Canadian Ice Service Colour Code
Overview
The colour code is intended to assist navigation decisions in ice infested water. It is loosely based on the concept of a traffic light, where green means proceed, yellow means caution and red signals danger. The objective of the colour code application is to enable a person to quickly assess general ice conditions. A ship sailing in a given area can easily assess the general ice conditions and, hence, qualify the difficulty or ease to either navigate through easily, reduce speed or stop the ship. However, this does not consider other variables (such as winds, currents or ship design) which are important considerations in any ice navigation decision. The most detailed ice information continues to reside in the ice egg codes. How to Interpret the Colour Code The following information is intended to assist ship navigators with the interpretation of colour codes used on ice charts. Open or Bergy Water Areas of open water or bergy water are coloured blue. Open or bergy water Presence of Ice For ice concentration of one tenth or greater, the ice type must be separated into two categories: less than 15 cm and greater than 15 cm thickness. Ice Types Thicker than 15 Cm The colour for a given ice area is determined by the total concentration of the ice types thicker than 15 cm. less than 1/10 of ice >15 cm but at least 1 tenth of thinner ice types present 1 to 3 tenths of ice >15 cm 4 to 6 tenths of ice > 15 cm 7 to 8 tenths of ice > 15 cm 9-10 tenths of ice > 15 cm 5 to 10 tenths old ice ( takes precedence over the other colours) If there are other ice types present, the following symbols would be added to the above colours: 1/10 or more of new ice ( less than 10 cm). Would not be visible if equal or greater amount of grey ice is present. ...
MEMBER SECTION
If you are a member, please login using the orange button at the top of the page to view the full article, or register. If you are unsure of your membership, or wish to become a member, please contact membership@bimco.org.
Feedback or a question about this information?
Updated: 20 March 2024
VPS Bunker Alerts
Veritas Petroleum Services (VPS) publish regular Bunker Alerts based entirely on fuel samples and have kindly permitted BIMCO’s Members to access this information.
The Bunker Alerts are not intended to be an evaluation of overall bunker quality in the port or area concerned, but usually highlight a specific parameter within the fuel which has raised a quality issue.
Related publication
Ice Navigation and Seamanship Handbook - 2nd Edition
This 360-page publication will allow seafarers to acquire the necessary knowledge, that when combined with practical experience, will enable safe navigation ...
Want to stay up-to-date?
Register for updates about
{{Title}}
Receive emails when this topic is updated – you can choose how often.
Register NowELSEWHERE ON BIMCO
Chartering help & advice
This section contains a comprehensive source of information and guidance on chartering related matters. You will find invaluable information on many aspects of chartering distilled from our many years’ experience on advising members.
Learn about your cargo
For general guidance and information on cargo-related queries.
BIMCO Publications
Want to buy or download a BIMCO publication? Use the link to get access to the ballast water management guide, the ship master’s security manual and many other publications.
