Published: March 2025
The Baltic Sea and the Danish Straits is an area of great environmental and economic importance and the IMO has declared it a special area under MARPOL since 1989.
In 1974, the HELCOM Convention was signed by the countries bordering the Baltic Sea, seeking to protect the Baltic Sea from all pollution from land, air and sea.
Since 1975, the IMO has developed various recommendations for safe passage in the Danish Straits. Today, IMO Circular SN.1/Circ.263, which recommends the use of a pilot in the Danish Straits Route T and the Sound, has been adopted.
Passing the Danish Straits, either by the Great Belt or the Sound, leads ships through shallow water, strong currents, harsh weather conditions and high density of traffic, making it a complex challenge for mariners.
The Passage Planning Guide ? Baltic Sea: Danish Straits has been developed through cooperation between Witherbys, DanPilot and BIMCO to provide an overview for mariners and to assist in proper planning for a ship
transiting in this area.
The information in this Guide has been cross-checked and validated by pilots from DanPilot, using their extensive experience in navigating these high risk areas.
DanPilot recommends all mariners planning a transit through the Danish Straits to use this Guide as a valid tool for pre-entry procedures or as a document for refreshing and familiarising the bridge team with a passage through the area. The design of the Guide allows the mariner to maintain an overview during the passage.
Passage Planning Guidelines
