Heinz Kuhlmann, Peter Pusztai, Andreas Hartmann, Kurt Steuer, Peter Podest, Thomas Lindner

From April 11th to 13th a delegation of the Panama Pilots stayed at MTC in Hamburg to carry out a training for the shiphandling and manoeuvring of very large container ships in the shiphandling simulator. The training is part of the preparation program of the Panama Pilots for the commissioning of the new Panama Canal locks in 2015. A huge dredging and construction program is being carried out in order to increase the capacity of the Panama Canal. After it’s opening in 2015 vessels up to a beam of 49 m are allowed to pass the canal. The lock - chambers of the new canal will be 427 m long and 55 m wide at a depth of 18,3 m. Instead of the very well known locomotives which are currently used to keep the ships in the middle of the lock - chambers and pull them through, the manoeuvring in the new locks will be carried out with the assistance of tugs.
The ships used for this training at MTC are of the latest class of container ships which measure 367 m in length with a beam of 48,6 m and a draft of 15,5 m.
MTC is providing pilot training in cooperation with HPS, a subsidiary of the Hamburg Harbour Pilots.