The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) has recently issued a number of notices to remind that vessels arriving at Canal waters must comply with requirements regarding steering light controls, deck cooling, draft limitations and etc. for the safety of Canal personnel and facilities, as well as Canal operations.

Advisory to Shipping No. A-09-2019: reiterating requirements for steering lights

Upon the recent feedback on the unstable performance of steering lights, ACP has reiterated the requirements for Steering Lights contained in NT Notice to Shipping N-1-2019, “Vessel Requirements”, which read as follows:

(1) All vessels over 100 meters (328 feet) in length shall have installed, at or near the stem, a steering range equipped with a fixed blue light which shall be clearly visible from the bridge along the centerline. The height of the light is to be as close as possible to the height of eye level on the bridge. If said range and light so placed would be partially or completely obscured from Conning Position 1, then two such ranges and lights must be installed ahead of Conning Positions 2 and 3. The wheelhouse position directly aft of the steering lights shall be marked with a small labeled plaque on the window sill which can be located in the dark by feel.

(2) Naval or military vessels exempted from the requirements of 72 COLREGs (see ACP Navigation Regulations, Article 108) shall also be exempted from the requirements of this article.

(3) The light required shall be capable of being illuminated and extinguished by a suitable rheostat or control switch located either on the navigation bridge or forecastle deck, or both.

(4) The use of this steering light shall be at the discretion of the Canal pilot who has control of the navigation and movement of the vessel.

Note: It’s quite hard to maintain the blue steering light as it is often installed high up near the foremast head. Also, since there’s no back-up light and it can be easily impacted in rolling waves, many vessels have found their light defective or completely broken. Therefore, it will be prudent to check on the light before transiting the Canal. Make sure the light is functioning with spare parts ready for use and have the errors fixed at convenient ports as soon as possible if they can’t be settled by the crew.

Advisory to Shipping No. A-11-2019: deck cooling during transit

Effective since April 2019, ACP requires transiting crude oil tankers, product carriers and chemical tankers carrying cargoes with flashpoints of less than 18°C, to cool their main decks with water by means of the on-deck water sprinkler system, or any other means available, between 1000 and 1600 hours while the vessel is underway at Gatun Lake or Gaillard Cut, or at anchor in Canal waters. The cooling is performed to prevent automatic activation of pressure relief valves, but it should be stopped while the vessel is transiting through the locks or in the vicinity of the locks, and when Canal deckhands are on board.

Note: If the cooling procedure fails to prevent automatic activation of pressure relief valves, manual operation can be arranged after the master has ascertained that 1) ACP has been notified of the situation; 2) all necessary actions have been implemented to prevent ACP personnel to vapors; 3) shipboard and nearby ignition sources have been controlled.

Advisory to Shipping No. A-13-2019: update on the maximum authorized draft

An intense drought related to this year’s El Nino phenomenon has precipitously lowered the level of Panama’s Gatun Lake, forcing ACP to update six times the maximum authorized draft. In the most recent update, ACP announced the maximum draft for vessels transiting the Neopanamax locks to be 13.11 meters (43.0 feet) Tropical Fresh Water (TFW), effective May 28, 2019 and that for vessels transiting the Panamax locks to be 11.73 meters (38.5 feet) TFW.

Note: Vessels arriving after May 28, 2019, with drafts over the above-mentioned maximum drafts may be allowed to transit, depending on the actual level of Gatun Lake at the time of transit. Otherwise, they will be required to trim or off-load cargo in order to be allowed to transit.

Advice to Members

ACP has established a number of requirements to ensure the safety of transiting vessels as well as Canal personnel and equipment. Further information related to the above three notices can be found in NT Notice to Shipping N-1-2019/Vessel Requirements and NT Notice to Shipping N-10-2019/Operational Equipment Tests.

Vessels that transit the Canal for the first time or only transit occasionally, will be checked by boarding officers or port captains and failure to get through may affect the vessel’s transit schedule.

Vessels that deliberately hide vessel deficiencies from pilots or Canal personnel while in transit will be moved to the nearby anchorage and denied transit. Additional expenses may incur if application to transit the Canal is to be resubmitted.

Therefore, it’s advisable for the vessel to carry out a thorough self-inspection prior to the transit and take corrective measures in time if any deficiency is found. If it cannot be resolved by resources onboard, it’s the master’s obligation to inform the Authority and to contact the operator and local correspondent for assistance.

For more information, please contact Managers of the Association.