Cable operations
A ship is laying, burying or repairing a submarine cable, usually along a stated route.
Submarine cables carry most of the world's internet traffic and much of the power from offshore wind farms. Laying and repair ships move slowly along the cable route, towing ploughs or remotely operated vehicles, and are restricted in their ability to manoeuvre; warnings give the route as a track line or a series of positions and ask ships to give a wide berth.
Cables are also why many warnings ask ships not to anchor or trawl in an area. Damage to cables from anchors and fishing gear is the most common cause of cable faults, and a warning about a repair ship is often the only public sign that a cable was cut.
What the archive shows
5,689 messages in this archive use “Cable operations”, the earliest issued 1993-06-03 and the latest 2026-09-22. 9 of them are in force in the latest lists we collected. A hazard reported again and again counts once per message.
The largest yearly count is 2001, with 397 messages. Collection is incomplete between 2024-05 and 2026-08-17, so 2024, 2025 and 2026 are not comparable with fully collected years.
Cable ops accounts for 5,674 of 5,689 recorded messages (100%), the largest warning type group in this selection.
Located messages that use it fall in 80 sea areas; the most frequent are North Atlantic Ocean (893), Celtic Sea (478) and North Sea (423).
Its use is spread fairly evenly through the year: the busiest month, April, has 529 messages and the quietest, October, 405.
By warning series: HYDROLANT 3,112, HYDROPAC 1,820, NAVAREA IV 553 and NAVAREA XII 169, and 3 more.
Messages using it, by year of issue
By month of issue, all years
Where it appears · 80 sea areas
In force now · 9
- NAVAREA XI 423/26 · Cable ops · Singapore Strait2026-09-22 · in force
SOUTH CHINA SEA, SOUTHERN PART. SUBMARINE CABLE REPAIRING WORKS BY C/V PETER FABER, 23 SEP TO UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. IN VICINITY OF 01-16.75N…
Submarine cable repairing works by c/v peter faber, 23 sep to until further notice → - NAVAREA XII 642/26 · Cable ops · Bering Sea2026-09-18 · in force
BERING SEA. ALASKA. 1. CABLE OPERATIONS 180800Z SEP TO 02 OCT BY CABLESHIP IT INTEGRITY ALONG TRACKLINE JOINING 62-52.90N…
Cable operations 180800Z sep to 02 oct by cableship it integrity along trackline joining 62-52.90N… → - AUSCOAST 296/26 · Cable ops · Indian Ocean2026-09-15 · in force
SPECIAL PURPOSE VESSEL NEXANS AURORA / LALC8 / 257682000 CONDUCTING CABLE LAYING OPERATIONS FROM 19 52.44S 114 36.29E TO 20 41.30S 115 24.58E 1.0NM CLEARANCE REQUESTED.
Special purpose vessel nexans aurora / LALC8 / 257682000 conducting cable laying operations from 19 52.44S… → - HYDROARC 155/26 · Cable ops · Laptev Sea2026-08-05 · in force
KARA SEA. LAPTEV SEA. RUSSIA. 1. CABLE OPERATIONS 10 AUG THRU 30 NOV BY M/V NORTON WAVE, CABLESHIP YAUZA, M/V SOPHIA, AND M/V SIRIUS ALONG…
Cable operations 10 aug thru 30 nov by M/V norton wave, cableship yauza, M/V sophia, and M/V sirius along… → - HYDROPAC 1873/26 · Cable ops · Tasman Sea2026-06-29 · in force
BASS STRAIT. TASMAN SEA. AUSTRALIA. CABLE OPERATIONS IN PROGRESS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE BY CABLESHIP RESPONDER WITHIN FIVE MILES OF TRACKLINE…
Cable operations in progress until further notice by cableship responder within five miles of trackline… → - AUSCOAST 231/26 · Cable ops · Tasman Sea2026-06-29 · in force
1. . SPECIAL PURPOSE VESSEL RESPONDER / V7CY9 / 538001582 CONDUCTING CABLE LAYING OPERATIONS 5 NM EITHER SIDE OF A LINE JOINING A. 38-19.86S 144-19.61E B. 39-06.11S…
Special purpose vessel responder / V7CY9 / 538001582 conducting cable laying operations 5 nm either side of… →
How it reads in recent messages
- HYDROPAC 2735/26 · Cable ops · Singapore Strait2026-09-22
SINGAPORE STRAIT. SINGAPORE. 1. CABLE OPERATIONS 23 SEP UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE BY CABLESHIP PETER FABER IN VICINITY 01-16.75N 104-08.14E.…
Cable operations 23 sep until further notice by cableship peter faber in vicinity 01-16.75N 104-08.14E → - HYDROLANT 1859/26 · Cable ops · North Sea2026-09-20
NORTH SEA. ENGLAND. CABLE OPERATIONS IN PROGRESS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE BY CABLESHIP PIERRE DE FERMAT WITH SUBMERSIBLE IN…
Cable operations in progress until further notice by cableship pierre de fermat with submersible in… → - NAVAREA XII 645/26 · Cable ops · North Pacific Ocean2026-09-19
NORTH PACIFIC. CALIFORNIA. CABLE OPERATIONS IN PROGRESS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE BY M/V GRACE ALONG TRACKLINES JOINING: A. 39-16.28N…
Cable operations in progress until further notice by M/V grace along tracklines joining: a. 39-16.28N… → - NAVAREA XII 638/26 · Cable ops · Bering Sea2026-09-17
BERING SEA. ALASKA. CABLE OPERATIONS IN PROGRESS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE BY CABLESHIP IT INFINITY ALONG TRACKLINE JOINING…
Cable operations in progress until further notice by cableship it infinity along trackline joining 64-28.13N… → - HYDROPAC 2683/26 · Cable ops · South China Sea2026-09-17
SOUTH CHINA SEA. INDONESIA. 1. CABLE OPERATIONS IN PROGRESS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE BY CABLESHIP PETER FABER ALONG TRACKLINE JOINING…
Cable operations in progress until further notice by cableship peter faber along trackline joining 02-04.23N… → - NAVAREA XI 412/26 · Cable ops · South China Sea2026-09-17
SOUTH CHINA SEA, SOUTHERN PART. SUBMARINE CABLE REPAIRING WORKS BY C/V PETER FABER, UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. IN VICINITY OF LINE JOINING 02-04.23N…
Submarine cable repairing works by c/v peter faber, until further notice →
Earliest in the archive
- HYDROPAC 481/93 · Cable ops · Japan Sea1993-06-02
1. UNDERWATER CABLE OPERATIONS IN PROGRESS THRU 10 JUL ALONG TRACKLINE JOINING 35-33.0N 133-02.0E, 35-33.3N 133-02.0E,…
Underwater cable operations in progress thru 10 jul along trackline joining 35-33.0N 133-02.0E, 35-33.3N… →
Often in the same message
Related terms
- Track line joining
- Introduces a route through a series of positions — a cable route, a tow's track or a survey line.
- Anchoring and fishing prohibited
- Ships may pass but must not anchor, trawl or put gear on the seabed — usually because of cables, pipelines, moorings or ordnance.
- Restricted in ability to manoeuvre
- A vessel whose work — cable laying, diving, dredging, towing — stops it from keeping out of other ships' way.
- Wide berth requested
- Keep well clear — or, when a distance is given ("TWO MILE BERTH REQUESTED"), at least that far away.
Warning types that use it
- Cable ops — Cable laying, pipeline and seismic operations.
Counts cover the messages in this archive that use the term, recounted 2026-09-24; see coverage for what is collected and since when. Not for navigation — follow official NAVAREA and coastal broadcasts.