The working channel of Helsinki VTS sector 1 is VHF 71. 

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; for Port of Helsinki, see chapter “Permission to depart from the port of Helsinki”
• at the reporting points in the area, see the reporting points below

Reporting points:

1. Vessels must report 15 mins before arriving at the Kustaanmiekka or Särkänsalmi straits
2. Northbound vessels must report when passing Itätoukki
3. Vessels must report 15 mins before passing Kuiva Hevonen in the coastal fairway

Vessels in local traffic operating in Helsinki and equipped with a functioning and active Automatic Identification System (AIS) are required to report according to Reporting procedures only when visibility is less than 1 nautical mile.

Before departure from Port of Helsinki, vessels shall request a permission to depart from VTS.

Helsinki South Harbour and West Harbour

In Helsinki South Harbour and West Harbour, vessels must submit a departure report when they are ready to depart in 5 minutes. In West Harbour during strong winds (maximum wind speed 15 m/s) the vessel will not be granted permission to depart if another vessel, with a length over 215 m, is already in or about to enter the manoeuvering basin.

Vuosaari Harbour

In Vuosaari Harbour vessels must submit a departure report when they are ready to leave port. VTS grants or denies permission to depart from the port depending on the traffic situation. VTS does not grant permission to depart if there is a vessel in the fairway entering the harbour, and that vessel has passed Itätoukki, reported 15 minutes to Kuiva Hevonen or entered the area from the east from another sector. A granted permission to depart is in force for 15 minutes during which time the vessel must get underway. The vessel is required to give a report when underway. If the vessel is not ready to depart within 15 minutes and there are other vessels waiting for their turn to enter the area where meeting and overtaking is prohibited, the vessel misses its turn to depart. In that case the vessel must request a new permission to depart from VTS. The procedure regarding permission to depart also concerns vessels moving from one berth to another in the harbour area.

All vessels, except those in liner traffic sailing according to a published timetable, must give a preliminary notice of departure after berthing. Any changes to the time of departure indicated in the notice of departure or in the published liner traffic timetable must be reported to VTS as soon as possible. If a vessel departs later than the time reported in the notice of departure, the vessel must immediately report also this to the VTS.  VTS uses the data in the notice of departure for advance planning of the use of the fairway and the icebreaking in the harbour area. The procedure of giving a notice of departure does not apply to piloted vessels.

Vessels reporting at Itätoukki, entering the sector 1 area from the east or reporting 15 minutes prior to passing Kuiva Hevonen, will be given information by the VTS about meeting traffic and other information relevant to the safe passage of the ship. 

During strong winds (mean wind 13 m/s or more) the VTS recommends that vessels in Vuosaari fairway only meet south of Östra Rödhällen. The VTS does not organize the traffic of meeting vessels outside the area where meeting and overtaking is prohibited, but vessels are requested to agree among themselves on how to meet safely. 

When the use of the fairway is restricted due to the wind situation and vessels have to wait for entrance into the fairway, they have the option to reduce speed in order to ensure a safe meeting south of Östra Rödhällen. When organizing the traffic, the VTS makes sure that the vessel does not lose its turn to enter the fairway because of its reduced speed, by taking into account the original speed at which the vessel would have arrived at Itätoukki. 

VTS organizes inbound and outbound vessels to the West Harbour according to the schedules submitted by the vessels in advance. 

Inbound vessels are informed about the order in which to enter the fairway well in advance. The order is based on the agreed berthing times obtained by the Port of Helsinki.

Meeting and overtaking is permanently prohibited in the following areas covered by Helsinki VTS sector 1:

1. Särkänsalmi: Buoys Försök and Länsi-Musta 1 – buoy Särkkä itä between latitudes 60º 08,8’ N and 60º 09,1’ N in Särkkä fairway.
2. Kustaanmiekka strait: Between latitudes 60º 08,1’ N and 60º 08,6’ N in Kustaanmiekka-Sörnäinen fairway.
3. Katajaluoto - Lintupaadet: Buoy Katajaluoto - buoys Lintupaasi and Tallskär between latitudes 60° 06,1′ N and 60° 06,7′ N in Helsinki West harbour fairway.
4. Vuosaari fairway northern part: Buoy V 13 – buoy V 23 between latitudes 60° 11,1’ N and 60° 12,5’ N in Vuosaari 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.

1. In all fairway sections leading to a Helsinki port north of the latitude 60°06.0’N with Itäkari as the eastern limit: 30 km/h
2. In the harbour basins in the Port of Helsinki and around Klippan: 10 km/h
3. In the Vuosaari fairway a speed limit of 30 km/h is in force between Östra Rödhällen and Krokholmshället. 
4. A speed limit of 17 km/h is in force between Krokholmshället and Vuosaari Harbour as well as in the Vuosaari Harbour area.
5. During the winter season (1 November - 31 March) a speed limit of 24/h will be in force in the Vuosaari fairway between Krokholmshället and Vuosaari Harbour.

There are following official anchorages in the Helsinki VTS Sector 1 area:

1. Helsinki West harbour fairway 4710: Anchorage swept depth 13 m (MW 2005). Corner point coordinates (WGS84):

60°01.64'N        025°29.17'E

60°00.15'N        025°28.33'E

59°59.78'N        025°30.92'E

60°01.79'N        025°32.06'E

60°01.64'N        025°29.17'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

There are no remotely operated AtoNs in the Helsinki VTS sector 1 area.

2. Permanent Virtual AtoNs (V-AIS)

There are following permanent V-AIS-AtoNs in the Helsinki VTS sector 1 area:

• Ulkomatala       60°01.75'N        025°16.24'E
• Västra Balkan    60°04.01'N        025°19.21'E

3. Fault Reporting

AtoNs not working correctly? Please inform Helsinki VTS by VHF radio on channel 71 or call Turku Radio 0800-181818. 

Port of Helsinki

• +358 93 101 621
• port.helsinki@portofhelsinki.fi
• VHF 12

Port of Helsinki, Vuosaari

• + 358 (0) 40 129 3745
• shipservice.vuosaari@portofhelsinki.fi
• VHF 12

• Helsinki N

  60°04.00′N          024°58.20′E

• Helsinki S

  59°59.00′N          024°56.90′E

• Vuosaari

  60°04.96′N          025°09.79′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”.