PORT GUIDE · FOR OFFICERS, MASTERS AND SHORE TEAMS
Detroit
Pilot
updated May 2010Compulsory. Available from Great Lakes Pilotage Administration.
Key data
updated Dec 2022Size limits
LOA 251.77m, beam 32.0m, 61,654DWT.
Water density
1000.
Max draft per terminal
| Terminal | Max draught | Max LOA | Berths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nicholson T & D Co Detroit Terminal | — | 210 m | 2 |
| Nicholson T & D Co Ecorse Terminal | — | 246 m | 4 |
| US Steel Zug Island Ore Terminal | — | 305 m | 5 |
| Mistersky Gas Power Plant | — | 305 m | 2 |
| AK Steel Holding | — | 252 m | 1 |
| Detroit Bulk Storage Terminal | — | 234 m | 1 |
| Detroit Passenger Terminal | — | 132 m | 1 |
| Lafarge Cement Terminal | — | 234 m | 1 |
| Levy Brennan Street Dock | — | 234 m | 1 |
| McCoig Materials Terminal | — | 234 m | 1 |
| Motor City Minerals | — | 234 m | 1 |
| St Mary's Cement | — | 226 m | 1 |
| US Gypsum Terminal | — | — | 1 |
| Amoco Oil | — | — | 1 |
| Buckeye Terminal | — | — | 1 |
All 16 terminals
| Terminal | Max draught | Max LOA | Berths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marathon Petroleum | — | 135 m | 3 |
Deepest first. The draught is the largest any of the terminal's berths states; a dash means the source gives none.
Approach
updated Dec 2022Tugs
Available from private companies.
Mooring
Mooring lines: Uniform thickness throughout, fitted with an eye not less than 2.4m in length and of sufficient strength to check the vessel.
Anchors: Vessels over 110m must have an operational stern anchor. Orange anchor marking buoys of an approved type, fitted with 22m of suitable line, must be secured to all anchors.
Charts and publications
BA 4794. US Chart 14848. Admiralty Pilot: NP286(5).
Reporting before arrival
updated Nov 2017ETA and pre-arrival notices
Vessels arriving in first US port: Please see country information.
Communications
VHF: Ch 11, 13, 14, 16 marine traffic working; Ch 12 coast guard. Available 24 hours.
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
Immigration: For crew not to be detained onboard, each crew member must have a visa in their passport or Seaman's Book.
Notices and regulations
Dunnage Removal Regulations: Crew members may discharge dunnage from ships holds to the deck. Holds can be cleaned by crew members alongside or at anchorage. All dunnage placed on deck must be trapped. Depending on the Plant Quarantine Inspector, the vessel's dunnage may not be allowed on deck and will have to be stacked below deck. Dunnage is removed by stevedores from deck into dunnage containers.
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 Dec 2022Repairs
All major repairs available.
Dry docks
Floating drydock facilities available at Nicholson Terminal & Dock Company, Ecorse Pier.
Bunkers, water and stores
Fresh water: Available.
Bunkering: All grades available by barge, on dock, or by road tanker directly from oil companies.
Medical
Nearest hospital: DMC Harper Univ Hospital, 14.0km.
Transport
Nearest airport: Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, 21.9km.
Nearest railway: Windsor, 21.3km.
Working hours
Throughout 24 hours including two 8 hour straight time shifts.
About Detroit
updated Feb 2022Where it is
Detroit, Michigan, is located along the W bank of the N section of the Detroit River which connects Lake Erie and Lake Huron.
The port
One of the busiest ports in the great lakes system and a major multimodal hub.
Exports: Coke, cement, scrap, iron and steel products, automobiles, tractors, hides, tallow and beans.
Imports: Iron and steel products, lumber, coal, stone, cement, salt, fluorspar, agricultural machine parts, glass and glass products, alcoholic beverages, crude rubber and vehicle engines and parts.
The port has a Free Trade Zone which is amongst the largest in the United States.
Traffic
Approx 12,000,000t of cargo and 1,000 vessels handled annually.
Questions about Detroit
What are the pilot arrangements at Detroit?
Compulsory. Available from Great Lakes Pilotage Administration.
What time zone is Detroit in?
Local time at Detroit 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 Detroit?
1000.
Who carries out Port State Control at Detroit?
Port State Control at Detroit: US Coast Guard.
What is the UN/LOCODE of Detroit?
The UN/LOCODE of Detroit is USDET.
Tips from seafarers
What crews who called at Detroit 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.