Reporting procedures
The working channel of Saimaa VTS is VHF 9.
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.
- Length of tow
Departure report:
Vessels arriving to Lake Saimaa shall submit a departure report upon departure from Mälkiä lock.
Required reports:
- upon entry into the VTS area
- when leaving the VTS area
- before anchoring
- before leaving an anchorage
- after berthing
- before leaving port/lock
- at the reporting points in the area, see the reporting points below
Reporting points, 10 minutes before passing the following places:
- Kuhaluoto, southbound
- Vekaransalonsalmi
- Hätinvirta
- Puumalansalmi
- Pahikka
- Vekaransalmi
- Härkinsalo, northbound
- Kommersalmi, southbound
- Laitaatsalmi
- Matarinsalmi
- Haponlahden kaivanto, northbound
- Sorsavirta, when arriving from the direction of Joensuu
- Virtasaari, when arriving from the direction of Varkaus
- Tappuvirta
- Tahkosalmi
- Sinikonniemi, southbound
- Muuraispuro, northbound
- Patasalmi, northbound
- Kolikon kaivanto, southbound
- Kortesalmi, northbound
- Aittoluoto, southbound
- Hanhivirta
- Vihtakanta
- in case a vessel using deep water route wants Saimaa VTS to order the opening of the bridge, the vessel must report to Saimaa VTS one hour before passing it; in this case the 10 minute report in Vihtakanta is not required
- Vuosalmi, northbound
- Vuoharju, southbound
Vessels towing timber rafts are an exception to the above. These should report to the VTS when approaching the above-mentioned narrow passages so far in advance that the towage can be interrupted before the narrow passage, due to for example a vessel in distress or some other obstruction.
Speed limits
- Haponlahti Canal
- 9 km/h when vessel’s draught exceeds 3,5 m
- 13 km/h when vessel’s draught is 3,5 m or less
- Laitaatsalmi 15 km/h
- Kaukaanselkä 9 km/h
- Vihtakanta 9 km/h
- Kortesalmi 9 km/h
- Pitkälänniemi 9 km/h
- Pussilantaipale
- 9 km/h when vessel’s draught exceeds 3,5 m
- 13 km/h when vessel’s draught is 3,5 m or less
- Muuraispuro Canal
- 13 km/h when proceeding southbound and downstream
- 9 km/h in other cases
- Leppävirta 15 km/h
- Rahasalmi 9 km/h
In addition, there are speed limits in the harbour areas presented in the port regulations.
Aids to Navigation
1. Automatic and remotely operated AtoNs
The Haponlahti-Heinsalmi fairway section features Aids to Navigation with automatic brightness adjustment based on prevailing visibility conditions and the presence of AIS traffic (Class A) in the area. Automatic adjustment is only available in the dark and can only increase the light output of the aids to navigation beyond their nominal intensity. Visibility is measured using a visibility sensor placed on the Vihtakanta bridge. There may be wide local variations in visibility conditions, so the information provided by the visibility sensor does not necessarily represent visibility throughout the entire fairway.
Upon request, Saimaa VTS can also manually adjust the brightness of the Aids to Navigation:
- in the Haponlahti-Heinsalmi fairway, and;
- in the Laitaatsalmi fairway section.
2. Permanent Virtual AtoNs (V-AIS)
There are following permanent V-AIS-AtoNs in the Saimaa VTS area:
- Kalliomatala 61° 37,68'N 028° 33,22'E
3. Fault Reporting
AtoNs not working correctly? Please inform Saimaa VTS by VHF radio on channel 9 or call Turku Radio 0800-181818.
Anchoring
There are no official anchorages in the Saimaa VTS area.
Canals
Pilot boarding positions
Haapavesi
61°53.97′N 028°49.40′E
Mälkiä
61°4.26′N 028°18.23′E
Puumala
61°31.37′N 028°10.20′E
Simuna
61°50.90′N 028°52.30′E
Taipale canal
62°18.19′N 027°54.61′E
Vuokala
62°9.37′N 029°12.30′E
Notice of channel use
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 Archipelago VTS, Bothnia VTS, Saimaa VTS and West Coast VTS monitoring areas the notice of channel use should be sent to the email address supervisors.west@fintraffic.fi. Title the email “Notice of channel use”.
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