Liberia Maritime Authority has issued an advisory is to inform about an amendment to the Houston Pilots Navigation Safety Guidelines, which now restricts navigation to daylight hours for widebody container vessels without an all-round rudder angle indicator.
New requirement for rudder angle indicators
As Liberia informs, from 1 January 2025, widebody container vessels intending to transit the Houston Ship Channel above B-18 during hours of darkness must be equipped with an all-round rudder angle indicator. Consistent with requirements for vessels transiting the Panama and Suez Canals, the all-round rudder angle indicator should clearly show the position and direction of the rudder(s) in degrees and be mounted on overhead panels close to the forward bulkhead for efficient viewing by the Pilot at a centerline conning station.
It should be noted that an all-round rudder angle indicator located aft of the centerline Pilot conning station does not meet this requirement.
A copy of the updated version of the Houston Pilots Navigation Safety Guidelines can be found here.
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Source: Liberia Maritime Authority
