Suez Canal: Transit Information

TRANSITING NORTH TO SOUTH – Port Said to Suez Port

Captains of yachts intending to transit the Canal will be informed at the yacht club either by a club official or an official of the Canal Authority, on the correct procedure to follow.

Although time-consuming, taking about 2-3 days, the formalities can be carried out by the captain alone and the service of an agent is not essential. It does, however, make life a lot easier as the agent will handle all of the below.

The captain first has to visit the Small Craft Department in the main building of the Canal Authority in Port Said. He will be instructed as to the various formalities to be carried out and also the payments to be made. These payments include the transiting fee, insurance policy, ports and lights fee.

Pre-Transit Procedures:

The following offices must be visited in  Port Said (southbound):

• Suez Canal Small Craft Department: to present ship’s documents and request transit.
• Port Immigration: to complete arrival forms even by those who do not require a visa.
• Insurance company: to issue insurance certificate.
• Return to the small craft office to present the insurance certificate.
• The day before the transit the Customs and Quarantine offices must be visited to clear the yacht out of the country. The officers may visit the yacht too.
• Port immigration office to present departure form.
• Red Sea port authority to issue the port clearance.
• Return with the port clearance to the small craft office who will give it to the pilot before the transit.
• Inspection office for measurement and final inspection before the transit in order to issue a transit permit. 
  Note: When asked for the draft in order to calculate the yacht’s volume, do not include the keel.

No Suez canal certificate is issued for small craft, but your Suez canal gross tonnage is registered under the yacht name in the canal authority system, so if you pass the canal again you will not have to be measured again.

All yachts have to be searched by the Egyptian army before transit. The usual timing for army boarding is at 1900 the day before transit.

On the day of the transit, the small craft office will call the skipper to collect the pilot and take him to the yacht club to commence the transit.
Pilot boarding time not before 10 am (see notes further down about the transit).

Exiting at Suez Port:

Normally, southbound yachts stop at the Suez Yacht Club before continuing into the Red Sea.

After the transit, once you have dropped off the pilot, you can leave Port Suez any time you wish. The only fees payable are the Yacht Club Fees.

Whilst going south to your next Egyptian port you can stop at any anchorage on route. You cannot go ashore anywhere on route, you cannot stop at any Island except for Gifton Island at Hurghada. If there are military personnel near an anchorage, they will most likely come and check paperwork. Be polite and courteous and all should be okay. They may in extreme circumstances ask you to leave.

In theory, you are supposed to get to your next port of call in Egypt as quickly as possible but passages of up to ten days to Hurghada have not been censured.

TRANSITING SOUTH TO NORTH – Suez Port to Port Said

Pre-Transit Procedures:

It is essential that you contact your agent before you arrive at Suez. The agent has to complete the clearance formalities with the authorities prior to your arrival.

• Submit a copy of the yacht’s registration certificate and crew list to the local agent in advance of your arrival.
• The agent will then obtain all the approvals necessary to allow entrance to the anchorage.
• On arrival at the Suez anchorage, call Suez Port Control and request permission to enter the anchorage, which is at the Suez Yacht Club.
• Port Control will then get in touch with the Agent and arrange for them to meet the yacht at the Suez Yacht Club. The Suez Yacht Club is located on the left-hand side of the Canal, just beyond the Canal Authority buildings.

No Suez canal certificate is issued for small craft, but your Suez canal gross tonnage is registered under the yacht name in the canal authority system, so if you pass the canal again you will not have to be measured again.

All yachts have to be searched by the Egyptian army before transit. The usual timing for army boarding is at 1900 the day before transit.

On the day of the transit, the small craft office will call the skipper to collect the pilot and take him to the yacht club to commence the transit.
Pilot boarding time not before 10 am (see notes further down about the transit).

Exiting at Port Said:

If you are not stopping anywhere else after the transit, the outward clearance can be obtained while doing the transit formalities. Yachts may then proceed to sea as soon as they have dropped the pilot. However, you will not be allowed to leave the port in Ismailia. The alternative, if you have a visa, and wish to go ashore at Ismailia, is to check out of the country at Port Said.

THE TRANSIT – BOTH WAYS

On the day of the transit, the pilot will arrive in the morning (not before 10 am) to guide the yacht as far as Ismailia in the NW corner of Lake Timsah, where the yacht must spend the night as yachts are not allowed to transit at night. The crew are not allowed to go ashore. Early the following morning, either the same pilot or another one will continue the transit to Suez or Port Said. 

CANAL REGULATIONS

Yachts must be capable of a consistent speed of 5 knots, which will be checked during the technical inspection. The speed limit in the canal is 9 knots. Yachts normally transit just after the morning convoy.

It is not permitted to sail in either in the canal or the Bitter Lakes.

If a yacht breaks down, you can only be towed by a Canal Authority boat (at a high fee!). However, it’s wise to contact your agent first who may be able to sort out a cheaper solution.

The Canal transit takes two days with a stop-over at Ismailia.

Note: There have been reports of several yachts being run aground, and one severely damaged, due to the incompetence of the Egyptian pilot. It is therefore strongly recommended that at no time should the pilot be allowed to steer the boat, that the latest charts of the Canal are constantly referred to and that if it appears that the pilot is giving wrong instructions, such as advising the person at the helm to leave the main channel to cut a corner, the captain should use his or her common sense before accepting such advice.

FEES

Suez Canal Transit and Pilotage Fees will be indicated by the Suez Canal officials who board the yacht on arrival and measure the yacht; varies from US$300-700. It is advisable to visit the Suez Canal Measurement office and check the calculation to ensure your agent is not over-charging. Once you are measured you go on record, so do not get measured again for subsequent transits.

The canal transit does not require any security fee to be paid.

The fee is US$8.50 per ton.

The canal fee is a return fee, so as long as you return within 6 months your return transit is free. You still, however, have to pay agent fees on return.

Sample agent fees 2019 from Prince of the Red Sea:

1. Port Clearance, Port Said:

• Yachts 1-18m: US$652
• Yachts over 18m: US$850

2. Insurance Certificate: US$4
3. Agency Fees: US$70
4. Canal Dues: US$8.50 per ton of Suez Canal Tonnage
5. Garbage disposal: US$20

Break down of the agency fees:

1. Processing Paperwork US5$.
2. Disbursements (needed to smooth way) US10$.
3. Visit Immigration US5$.
4. Liaison with Customs/Intelligence US10$.
5. Liaison with boat surveyor US10$.
6. Net profit for the company US30$.

All agents’ and Suez Canal fees must be paid in US dollars, therefore some cash should be carried. It is advisable that, where possible, the services expected and the fees to be paid should be fully agreed beforehand.

WARNING NOTES

• Do not rely on the pilot knowing anything about piloting a yacht. Keep in 8-10m of water close to the buoys if the flow is against you and 15-18m if the flow is with you. You can gain well in excess of 1 knot doing so.
• No yacht can transit the canal if a warship is passing through.
• If you have problems in the Canal, such as engine trouble, it is best to contact your agent first who may be able to find a solution. The tow spot agents in Port Said for small craft are Prince and Felix. If the Canal Authority are contacted they will send a Canal tug and the charges are extremely high.
• Be prepared for the “baksheesh” culture of the canal and carry plenty of small change US$

Agents:

Take great care when appointing an agent for transiting the Suez Canal. Speak with other cruisers for recommendations and read reports on Noonsite. Some shipping agents may offer low prices at the outset, however, once they have your papers they may quote an increase in fees due to “changing of the canal dues” or some “tariff” they had overlooked. The yacht’s owner is obliged to pay.

For a list of Clearance Agents on Noonsite see here.

Useful Links:

Suez Canal Authority (SCA)

Port Said Website

Suez Port Website

Comparative Agents Fees