Lock manoeuvres: practical cases in Europe and Panama

Lock manoeuvres are daily practice for the ships in their approach to harbours worldwide. The experiences of five pilotages operating in Europe (Belgium, France and the Netherlands) and Panama are brought together in a paper describing the operation of pilots in the entrances to and in the locks. A division is made concerning locks with approach walls at one or both sides of the lock and locks without approach walls. The lock construction and the approach areas are described and compared for the locks in Panama, in Dunkirk (Charles de Gaulle lock), in Terneuzen (West lock) and in Antwerp (Berendrecht lock). Correspondence between the lock manoeuvres and the use of tugs can be recognised and shows that lock effects must be overcome by developing and maintaining a good strategy in pilotage which can be shared all over the world.