shipping route

shipping route

      any of the lines of travel followed by merchant sea vessels. Early routes usually kept within sight of coastal landmarks, but, as navigators learned to determine latitude from the heavenly bodies, they ventured onto the high seas more freely. When exact positions could be fixed, the effects of prevailing winds and currents began to be taken into consideration in determining routes.

      The first systematic study of ship routes was undertaken in the 19th century with the aid of shipmasters' logbooks by Lieutenant Matthew Fontaine Maury (Maury, Matthew Fontaine) of the U.S. Navy. Maury's Pilot Charts, containing recommended routes, earned him the title of “Pathfinder of the Seas.” Within a few years, as steam propulsion was introduced and wind ceased to be a navigational consideration, modern shipping lanes were gradually adopted. They are based simply on the fact that a great circle on the Earth's surface is the shortest distance between two ports. Deviations are made only to avoid land or ice masses and unfavourable meteorological conditions. The hydrographic offices of the world have published volumes of sailing directions with advice on routes. Definite lanes have been recognized in the North Atlantic between the United States and Europe.

      As early as 1855 Maury recognized the danger of collision in the North Atlantic because of the fog, high travel density, and annual incursions of icebergs. In his Sailing Directions (1855), he included “Steamer Lanes Across the Atlantic,” with recommended separate lanes for eastbound and westbound steamers. In 1898, at the instigation of the U.S. Navy Hydrographic Office, the five principal transatlantic steamship companies of the day concluded the voluntary North Atlantic Track agreement to adopt regular steamer lanes. These lanes remained unchanged until 1924, when the seasonal tracks still in use in the late 20th century were adopted.

      The first International Convention for Safety of Life at Sea was convened at London in 1913 as a result of the sinking of the British steamer Titanic. At the convention, companies were obliged to give public notice of the routes their vessels would follow, and owners were urged to follow routes adopted by the principal companies. The convention also established an international ice patrol to warn ships of dangerous ice and recommend safe tracks. Since the patrol's inception, no lives have been lost or vessels sunk on the U.S.–European lanes because of icebergs.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Shipping route — A shipping route is a trade route used by merchant ships.Early routes usually were coastal in nature as navigators had to rely on the coastal landmarks. As the knowledge of navigation and mapmaking increased, shipping routes became less dependent …   Wikipedia

  • route — ▪ I. route route 1 [ruːt ǁ ruːt, raʊt] noun [countable] 1. a way from one place to another, especially a way that is regularly used by a bus, plane, ship etc: • What s the best route to Cambridge? • The London New York route is the busiest. • Is… …   Financial and business terms

  • route — [[t]ru͟ːt[/t]] ♦♦ routes, routing, routed (Pronounced [[t]ru͟ːt[/t]]u> or [[t]ra͟ʊt[/t]]u> in American English.) 1) N COUNT A route is a way from one place to another. ...the most direct route to the town centre... All escape routes were… …   English dictionary

  • shipping — ship|ping [ˈʃıpıŋ] n [U] 1.) ships considered as a group ▪ The port is closed to all shipping. 2.) the delivery of goods, especially by ship shipping company/industry/agent etc ▪ a Danish shipping company ▪ a shipping route 3.) AmE the amount of… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • shipping lane — UK US noun [countable] [singular shipping lane plural shipping lanes] an official route that ships must follow when they sail from one place to another Thesaurus: sailing and boating …   Useful english dictionary

  • shipping lane — shipping ,lane noun count an official ROUTE that ships must follow when they sail from one place to another …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • Shipping industry of the People's Republic of China — A COSCO container ship sails from Boston Harbor. In 1961 the People s Republic of China established a state run maritime shipping company and subsequently signed shipping agreements with many countries, laying the foundation for developing the… …   Wikipedia

  • route — {{Roman}}I.{{/Roman}} noun ADJECTIVE ▪ fast, quick, short ▪ The shortest route home is along the shore. ▪ convenient, easy ▪ best …   Collocations dictionary

  • route — route1 [ rut, raut ] noun count *** 1. ) a way that buses, trains, ships, or airplanes travel regularly: the West Coast route a bus/shipping/trading route a ) the roads or paths that you use when you go from one place to another: It s a good idea …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • route — I UK [ruːt] / US [rut, raʊt] noun [countable] Word forms route : singular route plural routes *** 1) a) a way that buses, trains, ships, or planes travel regularly the West Coast route a bus/shipping/trading route b) the roads or paths that you… …   English dictionary

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”