UKC Policy for the Port of Rotterdam
Conference/JournalMARIN Report 132
Date30 Sep 2021
On behalf of the Port of Rotterdam Authority MARIN conducted a study to substantiate guidelines for the minimum Under Keel Clearance (UKC) for ultra large container vessels.
With the dimensions of container vessels continually increasing and given the tendency to visit the port laden to the maximum draught more often, a question arose about whether the current rules for UKC in the inner port are still safe. The study was conducted in cooperation with Deltares and the Dutch Maritime Pilot Association.
With the dimensions of container vessels continually increasing and given the tendency to visit the port laden to the maximum draught more often, a question arose about whether the current rules for UKC in the inner port are still safe. The study was conducted in cooperation with Deltares and the Dutch Maritime Pilot Association.
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Dimitri van Heel
Senior Project Manager/Teamleider
When manoeuvring these large vessels, pilots use the Navigator Marginal Ships (NMS) which provides high accuracy positioning and path prediction, but also records heel angles and antenna height. By studying NMS data, allowances for the experienced heel due to turning and wind could be determined for different sections of the port. It was interesting to observe that increasing engine revolutions and rudder use contributed considerably to the heel angle at certain points.
Example of studied voyages and recorded NMS data