Panama Canal – Cargo Securing Manual and General Arrangements Plan

The Panama Canal Authority issued an Advisory reminding masters to have available to present to Authority boarding officers a copy of the ship’s Cargo Securing Manual (including the container stowage section) and the General Arrangements Plan. The Advisory goes on to say that the documents will be taken ashore by the boarding officer, who will issue a receipt for same. It then says that the documents will be returned to the ship through its local agent “as soon as the revisions are completed.” It is unclear to this writer what revisions are being discussed. Ships may want to carry extra copies of the Cargo Securing Manual and General Arrangements Plan so that they are not without these required documents while the Panama Canal Authority is completing its revisions. Advisory 53-2004 (HK Law).