Department of Transpoi't, R.C.N. Radio Station, Albro Lake, Nova 

 Scotia, and others for general dissemination. 



Ice conditions were also broadcast by facsimile at 1330 G.m.t. daily 

 on 5320, 8502, and 12,880.5 kcs. 



Frequently, regular ice broadcasts concluded with the request that 

 all shipping in the Ice Patrol area report to NIK all ice sighted, 

 weather conditions, and sea temperatures every 4 hours. The effective- 

 ness and efficiency of the International Ice Patrol was considerably 

 enhanced by the excellent response by shipping to this request. 



Duplex radio operations were used between NIK and merchant 

 ships for general radio communications. Merchant ships worked NIK 

 on 500 kcs. and 8 and 12 mcs. maritime calling bands. NIK worked 

 427, 8734, or 12,718.5 kcs. as appropriate. 



During the 1966 sea.son, ice patrol communications involved the 

 handling of 3,791 radio messages and 2,816 landline messages of which 

 118 were ice broadcasts and 118 were teletype ice bulletins. Statistics 

 concerning the reports received from shipping during the ice season 

 are as follows : 



Number of ice reports received from vessels 51 



Number of vessels furnishing ice reports 32 



Number of sea surface temjjeratures 1,592 



Number of vessels reixirting sea surface temperatures 174 



Number of vessels requesting special information 19 



The low number of reporting ships or requests for ice information 

 was due to the continued absence of bergs or pack ice in the shipping 

 lanes. Shipping was aware of these conditions through the medium of 

 the Ice Broadcasts. 



Throughout the remainder of the year, requests were received from 

 shipping for ice conditions in the steamer tracks. The ice information 

 contained in the answers was based on monthly aerial ice reconnais- 

 sance flights performed by the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station at Ar- 

 gentia through June 1966 and from sparse information received from 

 other sources. Due to the very small distribution of bergs south of 

 Hudson Straits, assumptions that the bergs would not penetrate the 

 steamer tracks could be made with excellent assurance. 



A total of 132 ice requests were received aJid answered from ships 

 representing the United States of America, United Kingdom, Neth- 

 erlands, Federal Republic of Germany, France, Norway, Sweden, 

 Belgium, Liberia, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Italy, Canada, 

 Denmark, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Poland, Spain, Finland, and Ghana 

 until the radio broadcasts were initiated on 1 March. Six ice requests 

 were received and answered after the termination of the ice season 

 until 31 December 1966. 



