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Adoption of the maximum speed on the North Sea Canal and on the Afgesloten IJ until the Stenen Hoofd at Amsterdam

2020/35
From 30 Jul 2020

The Director of the Central Nautical Management North Sea Canal Area, who is also the (State) Harbour Master, announces the following:

Having regard to:

Articles 3, 4, 5 and 7 of the Shipping Traffic Act;

Article 5.01, paragraph 1, of the Inland Navigation Police Regulations (BPR);

Article 13 of the Shipping Traffic Administrative Provisions Decree;

Central Government Nautical Responsibilities Mandate Decree 2013.

Whereas:

  • The Director of the Central Nautical Management North Sea Canal Area has been mandated on behalf of the Director-General of Rijkswaterstaat to adopt Decrees with the same purpose as traffic signs under or pursuant to the Shipping Traffic Act;
  • To ensure a safe, smooth and environmentally sound flow of shipping traffic and in order to maintain the usability of the fairway, speed limits for ships have been established;
  • A speed limit also contributes to the prevention or limitation of damage caused by shipping traffic to the water regime, banks, structures and berths located in and along the waterway;
  • The placing of traffic signs is not efficient in this case;
  • Research has shown that, due to insufficient under keel clearances, ships with certain draughts sailing at the current maximum speed could cause damage to underwater structures such as tunnels;
  • This Decree is to ensure that all ships allowed to enter the North Sea Canal Area maintain an under keel clearance that is as safe as possible;
  • Ships with draughts of more than 13.10 metres s.w.¹ /13.40 metres f.w.² up to a maximum of 13.75 metres s.w./14.05 metres f.w. will need an exemption to pass through the IJmuiden lock complex;
  • This Decree establishes the legal basis to allow seagoing ships - with or without the exemption as referred to above - to enter the North Sea Canal Area and the Afgesloten IJ and to have them maintain a safe speed and an under keel clearance that is as safe as possible;
  • This Decree repeals the previously applicable Decrees;
  • The regulations laid down hereinafter are clear and enforceable.

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¹ Draught assessed in salt water

² Draught measured in fresh water

 

Has decreed the following:

Article 1:

The maximum speed limits for ships on the North Sea Canal, including the IJmuiden Noorderbuitenkanaal and Zuiderbuitenkanaal, the approach channels to the IJmuiden locks, as well as the Afgesloten IJ up to the west side of Stenen Hoofd at Amsterdam are as follows:

a. Ships with draughts of less than 4.00 metres : 18 km/h or 9.7 knots;

b. Ships with draughts of 4.00 metres or more and less than 8.00 metres : 14 km/h or 7.6 knots;

c. Ships with draughts of 8.00 metres or more : 12 km/h or 6.5 knots;

d. Subject to the provisions of c., the maximum speed limits for ships passing the Velsen road and railway tunnels (between North Sea Canal kilometre markers 4.1 and 4.3) are as follows:

  • Ships with draughts between 13.25 - 13.55 metres s.w.¹ /13.55 - 13.85 metres f.w.² : 8 km/h or 4.3 knots;
  • Ships with draughts between 13.55 - 13.75 metres s.w.¹ /13.85 - 14.05 metres f.w.² : 6 km/h or 3.2 knots with compulsory assistance of a stern tug and, if necessary, a second tug on the advice of the pilot;

Please Note: When the ships mentioned under d. are passing the Velsen tunnels, other ships are not allowed to overtake them or meet them on opposite courses.

Article 2:

The provisions of article 1 do not apply to small ships as referred to in the Inland Navigation Police Regulations (BPR). Small ships are ships of up to 20 metres in length subject to a maximum speed of 20 km/h or 10.8 knots.

Article 3:

The Director of the Central Nautical Management may grant exemption of the provisions in article 1.

The exemption may be subject to conditions and restrictions.

Article 4:

This Decree enters into force on 30 July 2020 at 00.00 LT. With the entering into effect of this Decree, the Decree included in Announcement to Shipping No. 20/2020, dated 13 May 2020, will be repealed.

 

On behalf of the Director-General of Rijkswaterstaat

The Director of the Central Nautical Management North Sea Canal Area,

 

J.H.M. Mateyo

 

Should you have any questions about this Announcement, please contact the Duty Operations Manager at the following telephone number: +31 205 234 692.

In accordance with the Algemene Wet Bestuursrecht (the Dutch General Administrative Law Act), a written notice of objection may be lodged against this Decree. The notice of objection must be lodged with the Executive Board of the Central Nautical Management North Sea Canal Area, Postbus 19406, 1000 GK Amsterdam. The notice of objection must be signed and must contain at least the name and address of the person lodging the objection, the date, a description of the Decree against which the objection is lodged as well as the grounds for objection. If you choose to be represented, we request you to submit an authorization. The notice of objection shall have no suspensive force. If, pending the objection procedure, the situation requires a suspension or immediate relief, an application to grant suspension or provisional relief may be submitted to the Judge in Preliminary Relief Proceedings of the Administrative Law Sector of the District Court of The Hague, Postbus 20302, 2500 EH Den Haag. For this procedure, court fees are due.