CanalPilot – Compliance with the New Panama Canal Requirement for Transiting Neopanamax Vessels from October 1st, 2023

Based on Panama Canal Authority’s Advisory to Shipping No. A-32-2022, all vessels with a beam of 109 feet (33.22 meters) or more, transiting Panama Canal from 1^st October 2023, will be required to have a fixed (non-portable) piloting unit with Real Time Kinematics (RTK) for submeter accuracy.

This measure is expected to improve the efficiency of the waterway by eliminating the delays associated with the installation of portable piloting units.
According to the Panama Canal Authorities, from October 1st 2023 the compliance of the piloting unit will become part of the vessel’s arrival inspection.

TECHNAVA S.A. is the official representative of Navicom Dynamics Ltd, a well-respected manufacturer who offers a solution that is officially approved by Autoridad del Canal de Panamá (ACP).

CanalPilot
The CanalPilot is a highly accurate, independent non-portable piloting unit.
The absolute position is calculated from raw GNSS data and can be augmented with Satellite, Ground based or Internet derived corrections, depending on the system configuration.

The CanalPilot is a dual antenna heading system. It utilizes the primary antenna to derive its position and the secondary antenna to derive the heading.
A VHF antenna and UHF antenna are mounted externally to receive AIS information and receive UHF RTK corrections respectively.

• Tested and approved by the Autoridad del Canal de Panamá (ACP).
• Can be easily installed by the crew of the vessel with instructions provided by the manufacturer.
• Does not require yearly fee.
• Does not require any additional services or software to be compliant with the ACP regulations.
• Utilizes Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) data to achieve positional accuracy to < 10 cm range.
• Fixed inside the vessel & powered from mains or 24V DC // Battery backup for 6 hours.
• Navicom can also provide training to the crew and provide assistance for confirmation of correct installation via remote methods.