24 icebreaker escort operations performed in eastern part of Gulf of Finland during 24 hours on March 11-12
24 vessels were escorted by icebreakers in the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland during 24 hours on March 11-12, says Ice Operations Headquarters of the Baltic Sea Ports Administration.
Since the beginning of this winter navigation season icebreakers performed 1322 operations including 654 operations at Big Port St. Petersburg, 225 operations at the port of Vyborg and Vysotsk, 119 operations at the port of Primorsk and 324 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 the Dock-Gate Building C-1: ice-free water; between the Dock-Gate Building C-1 and buoys No 23, No 24: ice-free water. Between buoys No 23, No 24 and buoys No 25, No 26: brash ice. In the closed part of St. Petersburg Seaway Channel: 15-25 cm thick ice. In the water area of Big Port St. Petersburg: brash ice of 15-25 cm thick and concentration of 9/10ths to 10/10ths.
Between the port of Vyborg and the Halley island: 25-30 cm thick ice. From Halley to Buoy No. 4 of Big Ship Channel: highly consolidated 15-25cm thick ice.
At port Primorsk: brash ice of up to 30 cm thick and concentration of 9/10ths to 10/10ths. Between buoys No 3-4 and the Grekov bank: newly formed ice of 10-15 cm thick. Between the Grekov bank and buoy No 6 of the Big Ship Channel: highly consolidated ice of up to 25 cm, with ice ridges.
Between the convoy meeting point and buoy No 1 of the Big Ship Channel: ice free water, further: floating ice of up to 15-20 cm thick. Between buoy No 3 and No 4 of the Big Ship Channel: ice floes of 25-30 cm thick. Between buoy No 4 and No 9 of the Big Ship Channel: highly consolidated ice of 25-35 cm thick. Between buoy No 9 and the entrance buoy of Big Port St. Petersburg: ice free water.
At the port of Ust-Luga: consolidated ice of 15-25 cm thick. In the mouth of the river: 30 cm thick land ice.