Effective from January 1st, 2014
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) will require the use of an Under Keel ClearanceManagement (UKCM) system for vessels transiting through the Torres Strait from 1 January 2014.
The Torres Strait is a vital shipping route for the Asia-Pacific region and is traversed by a number oflarge vessels each week.
The UKCM system allows vessel operators and coastal pilots to plan the safeand efficient passage of deep draught vessels through the Torres Strait with accurate vessel informationand environmental data from tide, stream, wind and wave sensors.
The web based system is designed to monitor the depth of water under a ship’s keel as it traverses theTorres Strait.AMSA Chief Executive Officer Graham Peachey said the aim of the system is to enhance shippingsafety in the Torres Strait by ensuring the minimum under keel clearance requirements are met.
“The UKCM system is a standardised system that provides an enhanced level of safety for vesselstransiting this unique area,” Mr Peachey said.
“The Under Keel Clearance Management (UKCM) system first become operational in Australian watersin December 2011 and since then, AMSA has been monitoring its use and operation.
“The system has been used successfully by a number of coastal pilots over the past two years and hasbeen determined to meet all the required specifications.
“The implementation of the UKCM system means all coastal pilots in the Torres Strait will be using thesame system,” he said.
Over the past few months, AMSA has been running training programs on the UKCM system for coastalpilots operating in the Torres Strait.
UKCM systems are often used in ports; however this is the first time a UKCM system has beenimplemented in a coastal environment in Australia.
The UKCM system complements the Great BarrierReef and Torres Strait Vessel Traffic Service (REEFVTS) as one of a number of protective measuresimplemented by AMSA to enhance the safety of shipping in environmentally sensitive marine areas.
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What is Under Keel Clearance? Under Keel Clearance, or UKC, is the vertical distancebetween the lowest part of the ship’s hull and theseabed. Maintaining a UKC margin in Torres Straitis important because it ensures a ship’s keel is keptclear of the seabed and minimises the chance of thevessel running aground in that area.
Image Credit: AMSA |
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Torres Strait can be a navigationally hostile anddemanding environment. It lies between Papua NewGuinea and the northern tip of the Australian continentand is a vital shipping route for the Asia-Pacific region.Numerous large vessels transit Torres Strait and facemany challenges to safe navigation due to the numerousreefs, shallow waters, complex tides, strong tidalstreams, strong winds and seasonal rain squalls whichaffect visibility.The UKCM System is in use for vessels transiting thePrince Of Wales Channel in Torres Strait as seen theblack box in Figure below
Image Credti: AMSA |
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The UKCM system is web-based anduses accurate vessel information, hydrodynamicmodelling to predict the motion of the ship (squat andheel) and the latest bathymetry and environmental datafrom tide, stream, wind and wave sensors to estimatea vessel’s UKC in real time.UKCM allows coastal pilots and vessel operators toplan and monitor the safe and efficient passage of deepdraught vessels transiting Torres Strait. By adheringto a set of operational parameters, the UKCM systemallows the calculation of tidal windows to meet AMSA’sunder keel clearance requirements. The system canthen be used to monitor the UKC margin throughoutthe ship’s transit.
Image Credit: AMSA |
Very good site, self explanatory, i am proud of you guys. Keep it up.
That’s a good article. It’s worth mentioning that each ship and company as per their SMS have in place an UKC system of their own for many decades. Every ship includes in it’s passage plan this calculation including squat, height of tide and an included safety margin. So, this system will be operating on top of the existing system. It’s not like we’ve just been driving around without one.