Government Services

Pilotage

• Finnpilot Pilotage Oy is committed to promoting maritime safety and the prevention of harmful environmental impacts caused by vessel traffic.
• Finnpilot Pilotage Oy provides pilotage services under all conditions in order to ensure the smooth flow and safety of marine navigation, and to significantly reduce the risks of environmental accidents.
• Finnpilot’s Pilot Order Centre is on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The Pilot Order Centre serves all parties that use pilotage services. A binding request for a pilot must be made three hours prior to the vessel’s arrival at the pilot boarding site upon entry into Finnish waters, and two hours prior to the intended departure from a Finnish port.

• Kotka pilotage area (Orrengrund, Haapasaari and Santio)
  
  E-mail: pilotdispatch.kotka(at)finnpilot.fi
  Telephone: +358 (0) 29 5253 430
  www.finnpilot.fi/en

  VTS

• The purpose of VTS (Vessel Traffic Service) is to improve maritime safety, promote the fluency and efficiency of vessel traffic and prevent accidents and environmental damage potentially arising from the accidents.
• VTS provides merchant shipping and other waterborne traffic with vessel traffic services and maintains safety radio communications.
• Gulf of Finland Vessel Traffic Service
  (Helsinki, Kotka and Hanko VTS, GOFREP)
  Katajanokanlaituri 4 B, K-6
  00160 Helsinki, Finland
  Telephone: +358 (0)204 48 5391
  Fax: : +358 (0)204 48 5380
  E-mail: supervisors.hki(at)fintraffic.fi
• Kotka VTS 
  Telephone: +358 (0)20 448 5660
  E-mail: kotka.vts(at)fintraffic.fi
  Kotka VTS Master’s Guide (http://www.liikennevirasto.fi/web/en/merchant-shipping/vts/kotka#.WR1Sqja1tTc)
   

Icebreaking

• The Finnish Transport Agency is tasked with public office duties (such as traffic restrictions) and the procurement associated with the assistance of winter navigation as well with their national co-ordination, development and guidance.
• For the provision of icebreaking services, the Finnish Transport Agency has signed agreements with Arctia Shipping Oy, Alfons Håkans Oy and other private towing companies.
• http://www.liikennevirasto.fi/web/en/merchant-shipping/winter-navigation#.WR1RhTa1tTc
• https://vayla.fi/documents/25230764/250181877/32818512_Talvimerenkulun_ohje_en_2025-2026_web.pdf/988c21cc-ff1c-15ca-3169-40f55279dc73/32818512_Talvimerenkulun_ohje_en_2025-2026_web.pdf?t=1762844609287
• Arctia Oy is a limited company owned by the State of Finland, established in 2010. The company provides icebreaking services and specialised multipurpose vessel services.
• Arctia’s icebreakers operate in the coastal regions of Finland when the circumstances so require, ensuring that businesses have access to reliable maritime connections also in the winter. Arctia’s icebreaking services include assistance of ships, planning of routing and associated traffic control. Icebreakers ensure the safety of winter traffic and assist merchant ships by opening shipping lanes, towing and releasing vessels from the ice.