Information for Operators

PRINCE RUPERT ANCHORAGE TRIAL

Starting December 10th 2012, the Prince Rupert Port Authority assigned anchorages will reflect new number designations and some new anchorage positions that will be trialed over the next 12 months.

These changes reflect an Anchorage Review completed recently and the anticipated need for more anchorages as marine traffic increases in the Prince Rupert area. The Pacific Pilotage Authority, the BC Coastal Pilots and the Chamber of Shipping have all participated in the Anchorage Review and have agreed to trial the new anchorage positions over the next 12 months. Canadian Hydrographic Services Pacific has also been made aware of this trial and will be publishing a Notice to Mariners accordingly.

In due course and upon successful completion of this trial, the Prince Rupert Port Authorityís Practices and Procedures will be updated with the new anchorage positions and made available for public comment in accordance with the Marine Act. In the meantime, a table listing the new trial anchorage positions and chartlets illustrating the positions will be provided on our website here: http://www.rupertport.com/operations/navigation.

The chartlets are not intended for navigation purposes.

Highlights of the trial include:

1. Increased overall number of anchorages available from 19 to a potential of 30 (see chartlets which illustrate the positions and numbers of the new anchorages)
2. Elimination of old Anchorage A to accommodate Fairview expansion and provide more sea-room for the turning basin for container ships
3. Shifting of the inner harbour anchorages and re-sizing inner anchorages to accommodate grain, log, and other smaller ships
4. Re-numbering anchorages from 2 to 30 starting at Tuck Inlet and increasing seaward while reserving anchorage #1 for future consideration
5. PRPA will be eliminated the old anchorages 2, 3 and 4 in Marcus Passage as they presented increased risk to fouling an underwater cable when dragging