Yachtsmen planning to visit the Isles of Scilly or other destinations west of Lands End in the summer, will need to take heed of the following Notice to Mariners.

A new traffic separation scheme (TSS) will come into force on 1 July that will affect passage planning for small vessels.

A TSS is an area where ships heading in one direction are separated from ships heading in the opposite direction and small craft are required to cross at right angles.

Penalties for misuse are steep – for all types of craft – and there have been numerous successful prosecutions against leisure skippers for entering these traffic schemes incorrectly.

There are no changes to the charted inshore traffic zones.

The full notice reads as follows:

627(P)/09 South West Coast – Land.s End Westwards – Traffic separation scheme.
1. To better manage the flow of traffic, and thus improve maritime safety, in this area which will be affected by proposals for offshore renewable energy developments, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has approved amendments to the existing Traffic Separation Scheme off Land’s End, between Seven Stones and Longships. These changes will be implemented at 0000 hours UTC on 1st July 2009.
2. The amendments are as follows:
a. A separation zone, two miles wide, is bounded by lines connecting the following positions:
(1) 49° 58´·02N., 5° 55´·76W.
(2) 50° 20´·03N., 5° 55´·76W.
(3) 50° 20´·03N., 5° 58´·88W.
(4) 49° 56´·52N., 5° 58´·88W.
b. A separation zone, one mile wide, is bounded by lines connecting the following positions:
(5) 50° 00´·99N., 5° 49´·58W.
(6) 50° 20´·03N., 5° 49´·58W.
(7) 50° 20´·03N., 5° 51´·11W.
(8) 50° 00´·22N., 5° 51´·11W.
c. A separation zone, one mile wide, is bounded by lines connecting the following positions:
(9) 49° 54´·29N., 6° 03´·56W.
(10) 50° 20´·03N., 6° 03´·56W.
(11) 50° 20´·03N., 6° 05´·06W.
(12) 49° 53´·54N., 6° 05´·06W.
d. A traffic lane for north-bound traffic, three miles wide, is established between the separation zones described in paragraphs a. and b. above.
e. A traffic lane for south-bound traffic, three miles wide, is established between the separation zones described in paragraphs a. and c. above.
3. There is no change to the charted Inshore Traffic Zones.
4. These amendments are shown in the accompanying diagram.
5. Details of these new routeing measures will be included in New Editions of Charts 1148, 1149, 1178 and 2565 to be published in May 2009, and by Notice to Mariners Block for Charts 2, 777, 1123, 2649, 2655, 2675 and 5500. New Editions of Charts 1148, 1149, 1178 and 2565 will be published with a cautionary note advising mariners that the existing charts, which will be given an ‘X’ prefix, should be retained and used until 0000 hours UTC on 1st July 2009.
Charts affected – 2 (INT 160) – 777 – 1123 – 1148 – 1149 – 1178 (INT 1611) – 2565 (INT 1700) – 2649 (INT 1063) –
2655 – 2675 (INT 1070) – 5500