Licensed deep sea pilots in NW Europe, including the British Isles and The Baltic, should be requested through the various pilotage agencies based in the British Isles or other European countries. These pilots may be embarked before reaching the complex traffic schemes in the Dover Strait and the S part of the North Sea, in which case embarkation normally takes place off Brixham (50” 24’N, 3” 30’W) or Cherbourg (49” 38’N, 1” 38’W). Arrangements can also be made through the pilotage agencies to embark deep sea pilots by helicopter in the English Channel and Dower Strait area.
Deep sea pilots often have to travel long distances to their point of embarkation and as much notice as possible should be given to the pilotage agency of the requirement for a pilot. Similar arrangements can be made by outward bound vessels and those coasting from port to port in the area.
Regulation of vessel traffic
Routes and traffic management
The traffic separation schemes and precautionary area, which constrain the routes outlined in 2.2, are continuous from the Greenwhich Light-float to a position 13 miles NE of Noord Hinder Light-buoy (safe water) . The measures are all adopted by IMO and rule 10 of The International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea applies. They are summarized on the chart and the areas in which the schemes apply are shown on the charts.
Caution. Shipping lines in the area covered by this chapter are among the busiest in the world.