Obligation to use a pilot
The vessel shall use a pilot in the Finnish pilotage area, unless otherwise provided by the VTS fairway-specific limitation on the obligation to use a pilot or the vessel's cargo. The Finnish Transport and Communications Agency’s regulation TRAFICOM/452299/03.04.01.00/2022 lays down provisions on the obligation to use a pilot and the related procedures in Finnish waters.
Advance notification to Pilot Dispatch Centre
The vessel shall give the Pilot Dispatch Centre an advance notification of the need for pilotage at least 24 hours and 12 hours before arriving at the pilot boarding position and at least 12 hours and 6 hours before leaving the port. The advance notification shall include information on, for example, the need for pilotage, the technical characteristics of the vessel, the draught of the vessel at the beginning of pilotage, any technical deficiencies affecting pilotage, and other deficiencies that affect the safety of the pilot or pilotage negatively. The information will be submitted to Finnpilot, which will forward the information to VTS. For more details on the advance notification, please visit Finnpilot at https://finnpilot.fi/en/for-customers/service-terms-for-pilotage/.
Pilot Exemption Certificate
If a vessel has been granted a Pilot Exemption Certificate or it has been granted exemption from compulsory pilotage, the master of the vessel shall, upon entry into a VTS area, report the number of the exemption to the VTS centre. This report can also be submitted in advance. An advance notice can be made for several voyages at the same time.
Pilotage Requirement in the Saimaa VTS Area
In the Saimaa Canal, vessels with a maximum length greater than 35 metres and towing combinations whose combined maximum length of the towing vessel and the towed vessel(s) exceeds 35 metres are subject to compulsory pilotage.
On the VTS fairways in the Saimaa VTS area, vessels with a maximum length greater than 50 metres and towing combinations where the towing vessel’s maximum length exceeds 50 metres or the combined maximum length of the towed vessel(s) exceeds 50 metres are subject to compulsory pilotage.
This does not apply to log floating operations in the Saimaa water area.
Fairway-Specific or Area-Specific Exemption from Pilotage (PEC Certificate)
A vessel is exempt from compulsory pilotage if the bridge is manned by at least one person holding a Pilotage Exemption Certificate (PEC) with a valid exemption for the relevant fairway and vessel.
A PEC certificate may include either a fairway-specific exemption or an area-specific exemption for all VTS fairways in the area. In the Saimaa region, an area-specific exemption applies to deep fairways.
Other fairways besides VTS fairways may also be added to the area-specific exemption if the vessel operates on fairways other than VTS fairways.
Further Information
For more information about pilotage and pilotage certificates, please contact: luotsausasiat@traficom.fi.
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