The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) will reduce the maximum draft for vessels transiting the Neopanamax locks to 48 feet or 14.63 meters tropical fresh water starting April 27, it said. The move will trim the allowable draft by 1 foot from its current 49 feet or 14.94 meters TFW. The decrease is based on present and projected water levels of Gatun Lake, which is designed to be 26 meters above sea level and allows for the crossing through the continental divide between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. At design capacity, vessels with a draft of 50 feet or 15.2 meters can transit the canal through the Neopanamax lock system. Vessels arriving with drafts exceeding 48 feet after April 27 may be required to trim that or offload cargo in order to transit the canal, the ACP said. Article continues below… Projected Gatun Lake levels of under 83 […]