PORT GUIDE · FOR OFFICERS, MASTERS AND SHORE TEAMS
Kanmon Kaikyo
Pilot
updated Aug 2010- Kanmon Kaikyo boarding, West Entrance (deep-draft) Pilot boards33°59.5′N 130°52.0′E
Pilotage for vessels of 10,000GT or over passing through Kanmon Kaikyo is compulsory, but pilotage is recommended for all vessels without local knowledge.
Pilotage is compulsory in all the port areas outside the specified channels and fairways in Kanmon Kaikyo. Harbour pilots are not available after sunset.
The pilot boards vessels from W in the vicinity of Mutsure Shima (33°58.0'N 130°52.0'E) and those from E off He Saki (33°57.0'N 131°02.0'E). Two pilots will board vessels of 30,000GT or more, except when passing through the Kanmon Passage.
The pilot boat is painted black with "Pilot" in white on the sides.
Naikai (Inland Sea) pilots take over from Kanmon Kaikyo pilots off He Saki.
A Traffic Advisory Service is in operation for Kanmon Kaikyo, which provides information on a vessel's position, the movement of other vessels, collisions, visibility and other situations as they occur. The traffic Advisory Service Centre is situated on the S side of Kanmon Kaikyo (33°53.6'N 130°55.0'E).
Pilotage may be suspended when due to heavy weather the embarkation/disembarkation of pilots is considered dangerous, where the navigation of the pilot boat is considered dangerous or where the visibility is restricted due to dense fog/heavy snow and the vessels navigation is considered dangerous. For vessels 10,000GT and less visibility to be 1km, for large and huge vessels visibility to be 1nm.
Key data
updated Feb 2020Size limits
Transit: Max LOA 330m, draught 11.4m. Max airdraught 61m.
UKC shall be 15% of the draft.
Load line zone
Summer.
Approach
updated Feb 2020Port limits
Port limits include all Kanmon Kaikyo from Mutsure Shima in the W to Chofu Ku in the E; also included within the limits is Hibiki-Shinko Ku.
Traffic schemes and VTS
Vessels using the anchorage areas N of Mutsure Shima or the quarantine anchorages, should report the time and position of anchoring or of shifting berth.
Anchorages
Two quarantine anchorages lie off the W entrance to Kanmon Kaikyo, E of Mutsure Shima (33°58.0'N 130°52.0'E). There are shoals with depths of less than 10.0m in the E anchorage. A quarantine anchorage lies off the E entrance to Kanmon Kaikyo, SE of He Saki (33°57.0'N 131°02.0'E).
There are anchorage areas N of Mutsure Shima for vessels with a draught of 10.0m or more, or over 30,000GT, as follows:
Vessels arriving by day: N of a line drawn 090° from Koshiki Iwa (33°59.0'N 130°50.0'E).
Vessels arriving at night: The area between lines drawn 310° and 000° from a position 2,600m 000° from Mutsure Shima Light.
In order to prevent marine accidents in the approaches to the quarantine anchorage, vessels are requested not to anchor in the main fairway known as a Voluntarily Restricted Fairway which is approx 0.25nm wide; it is entered 0.9nm NE of Mutsure Shima Light and leads S and SSW along the E side of the W quarantine anchorage to the harbour limit extending NW from Daiba Hana (33°56.8'N 130°52.6'E).
Anchorages for vessels carrying dangerous cargoes have been established at Nishiyama Ku, Wakamatsu Ku, Kokura Ku and Tanoura Ku. Transfer of liquid cargo between tankers takes place E of Mutsure Shima.
A wreck with a depth of 1.5m over it, lies in the N part of the anchorage.
Fish havens lie close W of the W limit of the anchorage.
Anchorage is prohibited in an area over the Kanmon railway tunnel, 0.7nm NE of Yamasokono Hana (33°54.7'N 130°55.5'E).
Tugs
Available.
In order to prevent any maritime casualties, and to secure the safety of vessel berthing and unberthing as well as the facilities in Kanmon Ko, the standards for the use of tugboats for vessels of 1.000GT or more is hereby provided. However, the number of tugboats maybe in creased at the pilot's discretion, depending on the sea and weather conditions, the vessel's ability to maneuver, circumstances of the berth, and others.
Charts and publications
JP135, 127. Admiralty Pilot NP42B, NP286(6).
Reporting before arrival
updated Feb 2020ETA and pre-arrival notices
Arrival reports: Reports should be made to Kanmon Martis by noon the day before scheduled entry for vessels of 10,000GT (oil tankers of 3,000GT) or over and for vessels of 3,000GT or over, at least three hours prior to arrival at first reporting point. See Navigation section/Traffic schemes for further information. Changes of ETA of more than 15 minutes to be reported to Kanmon Martis.
Communications
Emergency at Sea: Tel: 118.
VHF: Kanmon Martis VTS: Ch 16, 14, 22.
Moji Sea Patrol Radio: Ch 16.
Shimonoseki Port Pilot: Ch 16.
AIS: Operated in the area, vessels should display correct information.
Notices and regulations
Navigation in Kanmon Kaikyo (Straits): There are special local rules of the road in the area of Kanmon Passage and the meeting of Kanmon Passage No 2, also the meeting of Anse Passage with Kanmon Passage No 2 and Wakamatsu Passage/Tobata Passage with Kanmon Passage.
Traffic Signals for Hayatomo Seto Channel: Traffic control letter light signals are displayed under Kanmon Bridge to indicate right of way for large vessels, at 3nm distance, if meeting in this area. 'H' (Hesaki bound) East bound or 'T' (Takenokoshima bound) West bound. If 'H' and 'T' are shown together this indicates that vessels over 10,000GT (oil tankers 3,000GT) should reduce speed to avoid meeting another vessel on reciprocal course in narrow channel.
Passing distance: Except with the permission of the captain of the port, no vessel may approach within 30m of a tanker loading flammable materials, nor within 50m of a tanker loaded with LNG.
Inspections
Port State Control here: Tokyo MOU.
Running now: the Paris and Tokyo MOU concentrated inspection campaign on cargo securing, 1 September to 30 November 2026. Its questions are published: the questionnaire.
ISPS
ISPS Designated Authority: Maritime Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.
Position: Section Chief.
Address: 2-1-3 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8918, Japan.
Tel: +81 3 5253 8070.
Fax: +81 3 5253 8134.
Email: [email protected]
For further ISPS information see IMO website http://www.imo.org
About Kanmon Kaikyo
updated Feb 2020Where it is
Kanmon Kaikyo (Straits) is the stretch of water separating Honshu and Kyushu, two of Japan's four main islands.
The port
The whole of Kanmon Kaikyo (Straits) consists of 6 harbours: Nishuyama, Wakamatsu and Kokura in the W part of the strait W of O Seto; Shimonoseki, Moji and Tanaoura in the E part.
Refer to separate entries for Wakamatsu, Kokura, Shimonoseki and Moji.
Questions about Kanmon Kaikyo
Where does the pilot board at Kanmon Kaikyo?
The pilot boards at Kanmon Kaikyo boarding, West Entrance (deep-draft), 33°59.5′N 130°52.0′E.
What time zone is Kanmon Kaikyo in?
Local time at Kanmon Kaikyo is UTC+9. No summer time.
Which load line zone is Kanmon Kaikyo in?
Summer.
Who carries out Port State Control at Kanmon Kaikyo?
Port State Control at Kanmon Kaikyo: Tokyo MOU.
What is the UN/LOCODE of Kanmon Kaikyo?
The UN/LOCODE of Kanmon Kaikyo is JPKNM.
Tips from seafarers
What crews who called at Kanmon Kaikyo say: pilot boarding, the agent's papers, inspections, shore leave. Each tip is shown with the writer's rank and ship type, and an AI summary sits on top once there are three or more.
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A planning aid, not for navigation. These facts come from public sources and each section shows how old it is. Check with the port, your agent, your ENCs and official publications. Spotted something wrong? Tell us on the feedback board.