The Captain of the Port for Coast Guard Sector Miami has announced the establishment of a new regulated navigation area for certain waters surrounding Port Miami.
The new rule establishes a slow speed zone for vessels less than 50 meters (164 feet) in length transiting throughout Fisherman’s Channel and the Main Ship Channel.
Slow speed means the speed at which a vessel proceeds when it is fully off plane, completely settled in the water and not creating excessive wake.
The new rule enters into effect January 29, 2025.
The rule is a response to concern about high-speed vessel operations and the resulting large and damaging wakes they often introduce into the congested and geographically confined waterway.
Over the last few years, a growing number of near misses prompted concern for the safety of life as both the volume of vessel traffic and speeds of vessels have increased. On June 25, 2023, around 3:30 a.m., a recreational vessel, traveling at a high rate of speed through the Main Ship Channel, collided with a crossing vehicle ferry, killing one person and seriously injuring another.
The incident not only resulted in the tragic loss of life but also caused a significant disruption of 30,000 cruise ship passengers and cargo movements within the Port of Miami for over 12 hours.
Additionally, on February 12, 2024, a recreational vessel collied with an inspected passenger vessel in a critical point of Fisherman's Channel. This incident resulted in 13 injuries with one person in critical condition.