via the NSR. Ports in Alaska are especially closer
Distance advantage
to European ports north of London.
The primary advantage offered for braving the
Mileage comparisons of the northern trading
Northern Sea Route's greater physical challenge is
routes are shown in Table 1; it can be seen that the
to save time and therefore money. Figure 3 shows
savings made possible by the NSR are consider-
the current trade circuit for the Northern Hemi-
able. A savings of 24% is possible for a Hamburg
sphere encircling the continents through the Suez
(Germany)-to-Vancouver (Canada) voyage. The
and Panama Canals. It also shows the NSR nearly
Hamburg-to-Dutch Harbor (Alaska) trip is more
bisecting that circuit. The cities of New York,
than 6000 nm, or 60%, shorter than the Suez Canal
Montreal, London, and Odessa are shown on the
route.
Atlantic side and their corresponding "areas of
Estimates of travel time, based on past perfor-
equidistance" are shown on the Pacific side of the
mance during the summer season, are also com-
circuit. These zones represent destinations that are
petitive with the Suez and Panama Canal alterna-
the same distance from the city of origin by travel-
tives. Table 2 shows that the average ship speed
ing either the NSR or the traditional canal routes.
during seven complete transits from Europe to the
For example, the mileage is the same from Lon-
Far East was 11.3 kn via the NSR, and for three
don to Hong Kong by either the Suez Canal or the
voyages by way of the Suez Canal it was 12.9 kn.
NSR. Therefore, when the NSR is used, any desti-
This information, supplied by the Murmansk Ship-
nation north of Hong Kong is a shorter distance
ping Company (MSC) and reported by Wergeland
from London. The same is true for the London-to-
(1991), was summarized from transit data for the
San FranciscoVictoria run. The North American
1990 and 1991 shipping season.
coast north of San Francisco is closer to London
Equidistant area from
Equidistant area from Odessa
New York and Montreal
Equidistant area from
Equidistant area from
London via Panama and
London via Suez and
the Northern Sea Route
the Northern Sea Route
Yokohama
Vladivostok
Nagasaki
San
Victoria
Francisco
Hong Kong
Montreal
New York
Murmansk
St. Petersburg
Panama
Odessa
London
Suez
Figure 3. Sea routes between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans (from Svendsen
1963).
4
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