PORT GUIDE · FOR OFFICERS, MASTERS AND SHORE TEAMS
Bath
Pilot
updated May 2010Compulsory, for foreign vessels and US 1,000GT and over, from the river entrance. Pilots board 1nm SE of White's Ledge Lightbuoy No 1 (43°43.8'N 069°44.9'W).
Contact: Tel: +1 207 633 3666, Fax: +1 207 633 5641, Email: [email protected].
Vessels bound for the shipyard usually obtain the services of the yard's pilot; tug and pilot boarding position should be arranged in advance through the shipyard by telephone.
Key data
updated May 2016Size limits
Max draught 8.8m.
Largest vessel handled: "Detroit", 18,000GT, LOA 242.6m, draught 8.2m.
Water density
Varies with rainfall and snow melt.
Load line zone
Summer Zone for ships over 100m in length and Winter Seasonal Area for ships of 100m or less in length, Winter Nov 1 to Mar 31, Summer Apr 1 to Oct 31.
Tides
Mean Spring Range approx 2.1m. mean Neap Range approx 1.5m.
Max draft per terminal
| Terminal | Max draught | Max LOA | Berths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bath Iron Works | — | — | 1 |
Deepest first. The draught is the largest any of the terminal's berths states; a dash means the source gives none.
Approach
updated May 2016Approach
Channel is dredged to a depth of 8.2m.
Anchorages
Anchorage is available approx 185m, South of the bridges. However, the latest set of Port Regulations should be consulted doing so.
Restrictions
A Restricted Area surrounds the Iron Works. Entry is prohibited without permission from the Supervisor of Shipping, US Navy, at Bath.
A drawbridge with an opening width of 61m and a vertical clearance of 41m above HW, crosses the river at Bath, 780m NE of the Iron Works. Adjacent to this, a new fixed bridge limits airdraught to 23.4m above the drawbridge. Passage is restricted to daylight hours only.
Tugs
Available from Boothbay Harbour, Belfast or Portland.
Charts and publications
Admiralty Pilot NP68. US Coast Pilot 1. US13298.
Reporting before arrival
updated May 2016ETA and pre-arrival notices
Vessels arriving in first US port: Please see country information.
Communications
Harbour Master: Tel: +1 207 4434463. Website: http://www.cityofbath.com.
Portland Pilots Inc: Tel: +1 207 7745623, Fax: 207 7745683.
Documents
Please see country information for details of documentation requirements.
Health
No action initiated unless there is illness onboard.
Ship Sanitation Control Certificates: Please see country information.
Customs and immigration
Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Officers are stationed at Bath. Vessels requiring inspection must make arrangements prior to arrival, through ship's agent.
For crew not to be detained onboard, vessels must have either a visaed Crew List or each crew member must have a visa in their passport or Seaman's Book.
Notices and regulations
Coastguard Vessel Inspection: Please see country information.
Inspections
Port State Control here: US Coast Guard.
Foreign ships are examined by the US Coast Guard. File the Advance Notice of Arrival 96 hours ahead (33 CFR 160).
ISPS
ISPS Designated Authority: United States Coast Guard, Office of Compliance. Address: 2100 Second St, SW, Washington DC, 20593, USA. Tel: +1 202 267 2978. Fax: +1 202 267 4858. Email: [email protected]. For further ISPS information see IMO website http://www2.imo.org/ISPSCode.
Port services
updated May 2016Repairs
A shipyard, situated on the W side of the river, undertakes repairs to vessels alongside the pier.
Dry docks
Floating drydock, length 235m.
Bunkers, water and stores
Fresh water: Available.
Bunkering: Available.
Medical
There is a hospital in Bath city.
About Bath
updated May 2016Where it is
Bath is situated on the W side of Kennebec River.
The port
Although Bath, Maine is a US Customs Port of Entry, there are, in fact, no conventional cargo operations at the port.
The total marine activity is centred around the Bath Iron Works, an industry which, to date, has built Naval warships only.
Occasionally ship construction parts are unloaded directly from vessels at the shipyard piers.
Questions about Bath
What are the pilot arrangements at Bath?
Compulsory, for foreign vessels and US 1,000GT and over, from the river entrance.
What time zone is Bath in?
Local time at Bath is UTC−5. Clocks go to UTC−4 on 14 Mar 2027. Back to UTC−5 on 7 Nov 2027.
What is the water density at Bath?
Varies with rainfall and snow melt.
Which load line zone is Bath in?
Summer Zone for ships over 100m in length and Winter Seasonal Area for ships of 100m or less in length, Winter Nov 1 to Mar 31, Summer Apr 1 to Oct 31.
Who carries out Port State Control at Bath?
Port State Control at Bath: US Coast Guard.
What is the UN/LOCODE of Bath?
The UN/LOCODE of Bath is USBTH.
Tips from seafarers
What crews who called at Bath say: pilot boarding, the agent's papers, inspections, shore leave. Each tip is shown with the writer's rank and ship type, and an AI summary sits on top once there are three or more.
A planning aid, not for navigation. These facts come from public sources and each section shows how old it is. Check with the port, your agent, your ENCs and official publications. Spotted something wrong? Tell us on the feedback board.