Ships transit the SC in three convoys daily: ( See: Navigation Rules )
N1 (Southbound Convoy 1): From Port Said at hr 0000
N2 (Southbound Convoy 2): From Port Said at hr 0700
S (Northbound Convoy) : From Suez at hr 0600
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The convoy system allows ships to transit the Canal at fixed speed and with fixed separating distance between every two ships.
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The transit speed limit is 11 - 16 km/hr for ships according to the type & net tonage of ship and direction & speed of tidal current.
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The emergency stopping time between the ships in the convoys is about 10 min.
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Vessel takes from 12 - 16 hours to transit the canal.
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The interval between vessels in a convoy is about 10-16 minutes which is equivalent to 2-3 km distance.
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There are 15 Pilotage Stations at the western bank of the Canal that along side with the traffic control office offer assistance for the passage of vessels.
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Pilotage by SC pilots is compulsory for all transiting vessels. The SCA assigns four pilots for each transiting vessel; each one embarks and disembarks the vessel at a certain location as follows:
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The first pilot boards the vessel at the northern waiting area and disembarks at the entrance of the Canal in Port-Said.
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The second pilot boards the vessel in Port-Said and disembarks in Ismailia.
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The Third pilot boards the vessel in Ismailia and disembarks in Suez.
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The fourth pilot boards the vessel in Suez until it leaves the Canal into the open sea.
For more details, please visit: The Traffic Simulation (Flash Presentation) , which describes the traffic system in the canal with animation and more data.
