Author: Nicole de Jong

POHM: What actually happens during a river passage – and why is it so critical for safe navigation?

David Gnutzmann: Sea passages are mostly highly automated routine operations. A river passage, by contrast, is far more demanding. It entails a challenging navigation from the berth, down the river, to the final pilot handover on the open sea – or the reverse journey. It involves not only the ship’s entire crew, but also a whole network of professionals working together.

What makes the journey to Hamburg so challenging?

At around 100 kilometres, the journey up the Elbe to Hamburg is unusually long and highly complex. As an open tidal waterway with almost four metres of tidal range in the Port of Hamburg – which varies downstream – many vessels must navigate according to the tide. Added to this are the river’s narrowness and limited manoeuvring space for large ships, making it one of the most demanding waterways for shipmasters. With many vessels travelling the river simultaneously and the necessity of planned passing points at certain locations, extensive coordination is required, making highly skilled pilots indispensable.

How does the Nautical Control Centre coordinate with everyone involved? Who talks to whom, and when?

The Nautical Control Centre in Hamburg serves as the traffic control hub of the Waterways Authority and holds full responsibility for all vessel movements within the jurisdiction of the Port of Hamburg. The downstream sections of the Elbe to Brunsbüttel and Cuxhaven, on the other hand, are handled by federal river control centres. To keep traffic flowing smoothly, the three centres collaborate closely, jointly monitoring the river all the way to the berth. In particular, traffic planning for the coming days and hours is coordinated jointly to meet the complex demands of traffic on the Elbe.

What happens in the Nautical Control Centre when a large ship approaches the port?

Quay operators, brokers, shipping companies or shipmasters report vessels at least 24 hours in advance, providing all the relevant data: unique identification, draught, structural specifics, and the requested berth. The Nautical Control Centre checks for feasibility based on this information – from sufficient depth at the berth to clearance under bridges, and potential traffic or tidal conflicts. Once this is verified, the berth is approved.

Without this authorisation, the Cuxhaven control centre will not allow a vessel onto the Elbe. The approval specifies the berth, arrival time, and even the exact position on the quay down to the minute. Close coordination between pilots and the control centres makes use of radio communication and vigilant observation to ensure precise adherence to tide-dependent schedules, particularly for large vessels that can only transit at certain water levels.

Speaking of pilots: What role do they play when ships call at Hamburg?

Navigation on the Elbe is a coordinated effort between different pilots. While river pilots accompany the vessel along the federal waterway, harbour pilots take over in the port. Given the long river passage – which can take eight hours or more for bulkers and six to six-and-a-half hours for container ships – the Elbe is divided into two sections. One pilot accompanies the vessel from the Outer Elbe to Brunsbüttel, where a handover occurs. The next pilot takes over up until the Port of Hamburg. There, a further handover occurs: a harbour pilot advises the shipmaster on the approach to the berth. For especially large vessels, a minimum of two pilots are on board, and sometimes a third or fourth pilot advises the crew from shore via radar.

When are special requirements imposed, such as mandatory tug assistance?

Firstly, inland vessels are not subject to mandatory tug assistance. In principle, ship’s captains can determine the number of tugs required for manoeuvres in the Port of Hamburg themselves – even if the authorities consider additional assistance unnecessary. However, this freedom has limits: as soon as the experience of Elbe and harbour pilots or simulations indicate that a manoeuvre would not be safe without tugs, the Nautical Control Centre will mandate that they be used.

What determines the number of tugs?

It all depends on a combination of vessel size, weather – in particular the wind – and the target berth. For example, a vessel of a certain size normally requires two tugs, with more needed in stronger winds. Particularly large vessels also require a special authorisation which sets out a list of specific requirements to be fulfilled: it caps movements in the port at a defined wind threshold and specifies the exact number of tugs required. Instructions for storm mooring are also provided.

Profile

David Gnutzmann has worked for the Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) for ten years. His passion for shipping was sparked in childhood in Dithmarschen, where he was fascinated by the sight of vessels passing through the Kiel Canal. After studying nautical science, the now 40-year-old served at sea and obtained his shipmaster’s licence with a Hamburg shipping company. He then spent 18 months as a nautical inspector in fleet management onshore. Subsequently, he joined the Hamburg Port Authority (HPA), where he worked in the Nautical Control Centre for six years, controlling and monitoring ship traffic. He has been Deputy Harbour Master for three years.

Which regulations and safety measures must be observed during a river passage?

Navigation on the Elbe is governed by strict passing restrictions: starting from a certain width, vessels may only pass each other at designated points or within designated passing boxes. There are also wind restrictions, as sudden changes in weather can make it impossible to safely manoeuvre large ships or those with a large wind profile, which is why these measures are defined with appropriate safety allowances. Close cooperation with pilots and other river control centres is essential in such situations. Although the entire river is monitored by radar, radio and transponders, pilots remain essential. They are the only ones physically on site, using their eyes and ears to accurately assess the situation, making them the most important partners for safe traffic management on the Elbe.

And what happens if things get tricky?

Although navigation on the Elbe can always present with unexpected situations, these can almost always be resolved effectively. The key lies in the robust design of the three river control centres, which rely on extensive experience and mutual trust. They can draw on sophisticated emergency plans and fallback procedures. In addition to fixed rules like tidal windows, wind restrictions or no-passing zones, the common sense of experienced mariners plays a crucial role. This includes strategically separating vessels to buffer unexpected delays, for example if a ship takes longer to turn than anticipated — all part of good seamanship, rather than written rules.

Sounds like a coordinated display of expertise keeping the Elbe safe…

Indeed it is. The Hamburg Nautical Control Centre is the heart of the port. Harbour pilots and centre personnel work closely together in one place, which significantly improves safety. We communicate continuously. If a vessel cannot proceed as planned, we can call on emergency tugs along the Elbe and temporary berths, such as the Finkenwerder bollards near Airbus, to manage critical situations. Since all Nautical Control Centre staff are former ship officers, many of whom hold a shipmaster’s licence, they understand the shipboard perspective and can assess risks accurately.

How do infrastructure measures like the deepening of the navigation channel, designated passing boxes, and the planned expansion of the Waltershofer turning circle improve efficiency and help optimise modern traffic management?

Deepening the fairway has already brought us significant operational relief. Although the discovery of unexploded ordnance in the Elbe has delayed full implementation of the measures, the larger tidal windows already allow more flexible scheduling and higher cargo throughput. The real game changer, however, is the designated passing box. Previously, giant ships on the Elbe could only pass at the Stör estuary. Now there is a second location – a huge improvement for planning, control and safety. Tests are underway to allow the passing box to gradually accommodate wider encounters, so that even the largest vessels today – 61.5 metres wide and 400 metres long – can pass by each other safely in the future. By the mid-2030s, the turning circle at the Waltershofer Hafen, Hamburg’s main container terminal, will be expanded from 480 to 600 metres. Turning will become safer and faster, resources such as tugs can be deployed more quickly, and navigation on the Elbe will be more resilient overall.

Which technical systems help you monitor and manage shipping traffic today?

On the technical side, we utilise a unified real-time operational overview to guide our decisions. It is displayed on the large electronic port map in the Nautical Control Centre. Previously, we spent a lot of time on the phone; today most coordination occurs through integrated systems. Eventually, all involved parties should be able to access all data in real time from a single network of networks. At the moment, everyone has to open different applications, and not everyone has information that is updated simultaneously.

What excites you most about your job as Deputy Harbour Master?

I’m fascinated by the complexity of the work. The port is an integral part of a much larger global logistics chain, and it’s simply amazing to see how all the components interlock, and how people need to keep coordinating to keep this enormous mechanism running smoothly. It’s a daily experience that never fails to captivate me. You never stop learning, gain new insights every day, and get to play an active part in making things happen. No two days are the same – and that’s exactly why I love the job so much.

Shipping Statistics

In 2024, the Nautical Control Centre issued a total of 34,000 permits, including special permits for tows. It coordinated 21,226 ship movements on the Elbe and in the port – from small barges to large container vessels. Of these, 18,176 passages were carried out with pilots on board. Among the vessels handled were 850 of the world’s largest container ships.