Panama Canal sets record transits in May

Panama Canal sets record transits in May    The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) reported a record 120 transits were made by vessels measuring 900 feet or more in length during May. The previous record of 114 transits of these types of vessel was set in January.
   The ACP said canal waters time (CWT), the average time it takes a vessel to transit the canal, including waiting time for passage, did not increase in May.
   For the period of October through May, the ACP said Panama Canal/universal measurement system tons (PC/UMS) increased 5.2 percent over the same period last year. Over the same period, the use of Panamax-sized vessels has increased 6.4 percent, or 230 more Panamax vessel transits.
   According to the ACP, more than 90 percent of Panamax-sized ships book their transits through the Canal’s reservation system, improving CWT to less than 17 hours on the intended day of transit, compared to an average CWT of 35.6 hours without a reservation.