|
|
From: Trevor J. Kenchington (no email)
Date: Mon Oct 25 2004 - 06:01:30 EDT
George asked:
> I would like to learn more about the modern Northern sea-route. Is there a
> recommended publication in English? Does it still operate? How big are the
> convoys? Where do the ships over-winter?
I once read an article about the shipping route through the North East
Passage but, despite scratching my head for the past 24 hours, I can't
recall where. The one point that I do remember is that the route has
some shoal areas (between the ice edge and the land) such that ships
must be either smaller than one would want for such a long voyage or
else designed to be relatively shallow draft.
In my abortive search for the article, I did come across a review of a
book that would likely contain pointers to sources that would answer all
of George's questions, though its focus is elsewhere:
"The Challenge of Arctic Shipping" by D.L.Vanderzwaag & C.Lamson
(McGill-Queens University Press, 1990). Should be available in the U.K.,
though perhaps only from research libraries of institutions with an
interest in the arctic, in shipping or in environmental management.
Note that this is the North East Passage (the Northern Sea Route or
"Glavsevmorput" to the Russians). The North West Passage is a much more
dubious commercial prospect, partly because the heaviest ice is centred
on the American side of the pole (thus away from the Asian side) and
partly because of the Canadian archipelago complicating the route.
Is ice navigation an appropriate topic for the list? From what little I
understand of the topic, it doesn't have much to do with position fixing
but rather finding ways to manoeuvre around the ever-changing obstacles
created by the ice.
Trevor Kenchington
--
Trevor J. Kenchington PhD
Gadus Associates, Office(902) 889-9250
R.R.#1, Musquodoboit Harbour, Fax (902) 889-9251
Nova Scotia B0J 2L0, CANADA Home (902) 889-3555
Science Serving the Fisheries
http://home.istar.ca/~gadus
|