ANCHORAGE OPTIMIZATION
Ports should model future anchorage demand by traffic segment, using different anchoring probabilities and dwell-time assumptions... allows ports to make better invest- ments and interventions.
disruption exposure determine the actual anchorage footprint. This has direct implications for fore- casting. Ports should model future anchorage demand by traffic segment, using different anchoring probabilities and dwell-time assumptions for bulk carriers, tankers, containers and other vessel types. Scenarios should test com- modity mix, new terminal capacity, changes in rail service, weather exposure and potential system-wide disruptions. This type of forecast can distinguish growth that the system can absorb from growth that could amplify waiting. Turn shared data into coordin- ated decisions The largest surges in anchorage use during the study coincided with dis- ruptions affecting terminals and rail. That finding puts congestion manage- ment beyond the control of any single actor. Port authorities, terminals, rail- way operators, vessel operators, pilots and regulators each see part of the operating picture; fluidity improves when those views are combined early enough to influence decisions. Ports can convene that coordina- tion through a common operating picture and agreed action triggers. Reviews can investigate long stays by cause, while disruption playbooks can
define how capacity, vessel sequence, and information flows will be man- aged during rail interruptions, ter- minal outages, or severe weather. Performance targets should include preventable anchorage days and reli- ability of berth windows, not only berth throughput. From overflow management to system optimization The Clear Seas analysis reframes an anchorage as both infrastructure and information. It is infrastructure because it provides a safe place for ves- sels to wait. It is information because the frequency, duration, timing and location of that waiting reveal where the supply chain is not synchronized. Treating those signals systematically
The goal is not to eliminate all anchoring. Some waiting is operation- ally necessary, and anchorages provide resilience when schedules are disrupted. The objective is to reduce avoidable waiting, shorten long stays and man- age demand in locations and seasons where impacts can be minimized. By looking beyond traffic numbers to the operational causes of anchorage use, ports can move from reacting toward managing flow across the full marine and inland network for a supply chain that can keep cargo moving even when conditions change. Learn more: Read the report / Watch the webinar
About the author
Lee Barrett-Lennard brings experience in consulting, government, and diplomacy, with work spanning Canada and Southeast Asia. He holds a master’s degree in political science from the University of British Columbia, where his research focused on how climate change is reshaping northern economies, including shipping. At Clear Seas, Lee is dedicated to combining technical research with clear communication, and to advancing reconciliation through respectful collaboration and knowledge sharing. He is based in Tio’tià:ke (Montreal).
October 2026 — PACIFIC PORTS — 31
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