America and Canada Update Ancient Great Lakes Shipping Rules
Published Date: 1/10/2025
Rule
Summary
The Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway folks just updated their rules to make things clearer for ships and crews using the waterway. These changes affect vessel conditions, navigation, radio use, and handling dangerous cargo, starting January 10, 2025. If you operate or work on ships in the Seaway, get ready for smoother sailing with no new fees or delays!
Analyzed Economic Effects
9 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 8 costs, 1 mixed.
Landing-boom equipment, training, documents
If your vessel is more than 50 m long and has a freeboard of 2 m or more, you may be equipped with landing booms but must have an adequate boom on each side, crew training, and onboard test certificates and maintenance records dated within 5 years. At U.S. locks vessels without landing booms may be tied up at approach walls based on lock personnel availability, and at Canadian locks such vessels may be delayed or put to anchor.
Up to 7 cm extra loading if DIS used
A vessel may load up to 7 cm more draught above the regular maximum if it has an approved Draught Information System (DIS) and meets requirements including an IACS-approved DIS, an operational AIS with Seaway-approved accuracy, up-to-date electronic and high-resolution bathymetric charts, an operational bow thruster, and onboard verification documents. Operators must notify the Manager or the Corporation at least 96 hours before intended use and email a completed DIS Confirmation Checklist 96 hours prior to initial transit of the season.
New mooring and hand-line equipment standards
The rule updates required mooring-line breaking strengths by ship length (e.g., ships 40–60 m require 10 MT breaking strength; ships over 200 m up to 225.5 m require 35 MT) and limits synthetic-line elongation to 20%. Hand lines must be uniform thickness with diameter between 12 mm and 18 mm and at least 30 m long. Fairlead placement for mooring lines is also specified by ship length ranges.
Burning shipboard garbage prohibited in zones
Burning shipboard garbage is now prohibited between call in point 2 (CIP 2) and Cape Vincent, and between CIP 15 and CIP 16. Vessels transiting those segments must retain and dispose of garbage ashore or per other rules.
Keep inspection, rules, and fire plans onboard
Every vessel in transit must keep a paper copy of its valid Ship Inspection Report in the wheelhouse, keep a paper or electronic copy of the Rules and the Seaway Notices for the current navigation year in the wheelhouse, and store a duplicate set of Fire Control Plans in a weather-tight enclosure outside the deckhouse for shore firefighting personnel.
Hands-Free Mooring: one crew member required
When a vessel is moored by the Hands-Free Mooring (HFM) system or passes through a lock without mooring lines, the vessel must have at least one well-rested crew member on deck during the lockage to assist the bridge team.
Gyro compass error and servicing rule
A gyro compass error greater than 2 degrees must be serviced before transiting the Seaway; if the error is found during transit it must be reported to the nearest Seaway station and serviced at the first opportunity.
Pleasure craft scheduling and reservations
At U.S. locks, pleasure craft transits will be scheduled by the traffic controller or officer in charge and may be delayed to avoid interference with other vessels. Every pleasure craft seeking to transit Canadian locks must first make a reservation on the Seaway website according to the available schedule.
Hot-work permission on approach walls and wharves
Before conducting hot work (flame, cutting, welding) on designated SLSMC approach walls, Cote St. Catherine wharf, or Welland Canal wharves, a written request should be sent to the SLSMC preferably 24 hours before arrival; hot work may not commence until SLSMC Traffic Control Center approval is obtained. Permission conditions include providing a copy of the vessel's Hot Work Permit, the name of the company doing the work, maintaining an effective fire watch, ceasing welding during vessel meets/lockages, and stopping work at the Traffic Controller's direction.
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