Come By Chance

Size limits

LOA 279.04m, draught 27.4m, beam 50m, 166,164DWT.

Water density

1025.

Load line zone

North Atlantic Winter Seasonal Zone II, Winter Nov 1 to Mar 31, Summer Apr 1 to Oct 31.

Tides

Range 1.7m - 2.5m. Prolonged S'ly winds can increase the range.

Wind is the dominant factor in determining the flow of water. In the approaches to the Oil Terminal general rates between 0.25kt and 0.5kt have been experienced, with a max. rate of 1kt, variable in direction. Off the terminal the flow is generally weak.

Deepest first. The draught is the largest any of the terminal's berths states; a dash means the source gives none.

Approach

Approached through the Traffic Separation Scheme, in the S part of Placentia Bay, and then through Eastern Channel, on the E side of Placentia Bay, depth is typically deeper than 200m. A two way route exists for traffic between Red Island and the Head of Placentia Bay. The channel is marked by red and green light buoys. The harbour is then entered close W of Bordeaux Island (47°45'N 054°02'W).

Port limits

The harbour comprises all the waters at the head of Placentia Bay N of lines drawn W for 10 miles from La Manche Head (47°41.2'N 053°58.0'W) through Long Island Point to Hames Point on the E side of Bar Haven Island, and from Carrol Point (47°44.6'N 054°14.1'W), on the N side of Bar Haven Island, NW for 0.5nm to the S side of La Plante Cove on the mainland.

Anchorages

Tankers are not to anchor outside these anchorages except in an emergency.

Each anchorage is suitable for one vessel only. There are a number of positions both E and W of the two way traffic route suitable for anchoring in case of an emergency.

Inner anchorage for products tankers:

There are two vessel anchor berths for tankers up to 60,000DWT. These anchorages will be assigned at the discretion of the pilot.

Restrictions

Daylight sailing's only for vessels over 50,000DWT.

Tankers must be in possession of valid Non-Canadian Ships Compliance Certificate.

Icebergs: There is a potential for icebergs, growlers and bergy bits to drift as far S as the S coast of Newfoundland and Placentia Bay, they are unlikely to drift to the head of Placentia Bay or close to Whiffen Head.

Under Keel Clearance, NARL Terminal: Berth1: 4.0m, Berth 2: 1.5m.

Tugs

All tankers calling "CBC" with persistent oil onboard require a tug escort from Placentia Bay to the port entrance, 2 tugs are required for docking and undocking for vessels of 65,000DWT.

NTL: There are 2 x 5,600hp cycloidal propelled tractor tugs available at the port. Both tugs are capable of tethered escort duties for loaded tankers up to 326,000DWT. In addition, 2 x 4,000hp docking tugs will be made available to provide berthing/unberthing assistance if required.

Mooring

A vessel proceeding to the Oil Terminal Wharf is met by tugs off Bordeaux Island, 47°45'N 054°02'W. If berthing on the W side of the wharf, the vessel is stopped parallel to the berth and then manoeuvred alongside with tug assistance. On the E side the vessel may berth port or starboard alongside assisted by tugs. To facilitate berthing a Doppler system is installed on the wharf.

NTL: The terminal is not equipped with mooring boats. The vessel should prepare adequate heaving lines and messengers. Depending on the vessel length/expected conditions, the normal mooring pattern will be 3 headlines, 3 breastlines and 2 spring lines or 4 headlines, 2 breastlines, 2 spring lines. An additional backspring may be run if appropriate. Mooring wires must be fitted with soft tails as recommended in the latest edition of the OCIMF "Mooring Equipment Guidelines". As far as possible, it is recommended that tankers make use of wires/ropes on self stowage drums with attention paid to correct utilisation of split drums. When using self-stowage drums, mooring lines are to be secured by the winch brake with the clutch disengaged. Moorings must be regularly tended and mixed moorings are to be avoided.

Charts and publications

BA 4733, 4734. Admiralty Pilot NP50, NP286(5).

Communications

Coast Guard's Radio (MCTS) Centres en route to Come By Chance operate on a 24 hour basis. These Marine Communications and Traffic Service (MCTS) Centres, (St John's/VON, Halifax/VCS and Placentia/VCP), can be used for passing messages.

Notice of readiness

NOR normally tendered when vessel secured alongside berth except most tankers tender on arrival pilot station or at port limits.

Documents

Documents are received by Canada Customs on arrival or in the absence of Customs it is the responsibility of the vessel's agent to take documents to Canada Customs and Immigration.

Health

Vessels arriving from a foreign port can obtain pratique by a message addressed to "Quarantine St John's", at least 12 hours prior to arrival.

Customs and immigration

Allowances: For each officer or crew member the allowance is 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 0.9kg of tobacco and 1.1 litres of liquor or 8.2 litres of beer or ale.

Penalty for non compliance with the above is forfeiture. If ship's bond count is not accurate, overage results in forfeiture and penalty, under results in payment of duty, taxes and penalty.

Immigration: Routine filing of documents is undertaken by the vessel's agent. There are no restrictions on crew and/or passengers except those who require a visa. If they do not possess a visa they must remain aboard the vessel.

Flags

State flag to be flown over the stern and Canadian flag at the mast.

Notices and regulations

No vessel should navigate at a speed exceeding 7kts, in accordance with public harbour regulations.

Engines must not be immobilised.

NTL Ships Acceptance Criteria:

There are no facilities to handle dirty ballast at the terminal and therefore, only segregated ballast tankers will normally be accepted. Requests for acceptance of non segregated ballast tankers will be reviewed on a case by case basis and, if accepted will be required to retain onboard all ballast in cargo tanks.

Only clean ballast from Segregated Ballast Tanks (SBT) will be allowed to be discharged into the sea at the terminal. Ballasted tankers must arrive with sufficient ballast to meet the SBT requirements of MARPOL 73/78 Regulations.

All tankers calling must be capable of closed loading and closed gauging.

Vessels smaller than 80,000DWT are to provide design information on the vessel's manifold configuration and connection spacing to NTL.

NTL General Cargo Information:

NTL Terminal was designed and built as a transhipment terminal for crude oil produced from Eastern Canada offshore fields. Special shuttle tankers load the crude offshore and deliver to the terminal. The crude is discharged directly from the shuttle tankers into 5 x 500,000bbls insulated floating roof storage tanks; there are no booster pumps. These are 3 x 16in articulated loading arms on each loading platform which feed a 1,350m long 42in diameter insulated pipe with a static head of 30m between the loading platform and the tank base. All loading is accomplished by gravity to the export tankers.

Allowed Berth Hours: Allowed Berth Hours is defined as time between first line ashore to last line let go.

Port State Control here: Paris MOU, Tokyo MOU.

Running now: the Paris and Tokyo MOU concentrated inspection campaign on cargo securing, 1 September to 30 November 2026. Its questions are published: the questionnaire.

Inspection of ships in Canada

Transport Canada,

Inspection and Operations Standards Division,

Tower C, Place de Ville, 330 Sparks Street, 11th Floor, Ottawa, ON K1A 0N5.

For Flag State Inspection Standards (Canadian Vessels):

Tel: +1 613 991 3135

Fax: +1 613 991 4818

Teletypewriter / TDD: +1 888 675 6863

Email: [email protected]

For Port State Control Standards (Foreign Vessels):

Tel: +1 613 991 3135

Fax: +1 613 993 8196

Teletypewriter / TDD: +1 888 675 6863

Email: [email protected]

ISPS

ISPS Designated Authority: Directorate Marine Security - Transport Canada.

Position: Director General.

Address: 112 Kent Street, Tower B, Place de Ville, Ottawa, ON, K1A ON5, Canada.

Tel: +1 613 851 6302

Fax: +1 613 949 3906

Website: http://www.tc.gc.ca

For further ISPS information see IMO website http://www.imo.org

Where it is

Come By Chance is a deep water port situated in Plancentia Bay near Whiffen Head, on the coast of Newfoundland, 138km from the port of St John's.

The port

A public harbour, with facilities for deep draught tankers, developed to service an oil refinery and a transhipment terminal.

Newfoundland Transshipment Limited (NTL) operation of a major marine transshipment facility located in Whiffen Head, Placentia Bay, Newfoundland & Labrador (NL). NTL terminal is designed to transship crude oil product.

Come By Chance Refinery is a renewable diesel refinery operated by Braya Renewable Fuels in Come By Chance, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It has a refining capacity of 18,000 barrels per day.

Traffic

Approx 21,000,000t of cargo handled annually.

What are the pilot arrangements at Come By Chance?

Compulsory. Zone "A" pilot boarding station is in the vicinity of Coombes Rock, 47°42.2'N 054° 03.2'W, for vessels less than LOA 223m.

What time zone is Come By Chance in?

Local time at Come By Chance is UTC−3:30. Clocks go to UTC−2:30 on 14 Mar 2027. Back to UTC−3:30 on 7 Nov 2027.

What is the maximum draft at Come By Chance?

The deepest berth listed is at Come By Chance Refinery: 27.40 m maximum draught. The "Max draft per terminal" table gives each terminal's figure.

What is the water density at Come By Chance?

1025.

Which load line zone is Come By Chance in?

North Atlantic Winter Seasonal Zone II, Winter Nov 1 to Mar 31, Summer Apr 1 to Oct 31.

Who carries out Port State Control at Come By Chance?

Port State Control at Come By Chance: Paris MOU, Tokyo MOU.

What is the UN/LOCODE of Come By Chance?

The UN/LOCODE of Come By Chance is CACBC.

What crews who called at Come By Chance 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.

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