Start with Vessel Notification

In this article we explain key features and useful components of the service Vessel Notification. 

The service works according to the principle:

• Click and Act: from your overview you click for more details and to carry out the required actions
• Manage by exception: exceptions are highlighted in the service. You can clearly see where action is required

Within the overview you can easily search using your own search term. 

Visit overview 

In the Visit overview you have 24/7 real-time insight into all your vessel visits. Everything is clearly grouped together: at the top the expected vessels, below that the arrived vessels, then the departed vessels and finally the cancelled vessel visits

Create a new vessel visit

• Click the New visit button.
• Fill in the mandatory fields such as vessel, port of call, location and ETA and click Create visit.
• In the Visit overview you will see the created vessel visit.

You can create a new vessel visit based on a previous visit. If you enter the call reference number of that previous vessel visit, all data will be copied automatically, except for the times.

Reporting an incoming or transit voyage

Notifications must be submitted in accordance with the applicable rules in the Shipping Notifications and Communication Regulation. The reporting time is no later than 24 hours (geulers 48 hours) before arrival at the Sea Buoy and then for every deviation of more than 30 minutes.

Intentions 

When reporting an incoming or transit voyage you must make a choice:

• Waiting for orders (WFO) When there is not yet a known time at which the vessel can enter and it remains outside until further notice. The rest of the notification can be completed as fully as possible
• Request for entry (RFE) The time at which the vessel can enter is (approximately) known and the time aspects in the notification can be completed.

ETA sea buoy 

You must also enter the ETA sea buoy. This is the reference time for the expected arrival of the vessel at the sea buoy.

The sea buoy is the offshore location that serves as a reference point for arrival at the port location:

• For Rotterdam this is the Maas Center buoy.

• For Amsterdam this is the Kruispost.

Does a vessel anchor before reaching the sea buoy? Then the ETA sea buoy is a virtual time: the vessel’s timeline is extrapolated up to the sea buoy.

Is a vessel coming from the hinterland? Then you cannot choose WFO and there is also no sea buoy.

Planning based on

• ETA PBP is the time at which the vessel is expected at the relevant Pilot Boarding Place with the intention of entering. Harbour Master and nautical service providers use the time at the pilot boarding station for planning. The expected time at which the vessel arrives at the berth (ETA berth) is then indicated by the Harbour Master via the PCS.
• ETA Berth is the expected time at which the vessel is at the berth and the first line is secured (first line secured). Harbour Master and nautical service providers base their planning on the berth arrival time. The Harbour Master and service providers plan in such a way that the actual arrival at the berth is as close as possible to this time. To do so, they use the system to link back the ETA PBP needed to meet the berth planning. The agent then aligns the ETA PBP with the master.

Pilot boarding station 

When reporting I/D voyages, you can choose from a number of different pilot boarding stations (Pilot Boarding Places)

The earliest time of port entry 

This indicates that the vessel may—if possible—be brought forward and, if applicable, piloted earlier than the ETA PBP, but not before this ‘earliest time’. 

Ordering an incoming or transit voyage

All voyages must be notified and ordered in full via the PCS. 

Order lead time 

This is the time enforced by the PCS between the moment of ordering and the moment of pilotage or entry without a pilot.

• 15 minutes before ETA Pilot Boarding Place For vessels via Maascenter/Kruispost without nautical service providers, the order lead time is 15 minutes. This also applies to voyages from the hinterland.
• 30 minutes before ETA Pilot Boarding Place For vessels with only boatmen via Maascenter/Kruispost, the order lead time is 30 minutes. This also applies to voyages from the hinterland.
• 2 hours before ETA Pilot Boarding Place For voyages from the hinterland an order lead time of 2 hours applies.
• 3 hours before ETA Pilot Boarding Place For vessels with a pilot and/or tugs via E13 or Maas Center/Kruispost, the incoming or transit voyage must be ordered 3 hours before ETA PBP.
• 12 hours before ETA Pilot Boarding Place For geulschepen and LNG vessels larger than 180 metres, an unchanged order lead time of 12 hours applies.

In the PCS you can indicate that the vessel may be able to be at the Pilot Boarding Place earlier for pilotage than the order lead time allows. In that case, the Pilot Authority will, as it does now, do its best to provide pilotage as early as possible. 

Adjusted pilot service 

As with outbound voyages, as soon as there is an adjusted pilot service and depending on the vessel type, you must enter additional data when ordering the incoming vessel:

• Captain agrees with shore based pilotage
• Captain is imo-loa registered
• Suitable for helicopter Hoisting/Landing (for outbound voyages this is Yes/No only)
• Remarks (optional)

Feedback in PCS 

After ordering the incoming or transit voyage, the Harbour Master and the nautical service providers confirm their assessment and capacity – possibly with a changed number of tugboats. Once all parties have confirmed, you will see the planning fed back in the PCS. Is the ETA PBP changed at the instruction of the Harbour Master or at the request of the nautical service providers? Then this will also be visible in the PCS. The aim is to show this feedback, as with U/V voyages, within 30 minutes using the familiar icons.

Exchanging

An important principle is that you, as the agent, are responsible for ordering your incoming vessel on time. This also applies if entry depends on another vessel.

The PCS supports you with this. When entering an incoming voyage you can indicate that the entry of your vessel depends on another vessel.

Exchange with other vessel

• The destination berth of your vessel is occupied.

• Entry depends on the ordered departure time of the other vessel.

Entry after other vessel

Does your vessel need to moor alongside another vessel? Then entry depends on the ordered entry of that other vessel.

In both cases you will receive – if you have set this up in your preferences – a notification (by email and SMS) as soon as the other vessel is ordered and when that order changes.

Based on that, you can place or adjust the order for your incoming vessel.

Rules for manually ordering incoming vessels for ‘Exchange with’ 

Auto-order 

You can set up the PCS to automatically order your incoming voyage – and adjust it where necessary – as soon as the other vessel is ordered (or when that order changes).

You will then receive a notification that the order for your vessel has been placed or adjusted automatically.

Please note: automatic ordering is only possible:

• for vessels to the Europoort

• and for vessels of 200 metres or longer to berths outside the Europoort.

Example of automatic rescheduling for ‘Exchange with’ 

For Amsterdam, all vessels as in block 1 (>= 150m and Europoort).

Authorise next agent

In the video below you can see how to authorise a next agent. 

Transfer to next agent

In the video below you can see how to transfer something to a next agent. 

Related article

• Start with Vessel Notification in Vlissingen and Terneuzen