The working channel of Hanko VTS is VHF 67. 

Reports should include the following information:

• Name of the vessel
• Name of reporting point
• Destination
• Intended route. If an alternative route is selected, this must be reported. 

Required reports:

• upon entry into the VTS Area
• before anchoring
• before leaving an anchorage 
• after berthing
• before leaving port
• at the reporting points in the area, see the reporting points below

Reporting points:

• Westbound vessels coming from the direction of Barösund must report 20 mins before passing the Koverhar fairway (Nyberskan).
• Eastbound vessels shall report 20 minutes before passing Fläckgrund light to Hanko VTS on VHF channel 67.
• Westbound vessels shall report 20 minutes before passing Fläckgrund light to Archipelago VTS on VHF channel 71.

Meeting and overtaking is permanently prohibited in the following area covered by Hanko VTS:

1. Nybergskan - Skomarskär: Sector ligt Nybergskan – buoys Brännskär and Skomakarskär between latitudes 59° 50,5’ N and 59° 50,8’ N in Lappohja fairway.
2. Smörsten - Norra Klippingen: Buoy Skogskärsport – buoy Norra Klippingen between latitudes 59° 49,3’ N and 59° 50,0 ’N in Utö-Hanko fairway (eastern part).
3. Albertsklackarna: Buoy Östertistron – buoy Granskär between longitudes 022° 54,7’ E and 022° 52,9′ E in Utö-Hanko fairway (eastern part).
4. Kistskär - Tulliniemi: Buoys Kistskär SV and Måsgrundet – buoys Tulliniemi and Lilla Ankargrundet between longitudes 022° 52,5' E and 022° 54,8' E in Kistskär–Tulliniemi fairway.

The meeting and overtaking prohibition areas do not apply to tugs when they are assisting within the meeting and overtaking prohibition area, or to vessels performing icebreaking assistance.

There are following official anchorages in the Hanko VTS area:

1. Hanko fairway 4110: Anchorage swept depth 19 m (MW 2005). Corner point coordinates (WGS84):

59°39.76'N        022°57.54'E

59°39.78'N        022°59.46'E

59°40.75'N        022°59.43'E

59°40.73'N        022°57.51'E

59°39.76'N        022°57.54'E

2. Lappohja fairway 4195: Anchorage swept depth 19 m (MW 2005). Corner point coordinates (WGS84):

59°40.17'N        023°17.54'E

59°40.18'N        023°19.46'E

59°41.15'N        023°19.44'E

59°41.14'N        023°17.52'E

59°40.17'N        023°17.54'E

A vessel must always notify both the VTS and the Finnish Border Guard when anchoring in Finland’s territorial waters. The vessel must make the notification either itself or through its agent. In addition, a vessel anchoring in territorial waters is required to make an electronic customs declaration, even if the vessel is not going to call at a Finnish port.

After leaving a port in Finland, the vessel must also check with the Finnish Border Guard whether anchoring in Finnish territorial waters is possible. Also in this case, a vessel remaining at anchor must make an electronic customs declaration.

1. Remotely operated AtoNs

Upon request, VTS can adjust the brightness of aids to navigation in the Port of Hanko.

2. Permanent Virtual AtoNs (V-AIS)

There are following permanent V-AIS-AtoNs in the Hanko VTS area:

• Hanko No 10               59° 48,54'N        022° 54.27'E

3. Fault Reporting

AtoNs not working correctly? Please inform Hanko VTS by VHF radio on channel 67 or call Turku Radio 0800-181818. 

• Hanko S

  59°42.50′N           023°05.80′E

• Hanko N

  59°46.87′N           023°00.31′E

Use of channels that deviates from the channel design refers to a situation where a vessel uses a channel in a manner that deviates from the channel’s design and the adequacy of the channel space cannot be ensured based on the design. If the vessel’s static draught is greater than the channel’s design draught taking into account the current water level, the vessel shall ensure that her net under keel clearance remains adequate and demonstrate it to the VTS Centre that is responsible for monitoring the fairway.

Vessel’s operator, agent or master shall give the notice of channel use at least 24 hours before its arrival at the pilot boarding position, or if the vessel is expected to arrive in less than 24 hours, no later than when the vessel has left the port of departure for a Finnish port. A vessel departing a Finnish port shall give the notice of channel use as soon as possible, at latest when the departure report is given.

The notice of channel use shall include the following items:

A. Vessel’s name

B. Which channel or part of channel the vessel is intending to use in a manner that deviates from the channel design

C. What is the manner that deviates from the channel design

D. Length between perpendiculars LBP and Breadth

E. Static Draught

F. Centre of Buoyancy, KB

G. Centre of Gravity, KG

H. Metacentric Height, GM

I. Block Coefficent, Cb

When ensuring the adequate net UKC and giving the notice of channel use, it is recommended to utilize the tools provided by the Finnish Transport and Infrastructure Agency. The notice of channel use can be given in the form of a squat calculation made with the Squat Calculator with regard to items D–I. The calculation can be shared as a link, or as a pdf-printout sent by e-mail to the VTS Centre. When using the Squat Calculator, it is enough to write the information of points A–C in the e-mail.

In Hanko VTS, Helsinki VTS and Kotka VTS monitoring areas the notice of channel use should be sent to the email address supervisors.hki@fintraffic.fi. Title the email ”Notice of channel use”.