Integrated Vessel Pilot Systems for Panama Canal and Beyond
Cocolí Locks, on the Pacific Ocean end of the Panama Canal, showing water recycling ponds.
By Simon Lightbody
The navigation of ships through the Panama Canal, and in fact, through any narrow port, harbor or channel in the world, is one that requires precision and skill, particularly when it comes to ships the size of the Panamax and Neopanamax class.
While positioning technology has helped improve the movement of these large vessels through confined spaces, the canal infrastructure still takes the brunt of even the slightest miss. In the Panama Canal, the lock chambers measure 427 m long, with a 55-m beam and 18.3-m draft. Neopanamax container ships, up to 366 m in length, with a 51.25-m beam and 15.2-m draft, are approved for transit through the new canal—leaving little room for error as the vessels move from lock to lock.
As Panama Canal navigation management has found, even small impacts or slight hits against the lock walls from these large vessels can cause significant damage. Those damages accumulate quickly when 35 to 40 ships, on average, transit the waterway every day, which can lead to costly repairs and delays.
To reduce the chance of vessel grounding and minimize damage to the canal, the Panama Canal Authority mandated that large vessels (ships 33.22 m or wider) must have an approved, permanently installed (non-portable) piloting unit with real-time kinematic (RTK) positioning capabilities for submeter accuracy. Effective October 2023, this mandate is a significant operational shift, as, for many years, the Panama Canal pilots have had to bring their own portable navigation system aboard each ship transiting the canal.
The non-portable, onboard pilot systems give canal pilots extremely accurate and reliable navigation data as the ships transit through the canal. These pre-configured add-ons also reduce risk for the canal pilots, who would otherwise have to calibrate these systems every time they step on board a ship; a mobilization/demobilization practice that increases the chance of inaccuracy and, thus, risk.
Onboard pilot systems enable the pilot to make decisions for safety of navigation in confined spaces, faster turnarounds, and use of fewer personnel for guidance. But what makes these systems truly groundbreaking is the potential they have to reshape global ship navigation well beyond the Panama Canal.
A Trimble GNSS marine antenna mounted on a vessel in Lake Gatun, an artificial lake that forms a major part of the Panama Canal.
A Pilot of Purpose
Permanently installed pilot systems are made up of several critical technologies. They incorporate a GNSS receiver and an inertial measurement unit (IMU) for precise centimeter positioning data, as well as heading and rate of turn information with wireless data streaming.
The systems are also fully integrated with an automatic identification system (AIS). An AIS, the automated tracking system that displays other vessels in the vicinity, incorporates one VHF transmitter, two VHF time-division multiple access (TDMA) receivers, one VHF digital selective calling (DSC) receiver, and a standard marine electronic communications link to shipboard display and sensor systems. The broadcast transponder system operates in the VHF mobile maritime band.
The onboard pilot system must be able to receive signals and corrections from the Panama Canal’s RTK base stations, which includes Trimble Alloy GNSS reference receivers that broadcast corrections over Trimble 450-MHz radios or via cellular. These base stations provide reliable 24/7/365 GNSS signals.
To date, the Panama Canal Authority has approved eight non-portable pilot systems for use in the canal, each with some unique characteristics.
For instance, Trimble’s MPS566 pilot system includes an MPS566 receiver with an easy-to-read status screen and an AIS receiver. The MPS566 receiver supplies vessel positioning data and rate of turn to enable the pilot to make decisions for safety of navigation in confined spaces. It also allows for faster turnarounds while requiring fewer personnel for guidance. It incorporates dual Trimble GA830 GNSS antennas, which are designed for harsh marine conditions, combined with an IMU to monitor the vessel in 3D. The integrated AIS receiver sends data to the MPS566 so that a Wi-Fi stream is delivered to a pilot’s tablet or iPad.
The system was initially tested in New Zealand in 2023 on a roll-on/roll-off ferry along the Wellington to Picton inter-island route between the North and South Islands of New Zealand. The pilot app was loaded with LINZ S-63 charts. Over the course of two months, the pilot app components, including AIS, were tested for accuracy and reliability on that route.
The system also includes 8 hr. of backup battery, which exceeds the Panama Canal Authority’s requirements (5 hr.), in case of possible power outages. Backup support is available through an optional remote access log-in with a SIM card. Pilots can also remotely log on to the MPS566 receiver if it is connected to the ship’s internet for additional support.
It’s a complete onboard package designed to improve communication between the ship’s captain, the Panama Canal pilot, tugs and other canal personnel. Notably, onboard pilot systems are also helping captains improve situational awareness during canal transit and port approach.
Trimble MPS566 pilot system components, which are approved for permanent installation on Neopanamax vessels transiting the Panama Canal.
Global Opportunities
The value of permanent onboard pilot systems is relevant beyond the Panama Canal. As more ports and canals recognize the safety, efficiency and cost-saving benefits of these precise positioning systems, the global adoption of these systems on large ships (and likely even smaller ships) is expected to grow.
Other major canals, such as the Suez Canal in Egypt or Kiel Canal in Germany, may also adopt similar onboard pilot system requirements for precise navigation systems. Fast ferry docking is another opportunity for non-portable pilot systems to improve safe, efficient vessel docking in locations where vessels are not required to have a specialized pilot to board.
A non-portable onboard pilot system is an excellent sensor for real-time under-keel clearance. As the behavior of the ship is affected by vessel loading and dynamics, it is now possible to know its exact draft so the pilot system can help pilots make better decisions, such as adjusting speed for safe under-keel clearance.
In the future, these non-portable pilot units could remove the need for portable pilot units that come with a number of challenges, including extra weight for the pilot, setup time, calibration and the potential for possible errors during measure-up.
With advanced GNSS receivers and positioning systems integrated on board ships, marine pilots can leverage the existing GNSS infrastructure assets installed in ports and canals around the world for precise navigation. Marine pilotage in general and particularly in complex environments, such as canals, rivers, harbors, and ports, can be made safer and more efficient if the GNSS is already on board and calibrated.
It’s a significant technology advancement that will allow vessels of all sizes, from large commercial ships to smaller vessels, to benefit from precise guidance, berthing, docking and pilotage capabilities. In the near future, these non-portable pilot systems could be used by marine pilots on any size ship, enabling them to board and navigate with precision, using just a tablet or iPad.
Eventually, it is possible that a marine pilot will remotely access the permanently installed pilot system and the ship’s other navigation systems so they will not need to board the vessel, which will enhance safety.