- Navigational Measures Ensured Safe Passage through the Canal.
- Rig’s Course Adjusted to New Suez Canal for Improved Safety.
- SCA Pilots and Coordinated Efforts Guarantee Safe Transit.
Traffic through the Suez Canal recently witnessed the successful transit of rig ADMARINE260 towed and steered with the help of three tugboats from the Suez Canal Authority (SCA). The rig was transported from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea, carefully monitored and planned in its whole navigational security, reports Suez Canal.
Rig Specifications
ADMARINE260, flying Liberian flags, is 45 meters in length, with a beam of 48 meters, and a gross tonnage of 3,543 tons. This vessel’s impressive size allowed for the provision of special preparations to ensure it would safely transit through the Canal by adjustments to its height and course.
Navigation Preparations and Measures
A number of navigational measures were undertaken in order to facilitate the safe passage of the rig. One of the most critical steps undertaken was to lower the height of the rig in order to pass beneath the Al-Salam Bridge. The draft was increased to lower the rig’s height. The transit was also scheduled during ebb tide, as these tides appeared to create better conditions for a smoother and safer journey.
The Transit Process
It was at that moment that it set off the operation when its rig arrived Port Said anchorage and was to be connected onto the main pilotage tug boat, BARAKA, as towing. Further along the way of the transit, the other two SCA tugboats-the Port Said 3 and the Suez 3-was in charge and also escorted its direction for having it precisely to its course. The transit was coordinated very carefully with respect to the speed and direction of both water and aerial currents so that the rig remained centered in the Canal.
To further improve safety, the course of the rig was adjusted mid-way through the Canal. The rig was diverted into the New Suez Canal, which is more linear and has fewer curves than the traditional waterway, making it more suitable for larger vessels such as the ADMARINE260. The transit occurred during early morning hours with fog, requiring careful control of speed and direction to maintain a steady course.
Coordinated Efforts and Expertise
The transit was operated by a team of 12 senior SCA pilots, distributed at three points along the Canal for each of the Canal’s three sectors, one at Port Said anchorage, and two at Suez anchorage. The entire operation was coordinated with the Main Traffic Control Center and was continuously monitored by traffic offices in Port Said and Suez, as well as stations located along the Canal.
Adm. Ossama Rabiee’s Remarks
Adm. Ossama Rabiee, Chairman and Managing Director of the Suez Canal Authority, emphasized that the safe passing of ADMARINE260 represented one of the prominent examples of the SCA’s capability to accept safely a range of different vessels regardless of any procedures. According to him, the Suez Canal is the most optimal, quick, and safest sea route for worldwide maritime traffic; therefore, it will provide better cost savings versus other routes.
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Source: Suez Canal
