Port Watch Weekly #13 – NL Central America

Port Watch Weekly

week # 13

Caribbean Updates

US Virgin Islands

March 28th – Holy Thursday
March 31st – Transfer Day

Trinidad & Tobago

March 30th – Spiritual Shouter Baptist Liberation Day

Good Friday and Easter Monday is held throughout much of the Caribbean. If you have questions about a specific territory and how it might affect the flow of operations, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Haiti

Main public port/APN is still closed due to perturbation caused by armed gangs. Varreux-Terminals is open but works slowly due to same reason as troubleshooting remains prevalent near the port. Port-authority is waiting for the new Government in order, for them, to reopen accordingly.

We are currently operating at Port Cap Haitien, located north of Haiti and where the situation in the capital is not yet affected.

Central America

Holy week and Easter

From Monday 25th to April 1st, 2024, most of the immigration & custom offices at the Caribbean and Central America region will be closed. Please take this in consideration for crew change and spare parts arrangements.

Acajutla, El Salvador

Project of dock repair continues at Pier A-1 / A-2 (Phase 1). Phases will be as follows:

Phase 1: will be for Pier A-1 with 110mts with estimated timing of 3 months on first stage, having about 200mts for docking vessels (towards Pier A-2)
Phase 2: will be for Pier A-2 with 100mts with estimated timing of 2.6 months repair. Having about 210mts for docking other vessels (towards Pier A-1)
Phase 3: will be 100mts in between piers A1 and A2, for this phase. No merchant vessels will be docked.

Note: this will affect congestion on other piers.

Line Ups & Industry news

For more information, please:

Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala

LOA restriction – Berths: 1 – 4 -200 MT long each and accommodation as per LOA availability.

Berthing prospects are based on a first come first serve basis, except for liner (chartered) vessels. Container arriving on daily basis with priority.

Puerto Cortés, Honduras

Container ships have priority on following berths. Weather also might impact operations at all piers.

Draft port restrictions as follows:

Pier 5: 478.5 meters length (Max allowed drafts 11 mts).
Pier 6: 350 meters length (Max allowed drafts 14 mts).

Acajutla, El Salvador

Berthing is based on below priority list:

Cruise vessel
Sugar & molasses loading vessels.
Containers
Bulk carrier with food and perishable cargo
RORO
Cement/steel, etc.

Port continues declared as “Congested”. Waiting time is around 5 -10 days for breakbulk vessels.

To discharge heavy cargo on Pier B4/B6, ship cranes /shore equipment- is required. For heavy cargo we suggest calling Pier C to use shore crane.

Vessels that arrived with draft higher than 11.2m can only work at Pier C, which is dedicated to Containers vessels.
Extra mooring lines onboard are suggested in case Terminal cannot supply as ACJ is at open sea and current swell conditions are affecting the piers.

Puerto Plata

Berthing is subject to suitable marine/weather conditions and pilot criteria.

Forecasted conditions may be different to those experienced offshore.

Waiting time cannot be estimated but now both ports are congested.

LOA 700ft BEAM 100ft

Min depth 10.2m at pier #4 west
Min depth 10.2m at pier #5 west
Recommended UKC 0.3m
Density SW 1.025.

Caldera

Berth priorities: 1- Cruiser, 2- Perishable cargoes (reefer containers), 3- Ro-Ro (short time call), 4- grain vessels (at berth #4), 5- General cargo.

Waiting times continues as follows:

Note: These waiting days are subject to weather condition, arrival drafts and type of cargo detailed as follows:

MPP and dry-bulk carriers are assigned for docking at berth #4 which has a max permissible draft of 12.3m SW.
Average water density in Caldera Port is 1.018
Main reason of delays is the current rain affecting turnaround time on vessel´s operating at berth.

UPDATED PORT DIMENSIONS:

Pier N° 1 length: 210 meters
(Official DRAFT for General cargo Vessel 10.50 mts) | CONTAINER VESSEL´S HAVE PRIORITY
Pier N° 2 length: 150 meters
(Official DRAFT for General cargo Vessel 9.50 mts)
Pier N° 3 length: 190 meters
(Official DRAFT for General cargo Vessel 6.75 mts)
Pier N ° 4 length: 250 meters
(Official DRAFT for General cargo Vessel 12.30 mts) | GRAIN VESSEL´S HAVE PRIORITY

Rio Haina

Waiting time cannot be estimated at this point due to severe port congestion.

Current port restrictions:

LOA 760ft BEAM 105ft

Min depth 10.1m at pier #4 west.
Min depth 10.9m at pier #5 west.
Min depth 9.8m at pier #3 east.
Min depth 9.9m at pier #4 east.
Min depth 10.4m at pier #5 east.
Recommended UKC 0.3m.
Density BW varies between 1.016 and 1.025

Weather Forecast

Forecasted conditions may be different to those experienced offshore.

Freeport, Bahamas

Due to favorable weather conditions on Sunday evening March 24th, 2024, port status upgraded from restricted to open at 18:42 LT. Please note that OPL activities are resume as for the norm.