Broad Fourteens


The Broad Fourteens is an area of the southern North Sea that is fairly consistently fourteen fathoms deep. Thus, on a nautical chart with depths given in fathoms, a broad area with many "14" notations can be seen.

Extent

The Broad Fourteens region is located off the coast of the Netherlands and south of the Dogger Bank, roughly between longitude 3°E and 4°30'E and latitude 52°30'N and 53°30'N.
The area is known to the Dutch and German navies as the Breeveertien.
Geologically it is comparable to the Long Forties, another submerged plateau that has related origins.

Naval battles

The area has been the scene of many naval engagements throughout history. For example:
The shallowness of this area means that the largest oil tankers when fully loaded cannot traverse the Broad Fourteens to reach the English Channel from the North Sea because their draft is too deep.