Warships and civil vessels constantly move across the water territory of the world. Depth allows to pass in the seas and oceans to any sea vessel, and here if a reservoir superficial, then there is a pass problem. That the ship did not rise on a bank, special maritime routes — waterways are created.
What is a waterway
The waterway is pass, safe for navigation, for vessels which is shown on the maps of water space. The word a waterway comes from Dutch "vaarwater", from "varen" — "to float" and "water — "water". Has sufficient depths in which there are no barriers to vessels. Can lie on the lake, the river, the seas, passages, fjords and oceans.
What waterways happen
Waterways can be divided on:
- main;
- approach;
Main serve for passage of the vessels in the harbor from the high sea or in shkher.
Approach are intended for approach of the ships to outer side of port.
The connecting waterways serve for connection of the main and waterways through passage.
As waterways are created and designated
Designate waterways by means of the wooden beacons made in the form of trihedral pyramids and fixed on rafts. The beacon is kept by cables and an anchor in strictly allocated place. Generally the beacon is put on the navigable rivers and lakes. In the sea, buoys are applied. They are made from metal, and in the lower part fill in concrete. Therefore buoys are steadier and durable.
In the seas and on the large rivers use natural waterways, and on approaches to the ports and the small rivers create artificial waterways. They are created generally due to deepening of a bottom and expansion of coast. The rivers go deep as a result of withdrawal of a part of silt and sand from a bottom. For this purpose use special machines — dredges. Then the measurement of depths and width of a waterway is made.
The waterway has to be applied on all pilot charts. Also on cards its width and depth is designated. It is necessary in order that the navigator and the pilot could define whether there will pass the vessel with the draft and width.