Panama canal levels.

[John Arton]

The max allowable draft for canal transit has been lowered to its least level in many years due to drought in the region. This has lead to a drop in transit numbers due to the need to preserve water levels in the gatun lake's
This has led to a backlog of vessels awaiting transit, especially on the Pacific side.
In addition to the usual fees the canal authority have been holding daily auctions for transit of max draft or certain classes of vessels.
At a recent auction the owners of a loaded gas tanker paid 4 million dollars to get a transit slot.
Bit expensive what!!!!!
Rgds
J.A

[John Cassels]

That must make for some interesting situations. when you load down to maximum canal draft plus expected consumption less
sinkage and then when arriving find that max permitted draft has altered and you are way over ? . What will owner/charterer do ?.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

HI John
Must be worth it to the Owners and Shippers, they can always pass on the costs. Price rises every day no one knows how come, that may be one of them.
Des

[John Cassels]

Morning Des, yes , costs of course but I was really refering as to the operational side. Do you wait and hope the situation will improve
in the near future or send her round the cape . Must be a difficult one and a bit of a gamble.

[j.sabourn]

#1 The maximum deepest draft for the Welland Canal passage Montreal up to the Great Lakes used to be 27 ft. 6 inches .Does anyone know if that is still the same or not ? There were serious fines if you exceeded this . The second ship I was on coming out of the lakes was 33 feet fully loaded had 6 holds and had to work out how not to exceed 27ft. 6 inches without breaking the grain regulations re slack holds and burnout in the lakes themselves .
Before topping off in 3 Rivers in the St. Lawrence. The owners come charterers wanted every ton out of the Lake ports as was a much higher freight rate. JS

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi John #4
One of the most talked about things here in Aus is rising costs, that is one of the invisible's to ordinary people, having to go around the Horn would be one of them.
Cheers Des

[happy daze john in oz]

Des, most people have no understanding of shipping costs.
Speaking with the butcher manager in Woolworths, as he said the public complain about prices but shipping and power costs are killers for any business.

[John Arton]

Bit more on the Panama canal situation.
Rgds
J.A
https://splash247.com/shipping-locks...version-plans/

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi John.
After reading that; it seems that we have seen nearly the beginning and the end of the Panama, if the area around Panama becomes caught up in drought conditions it will be struggling to keep afloat so to speak. Looking at those ships in the canal there is not much room between ship and the concrete.
Desd

[happy daze john in oz]

Des, the size of some ships now there is no surprise about that.
But droughts as with floods do end eventually and this one I am sure is no different.

Meanwhile the 'mules' will have to go thirsty.