The working channel of Kotka 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:

1. 10 minutes before entering Ruotsinsalmi

Meeting and overtaking is permanently prohibited in the following areas covered by Kotka VTS:

1. Ruotsinsalmi: Buoy Ruotsinsalmi B – edge mark Ruotsinsalmen diktaali 2 between latitudes 60° 27,4’ N and 60° 27,95’ N in Ruotsinsalmi fairway.
2. Hamina, Saukko: Buoy H 13 – buoy H 18 between latitudes 60º 26,2’ N and 60º 27,4’ N in Hamina fairway.
3. Hudö: Buoys Hudö 4 and Täktarn 3 – buoy Täktarn 7 between latitudes 60° 20,4′ N and 60° 21,4′ N in Loviisa fairway.
4. Trollholmen:Buoy Mackenzie – buoy Kalkgrundet at Port of Loviisa border between latitudes 60° 23,1′ N and 60° 24,2′ N in Loviisa 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 Kotka VTS area:

1. Mussalo fairway 5510: Anchorage swept depth 19 m (MW 2005). Corner point coordinates (WGS84):

60°10.99'N        026°19.59'E

60°11.00'N        026°21.22'E

60°11.86'N        026°21.20'E

60°11.85'N        026°19.58'E

60°10.99'N        026°19.59'E

2. Orrengrund-Kotka 5385: Anchoreage swept depth 19 m (MW 2005). Corner point coordinates (WGS84):

60°08.43'N        026°26.13'E

60°08.44'N        026°28.07'E

60°09.41'N        026°28.05'E

60°09.40'N        026°26.11'E

60°08.43'N        026°26.13'E

3. Loviisa fairway 5345: Anchorage swept depth 11 m (MW2005). Corner point coordinates (WGS84):

60°22.01'N        026°17.26'E

60°21.53'N        026°18.26'E

60°22.10'N        026°17.70'E

60°22.61'N        026°17.18'E

60°22.34'N        026°16.58'E

60°22.33'N        026°16.61'E

60°22.01'N        026°17.26'E

4. Haapasaari fairway 5730: Anchorage swept depth 9,2 m (MW2005). Corner point coordinates (WGS84):

60°17.93'N        027°11.21'E

60°18.31'N        027°10.57'E

60°18.11'N        027°10.49'E

60°17.77'N        027°11.09'E

60°17.93'N        027°11.21'E

5. Hamina fairway 5507: Anchorage swept depth 13,8 m (MW2005). Corner point coordinates (WGS84):

60°25.32'N        027°15.53'E

60°26.21'N        027°16.00'E

60°26.09'N        027°15.38'E

60°25.57'N        027°15.10'E

60°25.32'N        027°15.53'E

6. Hamina fairway 5507: Anchorage swept depth 13,5 m (MW2005). Corner point coordinates (WGS84):

60°28.64'N        027°15.27'E

60°28.97'N        027°15.30'E

60°29.13'N        027°14.87'E

60°29.04'N        027°14.23'E

60°28.64'N        027°15.27'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 15,3 m fairway between Kiviletto and Mussalo.

2. Permanent Virtual AtoNs (V-AIS)

There are no permanent V-AIS-AtoNs in the Kotka VTS area.

3. Fault Reporting

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

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”.

Hamina and Kotka

Vessels are required to maintain listening watch on VHF channel 11 in the port area and VHF channel 12 in the Hamina port area. 

Entry reports by phone (or VHF):

1. Vessels arriving at the Hamina and Kotka ports must report their entry to the shift supervisor at the pilot boarding position.
2. In addition, vessels with a destination in Hietanen, Hietanen South, Kantasatama and Sunila must report to the shift supervisor when passing Mussalo. 
3. The additional report to be made by vessels with a destination in Hamina is agreed upon in the first report.

An unmooring request must be submitted to the shift supervisor at least two hours before departure.

The port regulations, general guidelines and other instructions provided by the Port of HaminaKotka must be complied with in the area.

Anchoring next to berths is forbidden.

Contact details of the shift supervisor in charge of monitoring the port’s vessel traffic 24/7:

• phone             +358 (0)20 790 8840
• email               crane.vessel@haminakotka.fi
• VHF channel   11

• Haapasaari

  60°15.05′N        027°16.90′E

• Kotkan Majakka

   60°10.01′N        026°36.20′E

• Orrengrund N

  60°16.80′N        026°26.00′E

• Orrengrund S

  60°14.30′N        026°25.36′E

• Santio

  60°26.71′N        027°41.76′E