Greenland waters 

Safety of navigation in Greenland waters

A safety package containing regulations and information about special Greenland conditions is available to ships embarking on voyages in Greenland waters. The documents are available from the links below:

1. Welcome to Greenland waters 
2. DMA Order on technical regulation on safety of navigation 
3. Mandatory Ship Reporting Systems in Greenland 
4. Links to important information when navigating Greenland waters 
5. Precautions in using navigational charts in Greenland waters 
6. Greenland Ice Service 
7. DMI ice service 
8. Coast Radio information

On the webpage of the National Survey and Cadastre, a portal with useful information and links concerning navigation in Greenland waters is available. 

The Danish Maritime Authority has – together with the Danish Maritime Safety Administration, the National Survey and Cadastre, the Island Command Greenland and the Greenland Home Rule – published a report that contains a number of recommendations for increasing safety of navigation in Greenland waters.

The report has been made by a working group that was established in May 2005. The members of the working group came from a number of authorities responsible for safety of navigation in Greenland waters.

The report on safety of navigation in Greenland waters is available in Danish here.

On the basis of the recommendations of the report, a number of authorities have analyzed the possibilities of introducing recommended routes as the planned hydrographic survey along the Greenland west coast is finalized and new charts are published. No final decision has been made in this respect yet.

The report on routes in Greenland waters is available in Danish here.

Due to the growing interest in adventure tourism in Greenland, the number of cruise ships visiting Greenland waters has increased steadily and now these ships account for about 40 reported visits.

As regards the special conditions that apply to navigation in Arctic, icy and desolate areas with a emergency preparedness capacity adjusted to generally occurring emergencies, the Danish Maritime Authority has issued regulations on safe navigation in Greenland territorial waters, which include, among other things, prohibition against navigation in unsurveyed areas, prohibition against open lifeboats, requirements for the qualifications of the navigator, requirements for ISM and regulations on the use of ice searchlights.

The Order on the safe navigation of ships in Greenland territorial waters.

Internationally, the Danish Maritime Authority has the long-term goal of making the IMO “Guidelines for ships operating in polar waters” and the IMO “Enhanced contingency planning guidance for passenger ships operating in areas remote from SAR facilities”  internationally mandatory.