NP30 CHINA SEA PILOT VOLUME I

Admiralty List of Radio Signals should be consulted for information relating to coast and port radio stations, radio details of pilotageservices, radar beacons and radio direction findin

NP 30 RECORD OF AMENDMENTS

The table below is to record Section IV Notices to Mariners amendments affecting this volume

Sub paragraph numbers in the margin of the body of the book are to assist the user when making amendments to this

volume

Weekly Notices to Mariners (Section IV)

Strait to Hong Kong.

SIXTH EDITION 2004

PUBLISHED BY THE UNITED KINGDOM HYDROGRAPHIC OFFICE

E Crown Copyright 2004

To be obtained from Agents for the sale of Admiralty Charts and Publications

Copyright for some of the material in this publication is owned by the authority named under the item and permission for its reproduction must be obtained from the owner

Area formerly covered by:

China Sea Directory Vol II First Edition 1868

Second Edition 1879

Third Edition 1889

Fourth Edition 1899

Fifth Edition 1906

China Sea Pilot (First Series) Vol III First Edition 1912

Second Edition 1923

China Sea Pilot (Second Series)Vol I First Edition 1937

Second Edition 1951

Third Edition 1964

Fourth Edition 1978

Fourth Edition (Revised) 1987

Fifth Edition 2001

The Sixth Edition of the China Sea Pilot Volume I has been revised by Lieutenant Commander P Jordan, Royal Navy TheUnited Kingdom Hydrographic Office has used all reasonable endeavours to ensure that this Pilot contains all the appropriateinformation obtained by and assessed by it at the date shown below Information received or assessed after that date will be

included in Admiralty Notices to Mariners where appropriate If in doubt, see The Mariner’s Handbook for details of what Admiralty Notices to Mariners are and how to use them

This edition supersedes the Fifth Edition (2001), which is cancelled

Information on climate and currents has been based on data provided by the Meteorological Office, Exeter

The following sources of information, other than UKHO Publications and Ministry of Defence papers, have been consulted:

International

International Maritime Organisation, Ships’ Routeing Seventh Edition (1999) Amended to December 2003

British

Fairplay World Ports Directory 2003/2004

Guide to Port Entry 2003/2004

Lloyds Ports of the World 2004

The United Kingdom Hydrographic Office

to the Fifth Edition (2001)

The Fifth Edition of the China Sea Pilot Volume I has been compiled by Commander AC Grattan−Cooper, RN, and the lateCommander JB Wilson RD* RNR, and contains the latest information received in the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office tothe date given below

This edition supersedes the Fourth Edition (1978) (Revised 1987) and Supplement No 4 (1996), which are cancelled.Information on climate and currents has been revised based on data provided by the Meteorological Office, Bracknell.The following sources of information, other than UKHO Publications and Ministry of Defence papers, have been consulted:

British

Fairplay World Ports Directory 1999/2000

Guide to Port Entry 2001

Lloyds Ports of the World 2001

Lloyds Maritime Guide 1999/2000

The United Kingdom Hydrographic Office

Pages

Preface iii

Preface to the Fifth Edition (2001) iv

Contents v

Explanatory notes vii

Abbreviations ix

Glossaries xi

Index chartlets facing 1 CHAPTER 1 Navigation and regulations Limits of the book (1.1) 1

Navigational dangers and hazards (1.2) 1

Traffic and operations (1.5) 2

Charts (1.13) 3

Aids to navigation (1.16) 3

Pilotage (1.18) 4

Radio facilities (1.19) 4

Regulations (1.22) 4

Signals (1.24) 4

Distress and rescue (1.30) 7

Countries and ports Malaysia (1.31) 8

Indonesia (1.40) 8

Thailand (1.42) 9

Cambodia (1.50) 9

Vietnam (1.58) 10

China (1.66) 10

Macau SAR (1.74) 11

Hong Kong SAR (1.76) 11

Principal ports, harbours and anchorages (1.84) 12

Port services — summary (1.85) 13

Natural conditions Maritime topography (1.90) 14

Marine life (1.94) 14

Currents and tidal streams (1.98) 15

Tides (1.105) 20

Sea and swell (1.106) 20

Sea water characteristics (1.110) 23

Climate and weather (1.114) 26

Climatic tables (1.148) 36

Meteorological conversion table and scales (1.172) 62

CHAPTER 2 Main route from Singapore to Hong Kong — Passages − Islands, banks, dangers and offshore fields, including Pulau-Pulau Anambas 65

CHAPTER 3 East coast of Peninsular Malaysia from Tanjung Lompat to the border with Thailand 85

CHAPTER 4 Gulf of Thailand 109

CHAPTER 5 Vietnam — South and east coasts, from Mui Bai Bung to Vung Da Nang 155

CHAPTER 6Vietnam — Gulf of Tonkin: Vung Da Nang to Baisungong Jiao 195

CHAPTER 7China — South coast: Baisungong Jiao to Zhujiang Kou, including Hainan Dao 219

CHAPTER 8China — South coast: Zhujiang and its approaches, including ports to Guangzhou 253

CHAPTER 9Approaches to Hong Kong — Hong Kong Harbour 269

CHAPTER 10China — South coast: Hong Kong to Zhelang Jiao 311

APPENDICESAppendix I — Mined Areas 327Appendix II — Extracts from Navigation in Thai Territorial Waters Act 329Appendix III — Regulations governing supervison and control of foreign vessels, quarantine and

maritime safety in The People’s Republic of China 331Appendix IV — Hong Kong — Boundary of administration and extracts from port regulations 338

DISTANCES TABLETable of distances — South China Sea 341

INDEXIndex 342

EXPLANATORY NOTES

Admiralty Sailing Directions are intended for use by vessels of 12 m or more in length They amplify charted detail and containinformation needed for safe navigation which is not available from Admiralty charts, or other hydrographic publications They are intended

to be read in conjunction with the charts quoted in the text

This volume of the Sailing Directions will be kept up-to-date by the issue of a new edition at intervals of approximately 3 years, withoutthe use of supplements In addition important amendments which cannot await the new edition are published in Section IV of the weekly

editions of Admiralty Notices to Mariners A list of such amendments and notices in force is published in the last weekly edition for each month Those still in force at the end of the year are reprinted in the Annual Summary of Admiralty Notices to Mariners.

This volume should not be used without reference to Section IV of the weekly editions of Admiralty Notices to Mariners.

Disclaimer. Whilst the UKHO has made all reasonable efforts to ensure that the data on the CD was accurate at the time of production, ithas not verified the data for navigational purposes and the CD is not suitable, and is not to be relied upon, for navigation The use of the CD forthis purpose is at the user’s own risk The UKHO accepts no liability (except in the case of death or personal injury caused by the negligence

of the UKHO) whether in contract, tort, under any statute or otherwise and whether or not arising out of any negligence on the part of theUKHO in respect of any inadequacy of any kind whatsoever in the data on the CD or in the means of distribution

Conditions of release. The material supplied on the CD−ROM is protected by Crown Copyright No part of the data may be reproduced,stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwisewithout the prior written permission of the UKHO The copyright material, its derivatives and its outputs may not be sold or distributed orcommercially exploited in either an original or derived form without the prior written permission of the UKHO For the avoidance of doubt,the supplied material, its derivatives and its outputs shall not be placed, or allowed to be placed, on a computer accessible to Third Partieswhether via the Internet or otherwise The release of the supplied material in no way implies that the UKHO will supply further material

References to hydrographic and other publications

The Mariner’s Handbook gives general information affecting navigation and is complementary to this volume

Ocean Passages for the World and Routeing Charts contain ocean routeing information and should be consulted for other than coastal

passages

Admiralty List of Lights should be consulted for details of lights, lanbys and fog signals, as these are not fully described in this volume

Admiralty List of Radio Signals should be consulted for information relating to coast and port radio stations, radio details of pilotageservices, radar beacons and radio direction finding stations, meteorological services, radio aids to navigation, Global Maritime Distress andSafety System (GMDSS) and Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) stations, as these are only briefly referred to in this volume

Admiralty Maritime Communications is a comprehensive guide on all aspects of maritime communications for the yachtsman and smallcraft user It provides general information on Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS), the management of VHF, MaritimeSafety Information, NAVTEX, Inmarsat and Radio Facsimile, and detailed information and procedures for marinas and harbours used bysmall craft

Annual Summary of Admiralty Notices to Mariners contains in addition to the temporary and preliminary notices, and amendments andnotices affecting Sailing Directions, a number of notices giving information of a permanent nature covering radio messages and navigationalwarnings, distress and rescue at sea and exercise areas

The International Code of Signals should be consulted for details of distress and life-saving signals, international ice-breaker signals aswell as international flag signals

Remarks on subject matter

Buoys are generally described in detail only when they have special navigational significance, or where the scale of the chart is too small

to show all the details clearly

Chart index diagrams in this volume show only those Admiralty charts of a suitable scale to give good coverage of the area Mariners

should consult NP 131 Catalogue of Admiralty Charts and Publications for details of larger scale charts.

Chart references in the text normally refer to the largest scale Admiralty chart but occasionally a smaller scale chart may be quoted whereits use is more appropriate.

Firing, practice and exercise areas. Except for submarine exercise areas, details of firing, practice and exercise areas are not mentioned

in Sailing Directions, but signals and buoys used in connection with these areas are sometimes mentioned if significant for navigation.Attention is invited to the Annual Notice to Mariners on this subject

Names have been taken from the most authoritative source When an obsolete name still appears on the chart, it is given in bracketsfollowing the proper name at the principal description of the feature in the text and where the name is first mentioned

Tidal information relating the daily vertical movements of the water is not given; for this Admiralty Tide Tables should be consulted.

Changes in water level of an abnormal nature are mentioned

Time difference used in the text when applied to the time of High Water found from the Admiralty Tide Tables, gives the time of the event

being described in the Standard Time kept in the area of that event Due allowance must be made for any seasonal daylight saving time whichmay be kept

Wreck information is included where drying or below-water wrecks are relatively permanent features having significance fornavigation or anchoring

Units and terminology used in this volume

Latitude and Longitude given in brackets are approximate and are taken from the chart quoted

Bearings and directions are referred to the true compass and when given in degrees are reckoned clockwise from 000° (North) to 359°Bearings used for positioning are given from the reference object

Bearings of objects, alignments and light sectors are given as seen from the vessel

Courses always refer to the course to be made good over the ground

Winds are described by the direction from which they blow

Tidal streams and currents are described by the direction towards which they flow

Distances are expressed in sea miles of 60 to a degree of latitude and sub-divided into cables of one tenth of a sea mile

Depths are given below chart datum, except where otherwise stated

Heights of objects refer to the height of the structure above the ground and are invariably expressed as “ m in height”

Elevations, as distinct from heights, are given above Mean High Water Springs or Mean Higher High Water whichever is quoted in

Admiralty Tide Tables, and expressed as, “an elevation of m” However the elevation of natural features such as hills may alternatively beexpressed as “ m high” since in this case there can be no confusion between elevation and height

Metric units are used for all measurements of depths, heights and short distances, but where feet/fathoms charts are referred to, theselatter units are given in brackets after the metric values for depths and heights shown on the chart

Time is expressed in the four-figure notation beginning at midnight and is given in local time unless otherwise stated Details of local time

kept will be found in Admiralty List of Radio Signals Volume 2.

Bands is the word used to indicate horizontal marking

Stripes is the word used to indicate markings which are vertical, unless stated to be diagonal

Conspicuous objects are natural and artificial marks which are outstanding, easily identifiable and clearly visible to the mariner over alarge area of sea in varying conditions of light If the scale is large enough they will normally be shown on the chart in bold capitals and may bemarked “conspic”

Prominent objects are those which are easily identifiable, but do not justify being classified as conspicuous

Offshore operations

vessel

Organizations

Authorities

Rescue and distress

System

Units and miscellaneous

Vessels and cargo

Words found on Charts and in Sailing Directions

MALAY/INDONESIAN

The following words are for the most part of Malay origin but are subject to modification in some dialects

air water, stream

air masin salt water

air mentah freshwater

air pasang high water

air pelajaran bay, inlet, creek

air perbani neap tide

air surut low water

ajer, ayer water, stream

ambang sungai shoal, bank, bar

anak ayer small stream

anak sungai rivulet, tributary

anggai signal

angin wind

anja, anjar anchor

api light (lit fire)

arus (harus) current

ayer see ajer

ayer mati low water

ayer masin salt water

ayer pasang flood tide

ayer rabong high water (springs)

ayer surut ebb tide

bagan quay, wharf

baharu, baru new

bandar harbour, port

bandara airport

barat west, western

barat daya south-west

barat laut north-west

baru new

batang river

batu stones

batuan rock

batuan dalam air underwater rock

batu-batu group of rocks,

bayu wind, breeze

bengawan river, large stream

besar large, great

berbahaya dangerous, hazardous

berbukit hilly

berlabuh anchor

beting reef, sandbank, shoal

biduk river boat

ci stream, small river

daerah area, zone, region

dalam deep

danau lake

dangkal shallow

danu lakedarat landward, the interiordelapan eight

dermaga wharfdiangkat remove, deletedidasar laut seabeddilarang prohibiteddua twoempat fourenam sixgelap eclipse, darkgosong shoal, sandbank, bargunonganang mountain rangesgunung (gunong) mountain, hillgunung api volcanogusung shoal, sandbankhari day

harus current, tidehijau greenhilir downstreamhitam black, darkhujan rainhujung tanjung pointhulu upper reaches of a riverhutan jungle, forest

ikan fishinggelan, inglitir Englandinggeris Englishinggris raya Great Britainjalan street, roadjambatan bridgejeram rapidjermal fishing stake, fish trapjernih clear

jong sea-going junkkáli riverkampung (kampong) villagekapal shipkapal api steamshipkapal barang freighter, general cargo vesselkapal dadang cargo vessel

kapal lajar sailing vesse1kapal layar sailing vesselkapal muslim pilot vesselkapal muatan freighterkapal pandu pilot boatkapal penambang ferrykapal pengangkut cargo vesselkapal penumpang passenger vesselkapal perang warshipkapal peronda coastguard vesselkapal tangkar tanker

kapal tunda tugboatkapal uap steamshipkapal udara aircraftkarang coral, coral reef, atollkarang-karang group of reefs, atollskecil, kechil, kechik small

Malay / Indonesian English Malay / Indonesian English

kegunongan mountainous

kelelap submerged, sunk

kepulauan archipelago, large group of islands

kering dry

ketjil small

kidul the south

kota city, town, fort

kuala estuary, river mouth, confluence of

two riverskulon west

kumpit fast narrow river craft

musim tenggara SW monsoon

musim utara NE monsoon

negri town state

nelajan fisherman

nol nought, zero

nusa island

ombak waves

ombak memetjah breakers

ombak selabu rollers

omong fishing ground mark

pabean customs house

pagi morning

paja swamp

panchang stake, pile

pangkalang anchorage, landing place, pier

panjang long

pantai beach, coast, shore

pantjang stake, pile

parigi well, spring

parit mote, ditch, trench

pasang rise (of tide)

pasang kering ebb, low tide

pasang naik high tide

pasang purnama spring tides

pasang surut the tides

pasanggrahan resthouse

pasir sand, sandy- beach

paya marsh, swamp

pegunungan mountain range

pelabuhan port, roadstead, anchorage

pelayaran passage

pekan market town

pemayang large fishing-boat

pematang, permatang bank, sandhill, dune

pendaratan landing place, quay, pier

pengkapalan shipping

perahu boat

perahu majang deep-sea fishing boat

perahu tambang ferry boatperkapalan fleetpeta chartpetang eveningpinggir laut coastpohon, pokok treeprau boat, small craftpropinsi provincepuloh tenpulau islandpulau-pulau small group of islandspuntjak, puncak summit, peakpuri townputih whiterajut fish netrawa, rawang swamp, marshrebas sparse jungleredang deep swamp, marshrendah low

riam waterfall, rapidsribut strong wind, stormrimba jungle, forestrintangan (rint) obstructionromba beacon, fisherman’s markrumah house

rumbu fishtrapsampan small boatsatu oneselat strait, narrows, channel, soundselatan south, southern

selatan daya south-westsemenanjung peninsulasembilan ninesemboyan signalsepuluh tensuar lightsumur wellsungai riversyarbandar harbour mastertali ayer canaltanah land, countrytanjung (tanjong) cape, pointtanjung tinggi promontorytasek laketeluk (telok) bay, bend in a rivertelukan gulf

tempat place, spottengah middletenggara south-easttepi bank, shoretepi laut southterumbu reef, rock awash at low waterterusan canal

tiang masttiga threetimur easttimur laut north-easttinggi hightitik pointtohor shallowtokong reef, below-water banktompok shoal patches, bank, shallowstongkang lighter (for cargo)

tua oldtujuh seventukun hidden rockujung cape, point, headlandulu (hulu) upper reaches of a riverumpur mud

utan (hutan) jungle, forest

Malay / Indonesian English Malay / Indonesian English

utara north

utara barat north-west

waduk reservoir

wai riverwetan east

chom nam submerged

chong channel, strait

chong khaep strait, narrows

chong kwat laeo swept channel

chong thang rua doen pass, passage

hardzai sand beach

hen dai chat conspicuous

hin rock

hin pakarang coral

hin phut reef

hlaem cape, headland

khao hill, mountain

khap samut peninsula

khlon mud

khlon rim thale creek

khlong canal, creek

khok hill

khon spar

khot shoal

khot hin rock

khruang mai bon yot topmark

khwa mu starboard hand

lamtham streamlang lowerlek smallluang largelueng yellowmai, mai nam rivermai lek numbermet metremonthol, monthon province, state

mu ban village

mu ko archipelagomuang townmuang tha portnaew hin phut ridgenai, nai−kwa innernakhon city, large townnam khun floodnam long ebbnam khun−long tidenoen hillnoi littlenok, nok−kwa outernok wit whistlenung one

pa dong forest

pa mai woodlandpaet eightpak mouthpak nam mouth of a riverpan chan crane

phra−chedi pagodaphukhao mountainphun thi antarai foul groundphun thi ham prohibited areaphun thi khut dredged areaplong fai chimneypluak hoi shellspom fortpraphakhan lighthousepratu nam lockradap nam tideradap sung elevationrakhang bellrong channelrua ap pang wreckrua chuay chiwit lifeboatsai sand, gravelsai mu port hand

Thai English Thai English

sairen siren

sam three

sanyan mock fog signal

sao phuk rua dolphin

tha rua harbour

tha rua kham fak ferry

tha thiap rua pier

tha thiap rua yai wharf

thale sea

thale sap lake

thang khao entrancethi chot rua yai berththi samo, thia thaot samo anchoragethi tun bankthit nua norththit tai souththit tuan (tawan) ok eastthit tuan (tawan) tok westthun buoythun fai light−buoythun phuk rua mooring buoytong koong river bend

u loi floating dock

u rua dock

u to rua shipyard

wa fathomwat templeyai greatyot topyot laem peakyot sung klong laem promontory

keng rocks, rapids

khum village, commune

o, ong streamphnom, pnom, phnum hill, mountainphra towerphum srok city, capital, urban centrephumi village

pil twopoulu islandpram fivepram muy sixpram pil sevenpram bei eightpram buon nineprasap tributary, confluenceprasat tower

prek stream, rivershrui capesong river, rapidssrok cantonstoeng river, streamtahi (keng) rapidstbong peakthui watertik watertonle large river, laketranh villagetrep floating island of reedstuk water

xom village

ben tau seaport, harbour

bien sea, lake

dar, dia river, stream

doi high hill, cape

duong ocean, stream

giang large river

giong hill

hai two

hon small island

hoang lake, lagoon

mui cape, point

muong irrigation canal

nam five

nhai thi river portnui hill, mountainnuoc streamoan gulfong steamphnom hillpho branch of river, streamphum village

puolo, puolu islandprek streamquan dao archipelagorach streamran breaker, reefranh canalroc canal

sa sandbanksau six

se stream, river

so khong nought, zeroson, song river, stream, channelsoung, sung island

stoeung rivertam eightthan shallows, bar of riverthom under watertieu reef, coral reeftong, tot mountaintram woodstranh villagevam river mouthvinh bay, gulfvung baywat temple

xa villagexom hamletxeo streamxuyen river

FRENCH

anse bay, creek

archipel archipelago

baie bay, gulf

banc bank, sandbank

barre bar

basse shoal

bouche mouth of a river

bras branch of river

cap cape, headland

French English French English

sommet summitsud south

vert(e) green

CHINESE

This list includes words in both pinyin and Wade−Giles forms of spelling; see 1.71

an embankment, bank, shore, coast, cliff

an−chiao submerged rocks, reef

anjiao sunken rock

ansha shoal, sandbank

ao bay, cove , inlet, dock

chao bog, marsh

chen town, market town

ch’eng city, walled town

chi obstruction, ledges in a river

ch’i stream, river, head, cape, point,

mountain, sevenchia cape, bluff

ch’ia customs barrier

chiang river, shoal, harbour, port, inlet,

channel, soundchiang−tao channel, strait, sound

chiao creek, rock, reef, shoal, islet, cape,

pointch’iao bridge

chien mountain, peak

ch’ien shallow, shoal

ch’ien−lai bank, shoal

ch’ien−t’an bank, shoal

cho, chou, chow island, bank, sandbar

ch’uan stream, river

chuang village

chüeh cape, point

chung middle, centre

chu−tao, ch’üng−tao archipelago, group of islands

gangkou port, harbourgoajiao promontoryguanchang square

ha lowerhai sea, gulfhaibin beachhaidi sea wallhai−hsia strait, channelhaikou, hai−k’ou sea mouth, channel entrancehai−pin seashore, beach

haiqu sea areahai−wan bay, gulfhaixia straithang streamhangdao fairwayhang−lu fairwayhangmen pass navigable to shipshau inlet

he riverhedao river channelhei black

ho river, waterwayhoi bay, harbour, straithoi hap channel, straithou rearhsi west, mountain, streamhsia strait, gorge, lowerhsiang rural area, villagehsiao small

hsien district, district capitalhisin new

hsü islandhsuan eddies

hu lakehuang yellowhung red

ji village, townjia headland, pointjian top, peakjiang riverjiao point, cape, reefjie street

jiu oldkan dry, harbour, portkang mound, hill, harbourkao high

kao−chiao promontorykao−jüan plateau

Chinese English Chinese English

kau nine, see also kou

kiang see chiang

kiao see chiao

kuan barrier, customs

kuo country, kingdom

lan reef, blue

lanjiangsha bar

lao old

li gravel, shingle, inner

liedao, lieh−tao group of islands

lieh−yen group of rocks

lin forest

ling ridge, mountain, mountain range,

nought, zeroliu stream, current, six

lo old

lu road

luk six

man see men

maodi, mao−ti anchorage

matou wharf, quay, pier, dock

men gate, pass, passage, channel, strait

miao temple

mu tress, wood, grave

mun see men

nam, nan south

pa embankment, quay, eight

pai reef, rock, white

pak north

pang see peng

pan−tao see bandao

pao town, village, rampart

piao rock, islet

p’ing−chou level shoals

p’o arm of the sea

po−ti roadstead, anchorage

seu see hsu

sha sandbank, islet, sand, low sandy point

sha−chiao sandspit

sha−ch’iu sand−duneshan mountain, hill, islandshang upper

shan−hu coralshan−hu−chiao coral reefshan−mo mountain rangeshan−sha bar, sand−barshan−tien mountain summitshao small, fewshap tenshatan sandy shoal, sand flatssha−tsui, sha−tui sandbank, sandspitshazhou, shazui sandbank, sandspitshek stone

shen deepsheng provincesheung uppershi, shih rock, city, municipalityshih−t’ai ridge of rocksshih−ti swampshu treeshu−lin forestshui water, rivershuidao, shui−tao channelshui−lu channel, passage

si templesiu smallssu monastry, temple, four

t’ang embankment, pondtao island, road, paddy fieldt’ao bay

tao−tzu islettau cape, point, see also tao

tautze see t’o−tzu

ti embankment, dyke, earth, ground,

place, low, bottomt’ien arable land, fieldtin fields (paddy)ting summit, mountaint’o stone, rocky eminencet’o−tzu stone, rocky knob, islettou, t’ou, t’ou−tzu cape, headland, pointtow see tou

tsat seventsui, tsui−tzu, tsui−wei cape, point, spittsuen, ts’un village

tu ferry, fordtuan villagetui mound, banktui−tsui bank, spittun villagetung east

uk grave

wa swampwai outer, walled villagewan bay, gulf, bend in riverwei headland, tail, walled town

xi west, creekxia straitxian countyxiao small, littlexin new

yeh moorland

yen embankment, dyke, rock, reef, cliff

yen’t’an salt pan

yen−tien salt pan

yen−chang salt works

yi two

yu, yü island, islet

yuen garden, orchardyunhe, yun−ho canal

zhai villagezhang mountzhen townzhong middle, centralzhou shoal, isletzhuang villagezui, zuizi point, spitzulangdi breakwater

98° 99° 100° 101° 102° 103° 104° 105° 106° Longitude 108° East from Greenwich 111° 112° 113° 114° 115° 116° 117°

NP 31 CHINA SEA PILOT VOL II

B R U N E I

1358

S U M A E A

NP 44 MALACCA STRAIT PILOT

S A R A W A K

3987 Sattahip

Kampong Saom

See Index Chart

NP 30(c)

HO NG

Wan

1962

NP 32 CHINA SEA PILOT VOL III

AN

T AI

1968

T I-WN

A M

3991

3988

G U

L F O F

T O N I K N

113° Longitude 114° East from Greenwich 115°

I A NG

KO

W

LOO

Lamma Island

Gaolan Liedao

Shekou

344 346

LAWS AND REGULATIONS APPERTAINING TO NAVIGATION While, in the interests of the safety of shipping, the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office makes every endeavour to include in its hydrographic publications details of the laws and regulations of all countries appertaining to navigation, it must be clearly understood:- (a) that no liability whatever will be accepted for failure to publish details of any particular law or regulation, and

(b) that publication of details of a law or regulation is solely for the safety and convenience of shipping and implies no recognition

of the international validity of the law or regulation.

CHINA SEA PILOT

NAVIGATION AND REGULATIONS

Chart 4508

LIMITS OF THE BOOK

1.1

waters and islands in the W part of the South China Sea

and for the sea area within the limits defined below:

From 1°34′N, 104°15′E, a position on the coast of

Malaysia at the E end of the Singapore Strait,

thence N along:

Vietnam and the S coast of China to Zhelang Jiao

(22°39′N, 115°34′E), thence SE to:

20°00′N, 119°00′E, thence SW to:

8°30′N, 111°00′E, thence S to:

7°00′N, 111°00′E, thence SW to:

4°30′N, 107°00′E, thence S to:

2°50′N, 107°00′E, thence SW to:

1°34′N, 104°34′E, thence W to:

The Malaysian coast

NAVIGATIONAL DANGERS AND HAZARDS

Navigation amongst coral

1.2

by this volume; attention is drawn to the section under

‘Coral’ to be found in The Mariner’s Handbook.

Former mined areas

1.3

mines are known to have been laid during the 1939–45 war

have not been swept Further extensive areas dangerous

owing to mines laid during hostilities in Vietnamese waters,

between 1963−73 exist; the details of many of these areas

are not known Details of the known areas are given in

Appendix I and are referred to within the text of therelevant chapters

2 Mine risks The danger to surface ships from mines laidduring the 1939−45 war is decreasing as the detonatingmechanisms, triggered in nearly all cases by a ship’smagnetic field or by its machinery noise, becomeinoperative after many years The risk to surface navigationfrom these mines is now considered no greater than normalnavigational hazards However, such mines continue toconstitute a risk to ships anchoring, trawling or carryingout sea-bed operations and indeed, the explosive in the

mines becomes more unstable with age See also Annual Notice to Mariners No 6

3 Navigational risks. The existence of minefields hasinhibited hydrographic surveying in them, and outside theswept routes there may be many uncharted wrecks andisolated shoals especially dangerous to deep-draughtvessels

Piracy

1.4

Sea can take place in international waters as piracy, or,more commonly, as armed robbery in the territorial waters

of a coastal state These attacks are usually made from fastmotor boats approaching from astern Laden vessels withlow freeboard are particularly vulnerable However vesselswith a high freeboard and travelling in excess of 17 knhave been boarded Attacks usually take place under cover

of darkness, most often between 0100 and 0600

that while the incidence of reported piracy and armedrobbery within the area covered by this volume is low, andthat most cases occurred while berthed or at anchor, itremains high in adjacent areas The areas most prone toattacks are in the vicinity of the Vietnamese ports of

Haiphong, Saigon Port (Ho Chi Minh City) and Vung Tau.

Foiled attempts were invariably attributed to alert crews

taking the recommended countermeasures

the SE Asian region It is able to receive reports from

vessels about piracy attacks, and advise of danger areas

within the region See section on ‘Piracy and Armed

Robbery’ towards the end of Admiralty List of Radio

Signals Volume 1

TRAFFIC AND OPERATIONS

High speed craft

1.5

between Hong Kong, Macau, Shekou and ports on the

Zhujiang (Chapters 8 and 9) Mariners are advised to

maintain a good lookout Some high speed craft may

generate large waves, which can have a serious impact on

small craft and their moorings close to the shoreline and on

shallow off-lying banks For further details, see Annual

Notice to Mariners No 23

Fishing

1.6

1 General remarks. Fishing is a major industry and one

of the main sources of food in many countries bordering

the South China Sea For many years, owing to primitive

craft and equipment, the fishing grounds have been

confined to the shallow and comparatively sheltered waters

near the coast With the progressive modernisation of the

fishing industry in SE Asia, fishing grounds have been

extended Trawling is a significant development in these

open-sea operations

Fish are abundant, with little evidence of fish migration,

but certain grounds have seasonal fishing owing to their

exposure to the NE and SW monsoons

2 Peninsular Malaysia. All coastal regions off the E coast

of Peninsular Malaysia may be considered potential fishing

grounds, the main fishing port being Terengganu (3.139)

Palisade traps, seine and drift nets, lines, lures and bottom

trawls are used Sizes of craft vary from rowing or sailing

boats, 3 m in length, to power-driven craft 15 m in length

In coastal waters the fishing fleet may number from three

to fifty vessels, with net and line fishing out to the 10 m

line, and trawling in deeper waters The coastal waters of E

coast of Peninsular Malaysia are subjected to the full force

of the NE monsoon and this greatly reduces fishing

between the months of November and March

3 Gulf of Thailand. In the Gulf of Thailand fishing is

carried out in a coastal belt extending to the 40 m line

Krung Thep (Bangkok) is the main fishing port Fishing is

carried out, mainly by night, with pair trawling using otter

trawls to depths of 30 m and net and line fishing to depths

of 20 m The fishing seasons are dictated by weather, thus

during the NE monsoon (November to March), the E side

of the Gulf is fished and during the SW monsoon, the W

side

4 South China Sea — Northern part. In the N half of

the South China Sea, as in the S, the fishing is confined

mainly to the shelf regions and there is little activity in the

deeper waters off the shelf Little is known of fishing

operations along the Vietnamese coast, but as fishing is an

important industry, there is little doubt that vessels will be

active in these waters On the coastal shelf of SE China,

the fishing grounds extend from Hainan Dao in a NE

direction Within the 100 m depth contour, trawling and

long line fishing are carried out so that operations continuefor most of the year If the region is divided into threesub-regions, then fishing is carried out as follows:

Trawling

January to MayNovember to MayCentral region

(W of Pratas Reef)

Long lineTrawling

100 m

50 m

May to August November to MayFebruary to MarchJune to October

Trawling

September to AprilNovember to March

but visits are made by vessels from the Philippines AtHong Kong, there are about 10 000 vessels engaged infishing, and while many undertake only limited day to dayinshore operations, a great percentage do operate inoffshore regions

6 Sizeable fleets of fishing junks may be met off the coast

of China As a rule the junks have their smallest sailforward Large trading junks have five masts, with twosmall sails aft Chinese junks do not carry the regulationlights

1.7

1 Fishing stakes. On most banks fronting the shores, andprobably off many parts of the coasts mentioned in thisvolume, particularly off the mouths of rivers, fishing stakes

(16 to 33 ft) and in some cases greater depths Theseenclosures are constructed of trees firmly driven into thebanks, and interlaced with branches, etc, and form aconsiderable danger to vessels navigating at night in thedepths mentioned above They last many years, and tothose with local knowledge are good landmarks

the effect that fishing stakes are liable to be encounteredand that their positions are frequently altered The absence

of fishing stake symbols from charts does not, therefore,imply that they do not exist

1.8

1 Marine farms. An increasing number of marine farmsand enclosures may be encountered in many bays and otherinshore coastal areas of the region, particularly in the Gulf

of Thailand These are charted where known

Fish aggregating devices have been moored at anumber of places off the coast of Peninsular Malaysia indepths of up to 30 m They are marked by buoys (special).Mariners should keep well clear

Submarine exercise areas

1.9

South China Sea; see 2.4 and 3.12

Marine exploitation

1.10

1 Drilling rigs. Floating or fixed drilling rigs may beencountered in some of the waters covered by this volume,especially off the E coast of Peninsular Malaysia, in theGulf of Thailand, off the SE coast of Vietnam and in someareas off the S coast of China Buoys and light-buoysassociated with drilling operations are frequently laid in thevicinity of rigs The position of rigs and buoys are subject

to frequent change and where known are promulgated byNAVAREA XI radio navigational warning messages (1.20).Permanent platforms, structures and buoys are charted

1 Gasfields and pipelines in the Gulf of Thailand.

Numerous structures, usually showing lights Mo(U)

15 seconds, and below-water obstructions, some marked by

buoys, exist in the gasfields The limits of the gasfields are

charted but some of the features within them may not be

Special care should be exercised by vessels navigating in

the vicinity

anchoring within the gasfields is prohibited mariners risk

prosecution if they anchor or trawl near a pipeline and so

damage it Gas from a damaged pipeline could cause a fire

or the loss of a vessel’s buoyancy

1.12

1 Gas pipeline — Kakap Natuna Oilfield to Singapore.

A gas pipeline, lying mostly within the Indonesian

economic zone (see chart), connects Anoa Marine Terminal

(5°13′N, 105°36′E) (2.86), Kakap Natuna Oilfield (4°57′N,

106°00′E) (2.90) and Belida Oilfield (4°09′N, 105°07′E)

(2.76) to a terminal at Singapore Indonesian authorities

have declared a marine activity exclusion zone, extending

750 m either side of the pipeline, in which anchoring, sand

mining and other similar seabed activities are prohibited

CHARTS Admiralty charts

1.13

1 The general remarks on charts and their use contained in

The Mariner’s Handbook should be read in conjunction

with these paragraphs

There are some parts of the area covered by this volume

where the charts depend mainly on lead line surveys

carried out in the 19th and early 20th centuries The

coverage is summarised as follows:

Indonesia. The charts of Pulau-Pulau Anambas (2.19)

are based on British surveys mainly carried out in

the latter part of the 19th century See also 2.21

compiled mainly from British surveys, although

not all are based on modern survey techniques,

augmented by recent Malaysian surveys,

particularly in the approaches to the major ports

The shifting nature of the bars fronting some of

the rivers should be borne in mind when assessing

the reliability of a chart, taking into consideration

the date of the latest survey

3 Thailand The charts of the Gulf of Thailand are

based on Thai and French charts drawn from Thai,

French and US surveys Surveys of the inshore

waters date from the latter half of the 20th century

Cambodia. Charts are compiled from French, Thai,

US and Russian charts

compiled mainly from French charts prior to 1956

and US charts prior to 1967 Not all, however, are

based on modern techniques The metric charts of

the Song Sai Gon and approaches are based on US

charts from US and Vietnamese surveys to 1968

5 China. Admiralty metric charts cover the coast E of

Qiongzhou Haixia to the limit of this volume and

a number of major ports with their approaches

The remaining fathoms charts of Gulf of Tonkin

and Hainan Dao are based mainly on old surveys

are based, in the main, on modern British surveys

carried out up to 1972, supplemented by later

surveys conducted by the Public WorksDepartment The waters E of the Tathong Channelwere mostly surveyed in the beginning of thetwentieth century

2 China. A comprehensive series of Chinese charts,incorporating data from recent survey work, is published bythe Chinese Maritime Safety Administration In certainareas of the Chinese coast where Admiralty charts showinsufficient detail for navigation close inshore, informationused in these Sailing Directions has been taken from thisseries of charts

under China in the Catalogue of Admiralty Charts and Publications or from:

China Navigation Press,

102 Shanghai Road,Tanggu District,Tianjin 300450,Peoples Republic of China

Datums

1.15

1 Chart datum. On the modern British Admiralty charts

of the area covered by this volume, depths are reduced tochart datum which is approximately the level of LAT

Elevations. On the majority of British Admiralty charts

of the region, elevations are given above MHHW; a fewcharts show elevations above MHWS

2 Horizontal datums. British Admiralty charts of theMalaysian coast are mostly referred to the Revised KertauDatum; those within the Gulf of Thailand are mostlyreferred to Indian Datum (1975) Large scale chartscovering the Hong Kong SAR have been converted toWGS 84 Datum, while most of the remaining charts arereferred to Hong Kong (1980) Datum The datums of most

of the charts covering other areas of the region are notknown

3 Many charts carry a note of the corrections to be applied

to satellite-derived positions, where these are known Oncharts where this correction is not known, it should not beassumed that such a correction is negligible For further

information, see Admiralty List of Radio Signals Volume 2.

AIDS TO NAVIGATION Daymarks

1.16

1 With respect to the descriptions in this book concerningthe shapes and colours of buildings, etc., and anyremaining remarks concerning trees, which are from oldsurveys, caution must be exercised Many new buildingsmay have been erected and old trees destroyed, so thatsuch marks, which may at one time have been conspicuous

on account of their isolation, shape or colour, may nolonger exist or may now be difficult to distinguish

1.17

use in all countries covered by this volume, although

conversion may not be complete in Vietnam Details of the

IALA system are given in The Mariner’s Handbook and

IALA Maritime Buoyage System

PILOTAGE National pilotage

1.18

1 Pilotage is compulsory for most classes of vessel for all

ports in this volume where pilots are available Details are

given within the description of the ports

RADIO FACILITIES Position fixing systems

1.19

1 Loran C skywave coverage is available throughout the

area and groundwave coverage throughout the NE part of

the region, N and E of central Vietnam

Satellite navigation systems. See 1.15 concerning

satellite-derived positions

2 DGPS coverage is limited to the E coast of peninsular

Malaysia S of about 6°N and to China N of about 15°N

For full details of these position fixing systems see

Admiralty List of Radio Signals Volume 2

Radio navigational warnings

1.20

of the World-wide Navigation Warning Service; the Area

Co-ordinator is Japan Coastal Warnings and Local

Warnings may also be transmitted by, respectively, National

Co-ordinators and port or harbour authorities

Singapore (Jurong) (1°20′N, 103°42′E)

Krung Thep (Bangkok) (13°43′N, 100°34′E)

Ho Chi Minh City (10°47′N, 106°40′E)

Da Nang (16°05′N, 108°13′E)

Guangzhou (23°05′N, 113°32′E)

Hong Kong (22°13′N, 114°15′E)

Full details of services may be found in Admiralty List

of Radio Signals Volume 3(2) See also Annual Notice to

Mariners No 13

Radio weather services

1.21

1 Full details of radio weather services, including diagrams

of forecast areas, may be found in Admiralty List of Radio

Signals Volume 3(2)

REGULATIONS International regulations

1.22

1 Submarine cables. See The Mariner’s Handbook under

‘Submarine pipelines and cables’ for information on The

International Convention for the Protection of Submarine

Cables

Pollution. Brief details of The International Convention

for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973, as

modified by the protocol of 1978, known as MARPOL

73/78, may be found in The Mariner’s Handbook under

‘Pollution of the sea’

National regulations

1.23

1 Thailand. Extracts from ‘Navigation in Thai TerritorialWaters Act’ will be found in Appendix II

Indonesia. National regualtions for Indonesia may be

found in China Sea Pilot Volume 2 or in a volume of Indonesia Pilot.

2 China. A reproduction of ‘Regulations GoverningSupervision and Control of Foreign Vessels by the People’sRepublic of China’, extracts from quarantine regulations,and a reproduction of the ‘Maritime Traffic Safety Law ofthe People’s Republic of China’ will be found in AppendixIII

SIGNALS Peninsular Malaysia

1.24

1 The signals in Diagram 1.24 are in use within the limits

of ports in Peninsular Malaysia All lights, shapes and

signals required by the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (1972) and the International Code of Signals will be recognised within port limits withthe following modifications and additions

Malaysia − Harbour Signals (1.24)

Thailand

1.25

1 Submarines. Thai vessels display a red triangular flag todenote that submarines, which may be submerged, are inthe vicinity

Naval signals to merchant vessels. Within Thaiterritorial waters merchant ships may be signalled by Thainaval craft to stop, or proceed in a certain direction for thepurpose of search

2 Signals for stopping vessels By day, signals from

the International Code of Signals will be used by

a naval patrol craft By night, repeated short andlong flashes will be made by a naval patrol craft,

or a rocket, from which a red flare is ejected, will

be fired Vessels which do not stop in answer tothese signals will be fired on

3 Signals for directing vessels A naval aircraft,

making an appropriate signal from the

International Code of Signals, flying low round the

vessel and then proceeding towards a certain

direction, indicates that the vessel must proceed in

that direction Vessels ignoring this signal will be

warned by a burst of machine-gun fire directed

ahead of the vessel

China

1.26

Signals, the visual signals in Diagram 1.26 may be used in

Chinese harbour areas:

China − Vessel quarantine signals (1.26)

China − Vessel berth signals (1.26)

Vessels engaged in special work(4)

China − Vessel engaged in special work (1.26)

China − Traffic signals (1.26)

Storm and strong wind warnings

1.27

1 Terminology. The following terms are used in stormwarnings to indicate tropical disturbances of differentintensities:

broadcast by all weather services in those parts of theregion covered by this volume which are liable to beaffected by tropical storms or typhoons An area ofresponsibility has been assigned to each weather service,and these areas overlap so that the whole region iseffectively covered Details of these transmissions by RTand NAVTEX in English and local languages are given in

Admiralty List of Radio Signals Volume 3(2)

1.28

1 Thailand. The system of visual storm signals in use inThailand to indicate intensity and locality is shown inDiagram 1.28

Gulf of Thailand and adjacent waters and their intensity aredisplayed at Krung Thep (Bangkok) The signals are

Day Night Meaning

Pilot vessel on station

Vessel requires fresh water

Vessel requires rope handling boat or ropehandlers for berthing/unberthing

Vessel requires transportation boat

Vessel requires wastewater boat (or vehicle)

V e s s e l c a r r y i n g o u t manoeuvering trials

Vessel on fire and requiring immediate assistance

Vessel leaking water and requiring immediate assistance

Vessel requires urgent medical assistance

Vessel entering/exiting a dock; passing vessels to remain clear

Large vessel or tow will be or is

tu rning in Zone 1- 5 (as designated by pennant)

Cable vessel is mooring/casting off mooring cables

Thailand − Storm Signals (1.28)hoisted on the same yardarm with the pennant indicating

the intensity and the flag indicating the locality of the

storm, with the pennant uppermost In normal weather

conditions a white pennant with a red circle is displayed at

the upper yardarm

1.29

1 China. The signals in Diagram 1.29 may be displayed

in Chinese ports to warn of strong winds or typhoons:

Hong Kong. Details of the local storm warning signals

used in the Hong Kong SAR are given in 9.103

DISTRESS AND RESCUE General information

1.30

(GMDSS) is described, and general information on distress

and rescue is given, in Admiralty List of Radio Signals

Volume 5, The Mariner’s Handbook and Annual Notice to

Mariners No 4.

Singapore, Hai Phong and Hong Kong are responsible for

the Search and Rescue Regions (SRR) covering the South

China Sea The MRCC at Krung Thep (Bangkok) is

responsible for the SRR within the Gulf of Thailand

China − Storm Signals (1.29)

COUNTRIES AND PORTS THE FEDERATION OF MALAYSIA

General description

1.31

Federation of Malaya (now known as Peninsular Malaysia),

Sabah (formerly British North Borneo) and Sarawak (W

Borneo) This volume covers the E coast of Peninsular

Malaysia The W coast of Peninsular Malaysia is covered

in Malacca Strait and West Coast of Sumatera Pilot and

Sabah and Sarawak are covered in China Sea Pilot

Volume II.

comparatively narrow strip of land lying between the

Malacca Strait to the W and the South China Sea to the E

The territory is about 725 km long and 320 km wide at its

widest point The total area is some 131 600 square km and

is divided into 11 states The capitals are Putrajaya

(administrative) and Kuala Lumpur (financial) Thailand

borders the N limit; to the S are a number of islands

comprising the Republic of Singapore

Terengganu and Kelantan fall within the limits of this

volume

National limits

1.32

1 Malaysia claims a 12 mile breadth of territorial sea; an

exclusive economic zone to 200 miles; and employs a

straight baseline system along the coasts See also Annual

Notice to Mariners No 12 and The Mariner’s Handbook

under ‘National Maritime Limits’

History

1.33

country within the Commonwealth in August 1957 The

Federation of Malaysia came into being in September 1963

and included the State of Singapore Singapore

subsequently withdrew from the Federation in August 1965

and became an independent republic

Government

1.34

1 The constitution, based on that of the former Federation

of Malaya, provides for a strong federal government, but

allows for a degree of autonomy for the thirteen state

governments The Supreme Head of the Federation (Yang

di-Pertuan Agong), and a deputy, serve for 5 years, and are

elected from amongst themselves by the Rulers of the

Malay States

Senate and the House of Representatives The Senate

consists of elected and appointed members from each state

The House of Representatives consists of members elected

by universal adult suffrage with a common electoral roll

Population

1.35

22⋅63 millions The principal ethnic groups are Malays

(58%) and Chinese (27%); the remainder being of Indian or

Sri Lankan origin, as well as the indigenous races of

Sarawak and Sabah

Languages

1.36

English, several dialects of Chinese, and Tamil are alsowidely spoken

Physical features

1.37

tropical jungle A central mountain range runs N/S, withthe highest mountain, Gunung Tahan, 2189 m high Lowlying coastal plains lie on each side of the range The Wplains are well served by road and rail and contain most ofthe towns of the peninsula The E plains are less welldeveloped

2 Malay rivers at their sources and in their upper reachesare quick flowing, often with tortuous rapids andprecipitous gorges In the lower reaches, the descent ismore gradual and the water takes on a muddy hue fromcontamination with the silt of the plains through which theymeander, flowing out ultimately through strips of mangroveswamp

Pahang (3.59) and Sungai Perak Gunung Tahan and otherpeaks constitute some of the highest territory S of theHimalayas That part of the country, free from the torridluxuriance of forest and jungle, has been developed intogreat rice producing areas, particularly in Kelantan on the

E side Other stretches have been scarred by the incisions

of industry

stretches of sand and surf bordered by a littoral vegetationwhich lends to beauty probably unparalleled in the tropics

Flora and fauna

1.38

Malaysia may be found in Chapter 1 of Malacca Strait and West Coast of Sumatera Pilot.

Industry and trade

1.39

1 Industry Major products include electronic components,electrical goods and appliances Rubber and tin mining arestill important industries, although they have declined inrelation to manufacturing over recent decades

Trade. The chief exports are are rubber, tin, metal, palmoil, electronic goods, LNG, electrical products, textiles,wood (sawn timber and logs) and iron ore

The chief imports are machinery and transportequipment, food and live animals, and manufactured goods

REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA General description

1.40

and groups of islands of Sumatera, Jawa, Madura, Bali,Nusatenggara, Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo), Sulawesi,the Moluccas, Irian Jaya and some 3000 smaller islandsand islets The capital is Jakarta, situated on the NW side

of Jawa

facing the E coast of Peninsular Malaysia fall within thelimits of this volume Further information on Indonesia will

be found in Indonesia Pilot Volume I , Indonesia Pilot

Volume II , Malacca Strait and West Coast of Sumatera Pilot

and China Sea Pilot Volume II.

National limits

1.41

1 Indonesia claims a 12 mile breadth of territorial sea; a

24 mile contiguous zone; an exclusive economic zone to

200 miles The country claims archipelago status See also

Annual Notice to Mariners No 12 and The Mariner’s

Handbook

KINGDOM OF THAILAND

General description

1.42

took its present name in 1939 The W coast of the country

borders the S part of the Andaman Sea and the N part of

the Malacca Strait, while the E coast described in this

volume borders the Gulf of Thailand The country is

510 900 square km in area, with its capital, Krung Thep

(Bangkok) situated near the head of the Gulf of Thailand

The country borders Peninsular Malaysia at the S extremity

of the narrow Isthmus of Kra and Cambodia to the SE

National limits

1.43

1 Thailand claims a 12 mile breadth of territorial sea; an

exclusive economic zone to 200 miles; and employs a

straight baseline system along the coast See also Annual

Notice to Mariners No 12 and The Mariner’s Handbook.

History

1.44

transformed itself from an absolute to a constitutional

monarchy, albeit a nominal one as for much of the period

until 1992 the country has been ruled by a series of

military governments, interspersed with brief periods of

democracy Since 1992 the country has been a functioning

democracy

Government

1.45

bicameral National Assembly consisting of a 393 member

House of Representatives, elected by universal suffrage for

a term of 4 years, and a 200 member Senate directly

elected on a non-party basis For administrative purposes,

the country is divided into 76 provinces (changwads),

including the metropolis of Krung Thep

1 The official language is Thai, although English is widely

used in Government and commercial circles There are

some ethnic and regional dialects, reported to be spoken

mainly in the N of the country

Physical features

1.48

Khorat plateau to the NE and mountains elsewhere

Industry and trade

1.49

1 Industry. A high percentage of the labour force isemployed in agriculture, rice being the country’s mostimportant crop Significant amounts of tapioca, rubber,corn, sugar, fish and fishery products are also produced Adiversifying manufacturing industry includes computers andelectronics, textiles and shoes, cement, furniture, woodproducts, canned food, toys, plastic products, gems andjewelry Tourism is also a major industry

2 Trade. The chief exports include rice, processed foods,integrated circuits and parts, electrical appliances andvehicles, while principal imports include machinery andparts, vehicles, electronic integrated circuits, chemicals,crude oils and fuels, iron and steel

KINGDOM OF CAMBODIA General description

1.50

Thailand in the SW, became a fully independent state in

1953, having previously been a French protectorate andthen briefly an Associate State within the French Union.The country, bordering Thailand to the NW and Vietnam

to the E, is about 181 035 square km in area The capital,Phnom Penh, is situated in the SE part of the country.Phnom Penh is accessible by sea via Mekong River

National limits

1.51

contiguous zone of 24 miles; and an exclusive economiczone to 200 miles Cambodia employs a straight baseline

system along the coast See also Annual Notice to Mariners

No 12 and The Mariner’s Handbook.

History

1.52

March 1970 following a period of increasing economicdifficulties and growing indirect involvement in theVietnamese War Later that year the Kingdom was declaredthe Khmer Republic Phnom Penh fell to the NVietnamese-backed Khmer Rouge in 1975 and duringKhmer Rouge rule, maybe 2 million Cambodians werekilled and hundreds of thousands fled into exile Following

an invasion of Vietnamese troops in 1978, the country wasrenamed The People’s Republic of Kampuchea, and then in

1989 the State of Cambodia at the time of Vietnamesewithdrawal Following peace agreements signed in 1991,elections were held under UN auspices in 1993 and a newconstitution put in place later the same year Howeverarmed conflict continued between rival factions until aJapanese brokered peace led to further ‘fair and free’elections in 1998

Government

1.53

a constitutional monarchy The National Assembly has 122members elected for 5 year terms and the Senate has 61appointed members The country is divided into 17provinces

Population

1.54

estimated in 2000 to be 13⋅1 millions

1.55

Chinese are also spoken

Physical features

1.56

mountainous A low central plain is drained by the Tonle

Sap and the Mekong River There are heavy forests away

from the rivers and the lake

Industry and trade

1.57

1 Industry. A high percentage of those economically

active are employed in the areas of fishing, agriculture and

forestry Light industry is more advanced than heavy

industry

2 Trade. The chief exports are rubber, rice, wood,

soy-beans, textiles and furnishings Principal imports

include petroleum products, construction materials,

machinery, vehicles and cigarettes

SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM

General description

1.58

in July 1976 from the unification of the former North and

South Vietnam The country, with a total area of

331 690 square km, borders the Gulf of Thailand in the SW,

South China Sea in the E and Gulf of Tonkin in the NE

Vietnam has a land border with China to the N and

Cambodia in the SW The capital is Hanoi situated in the N

part of the country

National limits

1.59

contiguous zone of 24 miles; and an exclusive economic

zone to 200 miles Vietnam employs a straight baseline

system along the coast See also Annual Notice to Mariners

No 12 and The Mariner’s Handbook.

History

1.60

declare it a free state within the French Union However

the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, under Ho Chi Minh,

had been formed a year earlier and continued to press for

full independence Full scale hostilities followed the break

down of talks with France and continued until the French

defeat at Dien Bien Phu in May 1954 The cease-fire terms

provided for provisional partition of Vietnam into two

military zones with the French S of 17°N in South Vietnam

and the Democratic Republic N of 17°N in North Vietnam

insurgent movements in South Vietnam and this escalated

into the Vietnamese War, with the US participating on the

side of the anti-communist regime in Saigon (now Ho Chi

Minh City) A peace agreement was signed in January

1973 providing for a cease-fire in the S and the withdrawal

of US forces The cease-fire was not observed and

following the withdrawal of US forces, the forces of the

South Vietnamese government were routed and a

Provisional Revolutionary Government was in control of

South Vietnam by May 1975

Government

1.61

1992 reaffirmed the central role of the Communist Party,which remains the ultimate source of power A 450member National Assembly is elected for a 5 year term.The country is divided into 60 provinces grouped into

English, Chinese and Khmer are also spoken

Physical features

1.64

of the Mekong River in the S and that of the Song Ca(Red River) surrounding Hanoi in the N

Industry and trade

1.65

1 Industry. Building materials, chemicals, machinery andfoodstuffs are among the main products Although stillhigh, agriculture has been declining as a share of economicoutput and production in other sectors has risen

Trade. Vietnam is one of the leading exporters of rice,while other products include coal, fish products, livestockand coffee Principal imports include oil, steel andfertilizers

PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA General description

1.66

1 The People’s Republic of China, the third largest country

in the world, comprises about one fifth of Asia, over9⋅5 million square km The country borders Korea Bay, BoHai, the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea, and the SouthChina Sea between North Korea and Vietnam The capital,Beijing, is situated in the NE part of the country

National limits

1.67

contiguous zone of 24 miles; and an exclusive economic

system along the coast See also Annual Notice to Mariners

No 12 and The Mariner’s Handbook.

History

1.68

Zedong in October 1949 following the defeat of theKuomingtang government by the Communist forces Thesucceeding years included the disasters of ‘The Great LeapForward’ in the late 1950s and The Cultural Revolution ofthe late 1960s With the passing of Mao Zedong in 1975, anew and pragmatic leadership emphasised economicdevelopment and the present leadership remain committed

to economic reform and opening to the outside world

Government

1.69

governed by a President nominally elected for a 5 year

term by the National People’s Congress, the highest organ

of state authority and the sole legislative authority in the

country The Congress, with 2978 deputies elected for a

5 year term, meets only once a year It also elects a

Standing Committe which carries on business when the

Congress is not in session and supervises the State Council,

the supreme executive organ

2 China is divided into 22 provinces, 5 autonomous regions

and 3 government-controlled municipalities The coasts of

the provinces of Hainan, Guangxi and part of Guangdong

are covered in this volume Macau and Hong Kong Special

Administrative Regions border Guangdong province

putong hua (common speech) rather than its English name

of Mandarin, has been adopted as the national language It

is spoken by about 70% of the population There are six

other major Chinese dialects which tend to be concentrated

in the SW and SE of the country The written language,

being ideographic and not phonetic, is common to all

dialects

transliteration of names into Roman letters, was adopted in

place of the Wade-Giles system Admiralty charts used the

Wade-Giles system until that time and older charts still

show that system In this edition of the volume, the old

and new spellings (where known) are given where the old

system still remains on charts The glossary at the front of

the book continues to reflect both versions

Physical features

1.72

deserts and mountain ranges Most of the country is

mountainous except for the two great river plains of the

Chang Jiang (Yangtze River) and the Huang He (Yellow

River)

Industry and trade

1.73

1 Industry. Since the early 1980s, China’s economic

growth has been remarkable, even though much of the state

industry remains unreformed and inefficient Major state

industries are iron, steel, coal, machine building, light

industrial products, armaments and textiles Most of China’s

work force remain in agriculture, where under 10% of the

land is suitable for cultivation

2 Trade. Machinery and electronic products have become

main exports from industry, while much agricultural exports

go to Hong Kong Cotton, other fibres and oil seeds are

other major export products Imports include machinery,

vehicles, fertilizer, books, paper and paper-making

materials, chemicals, metals and ores

MACAU SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION

General description

1.74

Chinese), 35 miles W of Hong Kong on the W side of the

Zhujiang Kou and comprising the peninsula of Macau and

islands of Taipa and Coloane, became a SpecialAdministrative Region of China in 1999 The region isabout 18 square km in area with a population of under

1.76

South China Sea and the Guangdong Province of China.The Region comprises Hong Kong Island, the Kowloonpeninsula, the New Territories and more than 230 islandsand islets, a total area of about 1090 square km

National limits

1.77

Kong and Guangdong province is shown at Appendix IV

History

1.78

of the Treaty of Nanking in 1842, Kowloon Peninsula wasacquired in 1860, and the New Territories were leased fromChina in 1898 for a period of 99 years A Joint Declarationwas signed between Britain and China in December 1984whereby Britain agreed that Hong Kong become a SpecialAdministrative Region of China, with a high degree ofautonomy, on expiry of the lease in July 1997

Government

1.79

Kong has its own mini-constitution (the Basic Law) TheGovernment is headed by a Chief Executive, aided by anExecutive Council and a Legislative Council TheLegislative Council comprises 60 members, of whom 24 aredirectly elected by 5 geographical constituencies, 30 by 28functional constituencies and 6 members by the electioncommittee

Population

1.80

95% are ethnic Chinese Hong Kong is one of the mostdensely populated places on earth

Languages

1.81

official languages Putong hua (1.71) is widely understood

Physical features

1.82

harbour Extensive reclamation work has taken place overthe years which has altered the coastline in many places

Industry and trade

1.83

1 Industry. The economic policy is mainly exportorientated and is based on free enterprise and free trade.Service industries, including shipping, civil aviation,tourism and various financial services, account for a high

proportion of GDP as much manufacturing has migrated

across the border to cheaper labour markets Manufacturing

includes textiles and clothes, plastics, electronics, watches

and clocks, and electrical appliances

2 Trade. Chief domestic exports include clothing and

accessories, electrical machinery and parts, textiles and

fabrics, watches and clocks Imports include consumer

goods, raw materials and semi-manufactures, capital goods

Small commercial port

Kuala Kemaman Port

Songkhla (4.24)

Prachuap Khiri Khan (4.72)

Laem Chabang Port (4.170)

Si Racha Oil Terminals

(4.178)

(13°07′N, 100°53′E)

Petroleum productmoorings and terminals

Ao Udom (4.183)

Place and position Remarks

Sattahip Commercial Port(4.162)

(12°37′N, 100°55′E)

Commercial port

Map Ta Phut (4.221)(12°40′N, 101°09′E)

Large commercial port

Map Ta Phut Terminal(4.229)

(12°29′N, 101°12′E)

Offshore tanker mooring

Rayong (4.234) (12°39′N, 101°18′E)

Small commercial jetty

Gulf of Thailand Gasfields(4.310)

Gas export terminals

Cambodia

Kampong Saom (4.257)

Kampot (4.263) (10°36′N, 104°10′E)

Small commercial port

Phnom Penh (5.34)

Vietnam

Ha Tien (4.294)

Ho Chi Min City (5.70)(10°47′N, 106°42′E)

Commercial port

Nha Be (5.99) (10°42′N, 106°45′E)

Petroleum port

Vung Tau (5.104)

Phu My (5.110) (10°35′N, 107°02′E)

Commercial port

SE Vietnam Oilfields(5.134)

Oil export terminals

Vinh Cam Ranh (5.157)(11°53′N, 109°10′E) Commercial port andanchorageNha Trang (5.171)

Small commercial port

Haiphong (6.64) (20°52′N, 106°40′E)

Large commercial port

Hon Gai (6.97) (20°58′N,

Cam Pha (6.105) (21°02′N,107°22′E)

Coal exporting port

China

S coast and Hainan Dao

Fancheng (7.20) (21°37′N, 108°20′E)

Commercial port

Beihai (7.29)

Weizhou Marine Terminal(7.36) (20°50′N, 108°37′E) Offshore export terminal

Place and position Remarks

off-(21°56′N, 113°13′E) Commercial port and LPGterminal

Krung Thep (Bangkok)

(4.110)

Vessels up to LOA 170 m,beam 26 m, draught 7⋅5 m,

1.86

Krung Thep (Bangkok) (4.110)

NATURAL CONDITIONS MARITIME TOPOGRAPHY

General remarks

1.90

Asia into several different seas connected by numerous

channels and passages The structure of the seabed and that

of the local land makes the region a very complex

structure Deep trenches, chains of mountains, rows of

volcanoes, deep sea basins and countless coral islands form

a complexity of phenomena which are not found in other

parts of the world

bridge joining the Asian and Australian continents, with the

South China Sea and the Java Sea occupying basins on this

bridge

The South China Sea, which stretches from T’ai-wan to

the equator, provides the only direct connection between

the North Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean This large

body of water exercises a considerable influence upon the

climate, which is essentially tropical throughout the year

Seabed

1.91

Asian continent which connects Asia with the islands of

Borneo, Sumatera and Jawa; it supports the S half of South

China Sea In this area depths do not exceed 200 m Sunda

Shelf is intersected with river valleys similar to those found

in the Java Sea

maximum known depth of 5559 m, lies along the axis of

this sea N of a line Mui Vung Tau (10°19′N, 107°05′E) to

Tanjung Baram (4°36′N, 113°58′E) To S of this line the

entire area is supported on the Sunda Shelf and thus has

depths of less than 200 m To the N of this line the major

portion of the region is contained in the South China Sea

Basin with depths in excess of 1800 m In the N area the

shelf is confined to the coastal regions, its width varying

considerably owing to the coastal configuration Off the S

coast of Vietnam, the mean width of the shelf is 12 miles,

but farther N off the coast of China the width increases to

150 miles

deep sea basin, the Macclesfield Bank (2.16) and the

Paracel Islands (2.57) The Macclesfield Bank is a

submerged atoll with a mean depth of 75 m but over which

a number of shallower patches exist The Paracel Islands

are an extensive group of low-lying islands and reefs with

deep passages between them

No seamounts have been reported in the area covered by

this volume

1.92

and ooze, providing a smooth sedimentary surface layer

The depth of the layer is not known but is probably similar

to that of the Pacific Ocean, which is estimated to be about

300 m Patches of sand, coral and rock surround the reefs

and banks in this region In the shallower shelf regions,

mud is still the dominant sediment but is interspersed by

large patches of sand and smaller patches of rock, stone

and coral

a large belt of sand which extends N from Selat Bangka

The belt has a mean width of 40 miles opening to

100 miles NE of Pulau-Pulau Anambas (3°00′N, 106°00′E),and then tailing away to a 10 mile strip in the N of theregion Off the coast of Malaysia in the vicinity of 4°N,there is a large mud patch The outlying islands ofPulau-Pulau Anambas are supported on a sand/mud bedand are bordered by coral

patches of sand/mud, and sand and stone in the coastalregions From the S tip of the W shore to 7°30′N, the coast

is fronted by a sand/mud strip, varying in width from 5 to

40 miles To the N of this latitude to the head of the Gulf,mud predominates in the coastal region with small isolatedpatches of sand and coral In the outer approaches toKrung Thep (Bangkok) there is a comparatively large area

of sand with a smaller area of sand and shell adjoining it.Along the E shore, bordering the coast of Cambodia, there

is an extensive belt of sand/mud of mean width 40 miles,with mud predominant close inshore Around the islands inthe SE part of the Gulf, sand is the dominant sediment Inthe main mud areas the bottom is generally soft andsmooth

1.93

continuous sand bottom which extends S as a belt

100 miles wide almost to the W coast of Borneo Inshore

of the sand belt, off the low-lying alluvial coast of the Etip of Vietnam, mud is the dominant sediment In thewaters of the Mekong River delta the bottom is sand/mud.Farther to the N there are isolated patches of mud andstone Coral surrounds the islands and shallow areasdispersed over the sand belt To the N of 12°N along thenarrow coastal shelf, rock is abundant on a mainly mudbottom with very narrow sand strips fringing the shore

and bordering the S coast of China, mud is the mainconstituent with sand/mud present in patches close inshoreand along the edge of the shelf Across the S entrance tothe Gulf of Tonkin is an elongated patch of sand/mud, andfronting the S shore of the Gulf are narrow belts of sandand sand/mud In the outer approaches to Haiphong, sandpredominates over the mud and there are large areas ofsand and sand/mud To the N of Hainan Dao (19°00′N,110°00′E) the bottom is mud, but relatively large areas ofsand lie along the edge of the shelf and isolated patches ofstone and sand/mud are located on the mud bottom

MARINE LIFE Venomous fish

1.94

in the area covered by this volume The ‘scorpion’ or stonefish is found in shallow waters over rocky or weedybottoms throughout the area The ‘scorpion’ has a number

of venomous spines along its back which can inflict anexceedingly painful wound Certain species of catfish aredangerous and are found in coral reefs and in the rivermouths of Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam Stingrays may

be found in shallow waters over a muddy bottom anywhere

in the area

several species of shark inhabit the area The barracuda is

to be found in the shallow coral and rocky regions as well

as with the shark in the more open waters Moray eels are

common and are particularly dangerous during April to

May, their breeding season

3 A species of jellyfish, whose sting can cause death, is to

be found in the Gulf of Thailand and in the coastal waters

of Vietnam and S China Sea snakes, with a bite that is

extremely toxic, may be encountered in coastal waters

throughout the area and are particularly prolific in

Malaysia

Sonic fish

1.95

capable of producing a variety of sounds over a range of

frequencies Toadfish, sunfish, demoiselles, croakers,

scorpion fish, snappers and catfish are the most common

Whales and porpoises

1.96

the whales are humpback and fin with lengths varying from

12 to 20 m Porpoises usually inhabit the coastal waters of

the N region rather than the open sea

Plankton

1.97

1 Plankton life is prolific and evenly distributed in tropical

waters This results in a marked absence of fish swarming,

with no large concentrations of fish and no large scale

migration in search of food

CURRENTS AND TIDAL STREAMS

Currents

General remarks

1.98

influenced mainly by the monsoon winds which control the

flow of water into or from the Sulu Sea, the Java Sea and

through the Taiwan Strait The main current flows on the

W side of the region and sets SW during the NE monsoon

(October to March) and NE on the SW monsoon (May to

August) During the regime of either monsoon the

appropriate current has a high constancy but some

variations, and occasionally even reversals, may occur with

irregularities in the monsoon Over the E part of the area

currents are much more variable being controlled largely by

the positions of eddies which are common in the central

part of the South China Sea in all seasons

currents, their mean rates, constancies and seasonal

variations

Monthly variation of surface currents in the South

China Sea

1.99

1 January. (Diagram 1.99) With the NE monsoon firmly

established over the South China Sea, the main current runs

with a high degree of constancy Water enters the area from

the NE and is generally SW-going at a mean rate of ½ to

¾ kn until deflected S near the coast of central Vietnam,where dangerous onshore sets may be experienced In thisregion the flow is augmented by a broad current setting

NW then W from the Sulu Sea at a mean rate of about

½ kn The combined flow sets S along the coast ofVietnam from 16°N to Mui Dinh (11°22′N 109°01′E), at amean rate exceeding 1½ kn which, when the monsoon isstrong, may increase to 4 kn in the axis of the flow a fewmiles offshore S of Mui Dinh the current recurves SWbroadening but maintaining a rate of 1 kn to closePeninsular Malaysia S of 6°N, where it is again deflected Sand SSE into the Java Sea

weakening, the main SW current slowly declines; bymid-March the mean rate off central Vietnam is ½ kn,although occasional NE gales may increase the rate to 3 kn,and more variability is apparent The current is stillreinforced by water from the Sulu Sea, most of which nowtakes a more N track leading to the formation of acounter-clockwise eddy, which persists well into April near15°N off central Vietnam

1.100

1 April (Diagram 1.100) A month of transition betweenmonsoons, the predominant flow through the Taiwan Straitbecomes NE A residual SW-setting current along the Wside of the South China Sea is still maintained for much ofthe month, however, by water from the Sulu Sea Somesurface water from the left flank of the S-going current offPeninsular Malaysia recurves E and then N, merging withthe water of Sulu Sea origin to produce acounter-clockwise eddy near 5°N Thus for much of April,

an anti-clockwise pattern of surface water movementprevails over the area Mean rates are generally ¼ to ½ kn,but there is considerable variability, particularly in the zonebetween N and S-setting currents Towards the end of themonth, NE sets become more frequent off the coast of SEVietnam between Mui Vung Tau (10°19′N, 107°05′E) andCap Varella (12°54′N, 109°28′E)

China Sea begins in May Water now enters the area fromthe Java Sea, reversing the current of the NE monsoon Asthe month progresses a NE-going current becomesincreasingly evident on the W side of the South China Sea.Mean rates are initially less than ¼ kn, increasing slowly to

½ kn from Peninsular Malaysia to the coast of centralVietnam Currents elsewhere are variable, but late in themonth E sets are favoured

3 June. The SW monsoon extends over the whole SouthChina Sea and from then until September, sets between Nand E predominate over the area covered by this volume

An inflow of water from the Java Sea sets N and then NE,

S of Vietnam, and finally curves E or even SE to leave thearea between 5°N and 15°N The mean rate of this broadand fairly constant flow is about ½ kn, but off PeninsularMalaysia it is N-going at ¾ kn, and off S Vietnam betweenMui Vung Tau and Mui Dinh (11°22′N 109°01′E),ENE-going at ¾ kn and occasionally 1½ kn Over the Nhalf of the area currents are weak and variable with aslight preference for NE drifts except for a more markedENE inshore current E of Macau (22°12′N, 113°33′E),where a mean rate of ¾ kn increases to 2 kn with strong Wwinds

1.101

1 July/August. (Diagram 1.101) Except for the E coast ofVietnam, these months are similar to June, but with anoverall increase in current rates The main axis of theENE-going current S of Vietnam is transferred a degree or

Average rate in knots is indicated in figures.

Arrows indicate the predominant direction.

The constancy of a current is indicated by the

thickness of the arrow thus:

5° 5°

10° 10°

15° 15°

20° 20°

Predominant surface currents APRIL (1.100)

Average rate in knots is indicated in figures.

Arrows indicate the predominant direction.

The constancy of a current is indicated by the

thickness of the arrow thus:

10° 10°

15° 15°

20° 20°