Action when ice is sighted by Duty Officer or Officer on Watch ?

The ice report should contain the following information:

1. The type of ice observed.
2. The position of the observed ice.
3. The GMT and the date of observation.

Shipping reports should additionally include the size and shape of ice formations as this will aid iceberg identification. Such facts as the thickness of ice, the sea temperature and the concentration of ice (in 10 this) would all be considered relevant.

•  It should be noted that the SOLAS convention also requires that the Master of
• It is not unusual to stop the vessel at night when navigating inside ice limits. This would most certainly be prudent action if ship’s radars were considered unreliable for any reason.

Masters subsequent actions

A Master should send an obligatory report made by all available means to ships in the vicinity and to the nearest coast radio station or signal station. The report should be made in English for preference or by the International Code of Signals. If sent by radiotelegraphy, the message should be preceded by the safety signal “TTT” and if by radiotelephony, the spoken word “SECURITE”; repeated three times in each case.

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