Fedje Vessel Traffic Service Centre

Last updated
Fedje VTS Fedje trafikksentral2.jpg
Fedje VTS

Fedje Vessel Traffic Service Centre (Norwegian : Fedje trafikksentral), commonly abbreviated Fedje VTS, is a vessel traffic service and pilot station situated on the island of Fedje in Fedje, Norway. Its main responsibility is handling traffic headed to the offshore bases and refineries at Sture and Mongstad.

Contents

Piloting has been provided out of Fedje since time immemorial. This gradually became more organized, and from 1953 a hut was erected on the site of the current station. It was rebuilt in 1977, and then demolished and rebuilt again in 1992, this time opening as Norway's second VTS. Since 1994 the nearby Fedje Heliport, Høgden has been used to fly pilots to ships.

History

Pilots have been employed along the coast of Norway since prehistory. In early times pilots had a competitive regime, where several candidates would race to reach a potential ship to collect the fee. Because of the hard competition, pilots would often fare out in too harsh conditions, frequently meeting an early death. However, the occupation was amongst the best paid in rural areas. Fedje is located along the main sea lane from the north to Bergen and therefore has been an important base for pilots. From 1720 piloting exams were introduced. During the 19th century there were often several pilots working out of Fedje. The pilots owned their own boats and hired an assistant, often their own sons, to operate the boat for them. [1]

From 1899 the competitive pilot system was abolished and a new piloting law was introduced, establishing the Naval Pilot Authority. [1] By 1910 there was only one pilot left at Fedje. This dramatically changed during the First World War, when series of British convoys traveled up and down the coast. Soon there were four pilots stationed at Fedje, and when needed experienced fishermen were also used. After the end of the war in 1918 things settled down and from 1920 there was only a single pilot working out of Fedje. This was increased to two in 1927. During the 1930s each of them had an average thirty missions per year. Pilots were required to have a house with a good view of the open sea towards the direction of the sea lane. For this reason placing houses at Hesthaugen was popular amongst the pilots. There was a new boom in pilot demand during the Second World War, with an average 69 missions per year. [2]

During the war the Luftwaffe installed a radar mast at Hesthaugen, on the current site of the center. It was predominantly used to guide German aircraft to Herdla Airport. [3] Two assistants were hired in the late 1940s; these were to walk on Hesthaugen spotting for vessels. This was supplemented through the use of radio, which allowed ships to communicate the need for pilot via telegram. [2] In 1953, a hut for the pilots was built at the site of wartime radar station. Three years later a proper pilot's vessel was procured. Traffic increased during the 1970s, especially due to the establishment of Mongstad Refinery. [4] Two other contributing factors were vessels traveling to Årdal, Høyanger and Bremanger. [5] A larger station was therefore erected in 1977, on the same location. By 1983 the station had six pilots, eight shippers and two vessels. [4]

The need for a vessel traffic service arose with the construction of the bases and refineries at Mongstad and Sture. This created a situation with 2,500 annual shiploads of oil combined with 20,000 annual ships in other traffic. [6] The national authorities approved the center in 1990, [7] allowing construction to start in June 1991. This included construction of three radars, one on Fedje, one at Vikingneset on the Gulen island of Byrknesøyna, and one on Marøy. [8] Fedje VTS cost 31 million Norwegian krone and was funded entirely by the operators of the bases, Statoil and Norsk Hydro. [9]

The VTS is located in the Hesthaugen area of Fedje Fedje trafikksentral.JPG
The VTS is located in the Hesthaugen area of Fedje

The facility opened on 1 September 1992, as the second VTS in Norway. The establishment created twelve new jobs. [9] Starting in September 1994 a trial service for using helicopters to fly the pilots to larger ships was introduced. To facilitate this, Fedje Municipality established a heliport on the island. [10] The same year the VTS was given the responsibility for administrating the seas around three oil platforms—Statfjord, Gullfaks and Troll. [11]

Originally Fedje was responsible for its own pilot dispatching. In 2002 the Coastal Administration carried out a centralization of the dispatching and relocated it to the newly established Kvitsøy Vessel Traffic Service Centre. However, Fedje VTS retained an around-the-clock two-man staff. [12] A major accident took place within the jurisdiction of the center on 12 January 2007, when the Cypriot cargo vessel MV Server went aground on the south side of Fedje. [13] Fedje received 40 million kroner in 2009 to upgrade its computer and radar equipment. Unlike other investments and operating costs, these were paid for directly by the state instead of through shipping fees. [14]

Trials started in 2013 with the VTS also supervising the access to Bergen from the south. In particular Vatlestraumen and Hjelteskjæret were critical points where multiple sea lanes meet. Due to surplus working capacity amongst the two people on duty, this could be carried out without additional cost. [15] The boathouse underwent a major upgrade in 2014, receiving a dormitory section and a new workshop. [16] The same year a new computer system was installed along with upgrades to the radars. This allows for additional accuracy and better integrates multi-source real-time data. [17] Should the Stad Ship Tunnel be completed, traffic organization through the tunnel will be handled by Fedje VTS. [18]

Operations

The two pilot boats stations at Fedje Pilot boats in Fedje.JPG
The two pilot boats stations at Fedje

Fedje VTS is one of five vessel traffic services in operation in Norway. Its jurisdiction covers the North Sea from Sognesjøen in the north to Hjeltefjorden at Sture in the south. It is predominantly concerned with the sea lanes leading to Mongstad and Sture. [19] As of 2009, there were about 50,000 annual boats in the controlled waters. [20] The VTS is financed through fees charged on the heavy shipping traffic which creates the need for the center. Fedje VTS is part of the Norwegian Coastal Administration. [21] In case of emergencies, search and rescue operations fall under the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre of Southern Norway. [22]

The center has three main duties. Firstly, it provides information services to vessels, such as the traffic situation, meteorological information and regulations. Secondly, it provides navigational assistant services to ships either on request or when deemed necessary by the staff. This often happens in severe weather conditions or in case of technical difficulties with a ship. Thirdly, the VTS provides traffic organization to ensure a safe and orderly operation of the traffic. [23] The center can draw on data from the Automatic Identification System, local radar, meteorology, SafeSeaNet and video cameras. [23]

The pilot station is integrated into the VTS. It covers the busiest area in Norway, with about 9,000 annual missions, or twenty percent of the national figures. [16] There are eleven pilots working out of the station. These work 12 hours a day, with every other week off. [24] The station has two pilot boats and eleven skippers for these. The skippers work 12 hour shifts one week at a time. Both pilots and skippers are often from off-island and therefore the boathouse has been equipped with living accommodation. The dormitory is also often used by pilots from other parts of the country which are in transit after ending of previous mission. [16]

Related Research Articles

Fedje Municipality in Vestland, Norway

Fedje is an island municipality in the Nordhordland region of Vestland county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Fedje. The traditional economic activity of the inhabitants is fishing.

Bergen Airport, Flesland

Bergen Airport, Flesland, alternatively Bergen Flesland Airport or simply Flesland Airport, is an international airport located at Flesland in the city and municipality of Bergen in Vestland county, Norway. Opened in 1955, it is the second-busiest airport in Norway, with 6,306,623 passengers in 2018. Flesland is operated by the state-owned Avinor. Until 1999 Flesland Air Station of the Norwegian Air Force was co-located at the airport.

Coast Air

Coast Air AS was a regional airline based at Haugesund Airport, Karmøy in Norway. It was Norway's fourth largest airline and operated domestic services within Norway, in addition to international services. Routes were concentrated along the West Coast, as well as some public service obligation contracts in Southern Norway. The company had a fleet of de Havilland Canada Twin Otter aircraft, later replaced with Jetstream 31s and ATR 42s.

Vessel traffic service

A vessel traffic service (VTS) is a marine traffic monitoring system established by harbour or port authorities, similar to air traffic control for aircraft. The International Maritime Organization defines VTS as "a service implemented by a competent authority designed to improve the safety and efficiency of vessel traffic and protect the environment. The service shall have the capability to interact with the traffic and respond to traffic situations developing in the VTS area". Typical VTS systems use radar, closed-circuit television (CCTV), VHF radiotelephony and automatic identification system to keep track of vessel movements and provide navigational safety in a limited geographical area.

HNoMS <i>Helge Ingstad</i> (F313)

HNoMS Helge Ingstad was a Fridtjof Nansen-class frigate of the Royal Norwegian Navy. The vessel was ordered on 23 June 2000 and constructed by Navantia in Spain. The ship was launched on 23 November 2007 and commissioned on 29 November 2009. Named for Helge Ingstad, a Norwegian explorer, the Fridjtof Nansen class are capable of anti-air, anti-submarine and surface warfare. On 8 November 2018, HNoMS Helge Ingstad collided with the tanker Sola TS in Norwegian waters just outside Sture Terminal. Helge Ingstad was severely damaged in the collision and beached. On 13 November 2018, the ship sank where she had run aground and became a constructive total loss.

NSB Class 73 Class of 22 Norwegian electric multiple units

NSB Class 73 is a class of 22 electric multiple units built by Adtranz for the Norwegian State Railways. The four-car trains were modifications of Class 71, which was again based on the Swedish X2. The A-series consists of 16 intercity trains; they were delivered in 1999 and 2000 and are used on the Bergen, Dovre and Sørland Lines. The intercity service was branded as Signatur until 2003. The B-series consists of six regional trains delivered in 2002 and used on the Østfold Line. The regional trains were originally part of the Agenda concept. The trains have a power output of 2,646 kilowatts (3,548 hp) and a maximum speed of 210 km/h (130 mph). They have an overall length of 108 meters (354 ft) and have a capacity for 208 seated passengers in the A-series and 250 in the B-series. The trains have a tilting mechanism allowing for faster travel through curves.

Oslofjord Tunnel

The Oslofjord Tunnel is a subsea road tunnel which traverses the Oslofjord, connecting Hurum and Frogn in Norway. Carrying three lanes, the 7,306-meter (23,970 ft) long tunnel reaches a depth of 134 meters (440 ft) below mean sea level. The tunnel has a maximum gradient of seven percent. It acts as the main link connecting eastern and western Viken county, supplementing the Moss–Horten Ferry which runs further south. The tunnel is since 2018 a part of European route E134, until 2018 it was part of National Road 23.

Lufttransport

Lufttransport is a Norwegian helicopter and fixed-wing airline that operates primarily air ambulance helicopters and planes for the Norwegian and Swedish governments. In addition the airline offers services including surveillance for the Norwegian Coast Guard, transport of ship pilots and scheduled air transport in the Norwegian territory of Svalbard.

Telenor Maritim Radio is a division of Telenor which provides maritime telecommunication services along the coast of Norway. It operates the civilian network of marine VHF radio, medium frequency and Navtex transmitters and five coast radio stations: Tjøme Radio, Rogaland Radio, Florø Radio, Bodø Radio and Vardø Radio. The agency also issues licenses for ship radios, including callsigns and Maritime Mobile Service Identities, and issues recreational and commercial radio operator certificates. Telenor Maritim Radio is based in Bergen, has 100 employees and a revenue of NOK 160 million Norwegian krone (NOK).

Hamar Airport, Stafsberg

Hamar Airport, Stafsberg is a general aviation airport located at Stafsberg in Hamar, Norway. It features a 944-by-23-meter runway aligned 15–33 and is owned by Hamar Municipality. The airport is located in an area with very stable climate and good flying conditions.

HNoMS <i>Tyr</i> (N50)

HNoMS Tyr was a mine control vessel used for underwater search and recovery by the Royal Norwegian Navy. It was decommissioned in 2014 and sold to private owners.

Erik A. L. Welle-Strand was a Norwegian mining engineer and resistance member during World War II. He is best known as leader of the illegal radio post Skylark B.

Bjarne Winter Thorsen was a Norwegian resistance member during World War II and later a naval officer.

Leif Utne was a Norwegian resistance member during World War II and later a physician.

Braathens Helikopter A/S was a Norwegian helicopter airline based at Stavanger Airport, Sola, and Bergen Airport, Flesland. It used a fleet of seven Aérospatiale Super Pumas to serve offshore oil platforms in the North Sea. The customers were Phillips Petroleum, Norsk Hydro, Statoil, Amoco and British Petroleum, serving their oil fields Ekofisk, Oseberg, Gullfaks, Veslefrikk, Valhall, Ula and Gyda. Braathens Helikopter operated from 1989 to 1993, after which it was sold to and merged with the main competitor, Helikopter Service. Braathens Helikopter was owned by Ludvig G. Braathens Rederi and was a sister company of the airline Braathens SAFE.

<i>Havørn</i> Accident

The Havørn Accident was a controlled flight into terrain of a Junkers Ju 52 aircraft into the mountain Lihesten in Hyllestad, Norway on 16 June 1936 at 07:00. The aircraft, operated by Norwegian Air Lines, was en route from Bergen to Tromsø. The pilots were unaware that they were flying a parallel to the planned course, 15 to 20 kilometers further east. The crew of four and three passengers were all killed in what was the first fatal aviation accident in Norway. The aircraft landed on a shelf on the mountain face. A first expedition found four bodies, but attempts to reach the shelf with the main part of the aircraft and three more bodies failed. A second party was sent out two days later, coordinated by Bernt Balchen and led by Boye Schlytter and Henning Tønsberg, saw the successful salvage of the remaining bodies.

Fedje Heliport, Høgden

Fedje Heliport, Høgden is a municipal heliport situated on the island of Fedje in Fedje, Norway. It is predominantly used to fly maritime pilots out of the pilot station at Fedje Vessel Traffic Service Centre. It is also used by air ambulances and as an emergency landing site for offshore helicopters. The heliport was built in 1994.

Kvitsøy Vessel Traffic Service Centre

Kvitsøy Vessel Traffic Service Centre, commonly abbreviated Kvitsøy VTS, is a vessel traffic service and pilot dispatch station situated on the island municipality of Kvitsøy in Norway. Its main responsibility is handling traffic headed to the gas terminal at Kårstø, as well as the entire coast between Bømlafjorden and Jærens Rev. This includes Boknafjorden.

The Naval Pilot Authority was a government agency responsible for maritime pilotage in Norway between 1899 and 1974. Its central administration was the Naval Pilot Directorate in Oslo. The operational organization consisted of a varying number of district offices. The authority became part of the Norwegian Coastal Administration from 1 June 1974.

Vardø Vessel Traffic Service Centre, also known as Norwegian Oceanic Region Vessel Traffic Service, is a vessel traffic service situated in the town of Vardø in Vardø, Norway. It is responsible for monitoring ship traffic off the baseline of Norway throughout the exclusive economic zone (EEZ), including the areas around Jan Mayen and Svalbard. It has special responsibilities for the sealanes into Hammerfest and Sveagruva.

References

  1. 1 2 Brekke & Skaar: 48
  2. 1 2 Brekke & Skaar: 49
  3. ↑ Skogseth: 369
  4. 1 2 Brekke & Skaar: 50
  5. ↑ Tangen: 231
  6. ↑ Nordeng, Torill (27 October 1989). "Dårlig oljeskip kontroll". Aftenposten (in Norwegian). p. 6.
  7. ↑ Nordeng, Torill (12 September 1990). "Trafikksentral får penger". Aftenposten (in Norwegian). p. 16.
  8. ↑ Larsen, Rolf L. (18 June 1991). "Tryggere trafikk til Mongstad". Aftenposten (in Norwegian). p. 34.
  9. 1 2 Røyrane, Anne (2 September 1992). "Fedje-sentralen skal gjøre kysten tryggare". Bergens Tidende (in Norwegian). p. 6.
  10. ↑ Ministry of Fisheries: 86
  11. ↑ "Ny og revolusjonerende Nordsjø-overvåkning" (in Norwegian). Norwegian News Agency. 8 March 1994.
  12. ↑ "Ikke nedbemanning på Fedje". Bergens Tidende (in Norwegian). 20 December 2002. p. 6.
  13. ↑ ""Server" ble oppdaget for sent". Bergens Tidende (in Norwegian). 18 January 2007. p. 10.
  14. ↑ Zachariassen, Espen (26 January 2009). "Fedje får ny radar". Teknisk Ukeblad (in Norwegian). p. 10.
  15. ↑ Espeland, Stian (27 February 2013). "Skal sikre innseilingen til Bergen". Bergensavisen (in Norwegian). pp. 16–17.
  16. 1 2 3 Falch, Ketil (2 August 2014). "Losnaust på Fedje har vorte minihotell". Strilen (in Norwegian). pp. 10–11.
  17. ↑ "Ser all skipstrafikk i sanntid". Teknisk Ukeblad (in Norwegian). 2 October 2014. pp. 62–63.
  18. ↑ "Går mot åpningstider". Fjordenes Tidende (in Norwegian). 5 September 2014. p. 6.
  19. ↑ "VTS Centres". Norwegian Coastal Administration. 24 August 2011. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
  20. ↑ "Nye radarer". Bergens Tidende (in Norwegian). 23 April 2010. p. 4.
  21. ↑ Norwegian Official Report: 24
  22. ↑ Ministry of Justice and the Police: 3
  23. 1 2 "Vessel Traffic Service (VTS)". Norwegian Coastal Administration. 24 August 2011. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
  24. ↑ "Losbåten "Los 103" utenfor". Bergens Tidende (in Norwegian). 1 September 2007. p. 45.

Bibliography

Coordinates: 60°46′48″N4°41′53″E / 60.7801°N 4.6981°E / 60.7801; 4.6981

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.