navigation at the Big Ship Channel and the approaches is complicated with ice floes and field ice.