Controlling the yawing of an Aframax tanker during a lightering manoeuvre

C

Estuary traffic: an alternative hinterland connection for coastal ports

In 2007, the Belgian Federal Authorities issued a Royal Decree concerning "inland vessels that can also be utilised for non-international sea voyages", allowing inland vessels to operate in coastal areas between the Belgian coastal harbours and the Belgian inland waterway network via the Western Scheldt, provided that – among other requirements – a risk analysis demonstrates that the probability of adverse events such as bottom slamming, overtaking of water on deck and ingress of water in open cargo holds is limited to an acceptable level. Several tankers and container vessels are nowadays operating in significant wave heights up to 1.90 m. The present paper intends to provide background into the present regulations, to describe the methodology used for performing risk analyses, and give an overview of the present and future research at Flanders Hydraulics Research and Ghent University on estuary container vessels