The Panama Canal Authority has released a new Advisory to Shipping.
Effective October 1, 2023, all vessels with a beam of 109 feet or more transiting the Panama Canal 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 (PPU-RTK).