Swedish NtM, general information

Foreign waters
Information on changes appertaining to foreign waters is mainly restricted to occurrences offshore or in and around major channels and routes. Therefore NtM does not give sufficiently detailed information to completely update the charts or BA-charts of our neighbouring countries. The foreign notices are generally based on information from that country´s own NtM or navigational warnings.

The numbering of notices
The notice number consists of  the serial number that each notice has in the message register of the Chart Office. This number series is not zeroed at the beginning of each year but increases continuously. The notice number in the printed NtM booklet does not constitute a continuous series. An asterisk(*) in front of  the number shows that the notice is published by the Swedish administration and applies to Swedish waters. This asterisk is used by  international agreement to make the work of foreign Chart Offices easier. (P) after the number shows that the notice is of a preliminay nature to be replaced later by a notice of effect. (T) after the notice shows that the notice is of a temporary nature and if no validity period is specified then the notice is invalidated by a new notice when the temporary conditions cease to exist.

The formulation of Ntm-notices
Notices referring to permanent changes generally begin with a description of what changes have actually occurred followed by a description, often in list form, of how the chart is to be changed. When charts of different scales are affected only the changes to chart of the largest scale is described. In those cases where distances are involved the real distance is given, for example,” the buoy is to be moved 50m northwest to position xx xx”

Positions in Ntm
Are given using the reference system WGS-84 when the notice refers to an area covered by a Swedish chart using a WGS-84 grid. Positions in notices referring to foreign waters not covered by large scale Swedish charts are given using the reference system of the originating  country.

Blocks / Chartlets
Blocks or chartlets in NtMs are intended to simplify chart correction and are not necessarily in the same scale as the chart.

NtMs in English
Notices of importance for the navigation of Swedish merchant shipping sailing with non Swedish speaking officers are translated into English in a shortened version.

Source
Each notice contains information about its source. The responsibility for the contents lies with the source.

Abbreviations
In addition to the abbreviations used in Int1 the following are included in the Swedish Ntms

B                             Bearing
SvL A                      Sailing instruction in the Swedish Pilot (part A, I and II)
Nr 2004:15/1828   Reference to notice nr 1828 in booklet nr15 of year 2004
NtM 12, Riga 2004  The information in this notice comes from the Latvian “Ntm notice” nr 12 of
                               year 2004
Bsp                         Small craft chart

NtMs on the Internet
NtMs are available on the internet in two ways, either by searching the database which is updated daily or in the form of pdf files which are normally published once a week. The pdf files are identical to the published booklet.

Published Ntms
The booklet NtMs is normally published once per week with reservations for public holidays or a lack of relevant information.

The NtM booklet arrangement
The Ntm is arranged in the following manner

Information
Contains notices that can be referred to a specific geographical point or limited area. Also information for chart updates and even information of a temporary nature such as dredging work or temporary changes in navigational aids. Notices titled ”Information” are listed under the headings shown by the map on the back cover of each NtM booklet.

Announcements
Contains other numbered notices, for example, general information on sea areas, pilotage, DGPS etc. information about new charts and publications, information for communications onboard, announcements from the IMO

Affected charts
The number of the Swedish chart affected by a notice is given on the line directly above that notice. For foreign notices the originating countries chart number is given at the bottom of the Swedish text. At the beginning of every NtM booklet is a list of the charts affected in that booklet.

Recurrent information and appendices to NtM
Waterlevel in lake Vänern                                                            weekly
Channels closed temporarily because of restrictions
for icebreakingas necessaryas necessary                                      as necessary 
P - and T- list(Swedish notices)                                                     monthly
Chart editions - chart updates (a list of current editions
and the number of those NtM notices affecting the chart
since the last publication).                                                            as necessary
New chart editions                                                                       as necessary
Flotsam                                                                                      as necessary
Ufs-A. General information                                                           appendix at the beginning
                                                                                                 of each year

Winter traffic (information from the Swedish Maritime                     appendix at the beginning
Administration and the Swedish Meteorological Office)                    of each ice season.