Shipping Channal from WA to Columbia?

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

A question for those TF experts.

What is considered the shipping channel off the coast of WA, OR and CA?

 

[markpierce]

Don't quite understand the question, but the shipping lanes are at least shown on some electronic charts. Here off Santa Barbara:

Here approaching San Francisco Bay:

 

[psneeld]

Shipping lanes?

Not sure with modern navigation and weather routing "shipping lanes" are as set in stone.

What Mark posted is traffic routing known as traffic separation schemes (TSS) which are usually strictly followed by the big boys.

 

[Larry M]

Once you get close to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and San Francisco, you get into Traffic Separation Zones and Traffic Separation Scheme Boundaries. Thses are listed on your charts. Out side of those areas I'm not sure there is a shipping channel for the coast, listed anyway.


Edit: Scott, you beat me to it.

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

OK let me refine. SF and the Columbia and the entrance to Strait of Juan De Fuca all have charted shipping channels. Is there an established shipping channel up and down the west coast? I have heard that the 124th parallel (?) is the unspoken channel north and south?

 

[Larry M]

Not that I know of. We've done it twice once harbor hopping, staying with 10 miles of shore and other time staying 50 to 100 miles off shore. There wasn't much north/south traffic. The only commercial ship we saw was an empty oil tanker, heading north, who called us and changed course.

 

[markpierce]

The first photo in post #2 is in the open ocean, paralleling the coast near Santa Barbara. The marked shipping lane isn't for entering anything.

 

[caltexflanc]

The first photo in post #2 is in the open ocean, paralleling the coast near Santa Barbara. The marked shipping lane isn't for entering anything.

Actually, it is, being the traffic separation channel feeding traffic in and out of LA / San Pedro and through Santa Barbara Channel . Follow it on down east and south and you'll see.

 

[markpierce]

Actually, it is, being the traffic separation channel feeding traffic in and out of LA / San Pedro and through Santa Barbara Channel . Follow it on down east and south and you'll see.

The ship followed the channel in its voyage between San Diego and San Francisco.

 

[caltexflanc]

Ok so it didn't stop in San Pedro / Long Beach... your point is....?
And again, the area of it you refer to is not "the open ocean" anyway, it is Santa Barbara Channel twixt the Channel Islands and the mainland.

 

[markpierce]

There is no argument here. Just observations. ... Wish additional, professional maritimers might contribute

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

Actually I had it wrong. From the Strait of Jaun De Fuca, I am told the 125 line south is the unofficial big ship travel lane south.