Review of the Cartography in the Bay of Cádiz

Last weekend, the hydrographic campaigns of the vessels “Tofiño”, “Malaspina”, and “Antares” concluded, which began on February 15, completing 26 days of work aimed at updating the nautical cartography in the Bay of Cádiz. The work focused on the Naval Base of Rota and its commercial port, the area near the San Sebastián castle, and the pillars of the new Constitution Bridge, updating the nautical cartography of the coastal waters of the Gulf of Cádiz.

Corresponding checks were also carried out on the Sailing Directions, the Radio Signals book, and the Lighthouse book, in addition to conducting exploration work on various shallows in the area for position and sounding verification. Prior to navigation, various fieldwork was conducted, consisting of updating signals and buoyage at the Rota Nautical Club, Puerto de Santa María, and Puerto Real, as well as the cartographic repositioning of these ports using differential GPS and the verification of the tide gauge at the Naval Base of Rota.

The main mission of these hydrographic vessels is to carry out hydrographic surveys of the seabed, although they also perform oceanographic tasks and explorations of the underwater relief in national areas or in others where the Spanish State has agreed to carry them out as a result of International Agreements, updating Sailing Directions, Lighthouse Books, Radio Aid Books, collecting meteorological data, and coastal photography among many others.

The crew of the hydrographic vessels consists of 69 men and women. In total, there are 11 officers, 13 non-commissioned officers, and 45 first corporals, corporals, and sailors. All this personnel has been previously trained in schools such as the Naval Military School of Marín, the Non-Commissioned Officers School of San Fernando, and the “Antonio Escaño” School of Ferrol, reports the Spanish Navy.

Photo: Spanish Navy