The UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) has published a new edition of ADMIRALTY Ocean Passages for the World (NP136).
The publication is designed to support mariners in the planning of deep sea voyages along major trade routes, with details of weather, currents, ice hazards and other environmental features that may be met in transit.
UKHO said that, in response to user feedback, it had completely changed the way that routes were represented introducing route diagrams, alongside tabulated waypoint and route data to help mariners find key information quickly.
Using AIS tracking data, UKHO said that it had identified the world’s busiest trade routes for inclusion in the new edition, as well as those that are emerging because of shifting global macroeconomic trends. New route additions include voyages for ships calling at important commodity hubs in the Black Sea and Persian Gulf. The publication also includes new route information for ships travelling to developing or newly established ports in Asia, Africa and South America.