Argentina - Parana River Speed Restrictions
Recently the Club has received several claims for fines imposed by the Argentinian Coast Guard for excessive vessel speed, primarily in the Rosario port area of the Parana River, where the obligatory speed limit is currently 9 knots.
Club Correspondents, Pandi Liquidadores, have issued Circular 36/2020 on the subject of speed limits on the Parana River. They also advise that under the Coast Guard's current Regulations, seen within Circular 018/2019, letters of undertaking are required to be issued to avoid a vessel’s detention in the amount of approximately US$ 30,000 to cover potential fines.
During investigations of previous incidents, it has been found that safe speeds and speed limitations are not usually discussed with the pilot, on whom Masters potentially over-rely due to the expectation of the pilots having said local knowledge. Given that the Master remains responsible for safe navigation it is essential that they incorporate a discussion with the Pilot about the applicable speed regulations, as part of the Master-Pilot Interchange process. The Master will also need to alert Bridge watchkeepers so that they closely monitor the vessel’s progress to ensure that all such limits are strictly adhered to. A further recommendation would be to incorporate and highlight the speed restriction areas within the vessel’s passage plan.