Large container ships with a deep draught are not always able to navigate the Scheldt Area 24 hours per day. The period within which these vessels are able to sail upstream or downstream are called tidal gates or tidal windows, and these depend on the draught of the vessel and the tidal flow.

The Joint Nautical Authority calculates the tidal gates and then gives each vessel admission to sail upstream or downstream. Because the tidal flow changes from one day to the next, the tidal gates are also different from one day to the next.

On this page you can find the predicted tidal gates that have been calculated for container ships of different draughts. These gates apply for navigation on the Wandelaar, via the Geul (for deep draught ships) and the Wielingen to and from the various lock complexes and terminals of the Port of Antwerp.

You can also find the maximum predicted approach draughts for Bulk Carriers/Tankers here. These apply for navigation on the Wandelaar, via the Geul (for deep draught ships) and the Wielingen to the various Scheldt ports.These tidal gates are calculated based on the prediction of the astronomical water levels, for a navigation channel with target draughts, and for specific speeds in the different sectors.

Due to certain circumstances, however, the water levels and draught depths might be higher or lower than forecast, and vessels might not sail at the specified speeds, which means the actual situation might deviate from the calculations. Therefore, no rights can be derived from the results of the calculations.