A new maximum draft for vessels has been established on the Bystre Canal
23.09.2025 - 13:28
The captain of the Izmail seaport has set new restrictions for the passage of vessels through the sea approach channel of the Bystre estuary (Danube – Black Sea).
From September 18, the maximum draft for vessels is 5.5 meters. This is evidenced by the order of the captain of the Izmail port, which USM has reviewed.
Passage is allowed only during daylight hours and only with mandatory pilotage.
The previous order of September 4 has become invalid. The decision was made taking into account the latest depth measurements conducted by the Delta-pilot branch of the USPA SE.
As Avalon shipping operations manager Kateryna Kononenko noted on LinkedIn LinkedIn, the news is generally positive, since the increase in draft will allow for increased traffic through the estuary. But there are also problem areas, such as Izmail – 44 miles (Katal), where the water level “still remains difficult.”
“The maximum draft in this section remains at 6.8 m. Therefore, larger vessels, 5,000–10,000 DWT, cannot be loaded to full capacity (7.0 m) in Izmail. The port of Reni is safer for them, where the Danube maintains a draft of 7.0 m or more. With the onset of autumn, more water may appear in the Danube, which will improve the situation,” Kononenko noted.
Previously, USM reported that Romania plans to introduce new rules for vessels passing through the Sulina Canal.
