A sea lane, sea road or shipping lane is a regularly used route for vessels on
oceans and large lakes. In the Age of Sail they were not only determined by
the distribution of land masses but also the prevailing winds, whose discovery
was crucial for the success of long voyages. Sea lanes are very important
for trade by sea. History
The establishment of the North Atlantic sea lanes was inspired by the sinking of
the US mail steamer SS Arctic by collision with the French steamer SS
Vesta in October 1854 which resulted in the loss of over 300 lives. Lieutenant
M. F. Maury of the US Navy first published a section titled "Steam Lanes
Across the Atlantic" in his 1855 Sailing Directions proposing sea lanes along the
42 degree latitude. A number of international conferences and committees
were held in 1866, 1872, 1887, 1889, and 1891 all of which left the designation
of sea lanes to the principal trans-Atlantic steamship companies at
the time; Cunard, White Star, Inman, National Line, and Guion Lines. In
1913-1914 the International Convention for Safety of Life at Sea held in London
again reaffirmed that the selection of routes across the Atlantic in both
directions is left to the responsibility of the steamship companies.
Shipping lanes came to be by analysing the prevailing winds. The trade winds
allowed ships to sail towards the west quickly, and that the westerlies allowed
ships to travel to the east quickly. As such, the sea lanes are mostly chosen to
take full advantage of these winds. Currents are also similarly followed as
well, which also gives an advantage to the vessel.
Some routes, such as that from Cape Town to Rio de Janeiro, weren't able to take
advantage of these natural factors. Main sea lanes may also attract pirates.
Pax Britannica was the period from 1815–1914 during which the British Royal
Navy controlled most of the key maritime trade routes, and also suppressed piracy
and the slave trade. During World War I, as German U-boats
began hitting American and British shipping, the Allied trade vessels began
to move out of the usual sea lanes to be escorted by naval ships.
Advantages Although most ships no longer use sails,
the wind still creates waves, and this can cause heeling. As such following the
overall direction of the trade winds and westerlies is still very useful.
However, any vessel that is not engaged in trading, or is smaller than a certain
length, is best to avoid the lanes. This is not only because the slight chance of
a collision with a large ship can easily cause a smaller ship to sink, but also
because large vessels are much less maneuverable than smaller ships, and
need much more depth. Smaller ships can thus easily take courses that are nearer
to the shore. Unlike with road traffic, there is no exact "road" a ship must
follow, so this can easily be done. Shipping lanes are the busiest parts of
the sea, thus being a useful place for stranded boaters whose boats are sinking
or people on a liferaft to boat to, and be rescued by a passing ship.
Threats from shipping lanes Although the shipping lanes are useful,
they do pose threats to some people: Divers should stay clear of shipping
lanes when performing dives. Small boats also do best to avoid the
lanes, in risk of conflicts with bigger ships.
As the shipping lanes are very large, sections of the lane exist which can be
shallow or have some kind of obstruction. This threat is greatest
when passing some narrows, such as between islands in the Indian ocean as
well as between islands in the Pacific Some shipping lanes, such as the Straits
of Malacca off Indonesia and Malaysia, along the waters off Somalia are
frequented by pirates both in ancient times and modern times. Either operating
independently or as privateers. Passing ships run the risk of being attacked and
held for ransom. See also
Age of sail Sea lines of communication
Roadstead References