Hamburg

Size limits

LOA 400m, draught 15.1m, beam 61.5m, 232,606DWT.

Water density

1000.

Load line zone

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

Tides

Range 3.8m spring, 3.3m neap.

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

Approach

Work on widening two sections of the fairway adjustment has been completed. On the segment of the Elbe widened by the WSV (Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration) as far as the Hamburg state border, known as the ‘Passing Box’. Vessels with a combined width of up to 98m are now able to pass each other safely. Previously the limit was 90m. Work on this continues and the permissible breadth of visiting vessels will be raised further.

Approach from a position ESE of Falkensteiner Light (black and red pile) (53°33.0'N 009°46.6'E) the alignment (106.75°) ahead of Bubendey-Ufer Leading Lights leads 3.5nm ESE to a position WNW of Seemannshoft Radar Tower where Elbe River Pilots are exchanged for Hamburg Harbour Pilots. The alteration of course on to the next alignment (273°), astern of Finkenwerder Leading Lights occurs in this vicinity. The Elbe has a max depth of 16.3m at high tide. Currently inbound vessels with draught up to 15.1m FW are accepted on HW, subject to the Harbour Masters approval and outbound vessels with a draught of 13.8m FW are permitted at HW.

Port limits

The W limit of the port crosses Die Unterelbe on the approx meridian of 009°44.0'E, close W of the oil refinery at Wedel as shown on the chart. The harbour extends approx 14nm in an E-W direction and 5nm in a N-S direction and covers about 82km².

Traffic schemes and VTS

The Hamburg Ship Reporting Service (SRS) has a coordinated chain of 22 land based radar stations and an AIS station covering the Elbe fairway from 4nm W of Elbe Lightbuoy to well into the port of Hamburg.

Tankers entering the VTS Area:

Tankers up to 2,000DWT must have visibility between 500m and 1,000m.

Tankers over 2,000DWT but not exceeding LOA 140m or draught 8.5m, must have visibility between 500m and 1,000m and only with permission of the VTS Centre.

Anchorages

Anchoring is prohibited outside the line of the channel buoyage in the River Elbe and Kohlbrand and in other areas unless the Hamburg Port Authority has permitted it. Anchoring is permitted if it is required to avoid dangerous situations.

Restrictions

Speed limit: The competent water police authorities of the federal government and the port of Hamburg have imposed a speed limit; the maximum speed allowed in the port of Hamburg for commercial traffic is 10kts.

If the visibility is less than 500m, all masters of seagoing vessels are obliged to take a pilot onboard.

Ships exempted from the obligation to engage the services of a harbour pilot must accept radar monitoring and advice if visibility is below 2,000 meters and, on the Lower Elbe west of Seemannshoft if visibility is below 3,000 meters. If visibility decreases to below 500 metres, all masters of seagoing vessels exempted from the obligation to engage the services of a harbour pilot are obligated to take on a pilot.

Ships approicahing and leaving the port may be assigned a "tidal window" depending on the water depths at the berth, of the river or the tide forecast.

Tugs

Around 20 tug boats are available.

Mooring

No special requirements.

Charts and publications

BA 3268 and 8069. INT 1455. Admiralty Pilot NP55, NP286(2).

ETA and pre-arrival notices

Masters of ships at the port of Hamburg should advise the ETA data to "Brunsbuttel Elbe-Pilot" 12 hours and finally 1 hour prior to the arrival at the Elbe pilot station, stating the following details:

1. Name of vessel

2. Call sign

3. IMO number

4. Destination

5. ETA Elbe pilot station/ Time for Pilot on Board

6. Freeboard between pilot boarding station and waterline

7. Extra orders

8. Max. river speed

Contact

Brunsbuttel Elbe-Pilot

Phone: +49 4852 87295 (24/7)

Email: [email protected]

VHF: Channel 08, call "Brunsbuttel Elbe-Pilot"

2 hours before the arrival at Elbe light buoy, masters are advised to contact the pilot ship on VHF channel 08.

Communications

Norddeich (DAN), Elbe-Weser (DAC).

VHF: Hamburg-Elbe port: Ch 12 and 16.

VTS Centre Hamburg: Ch 14. Tel:+49 40 42847-3700 , Fax: +49 40 42847-3701, Email: [email protected]

Port Authority Tel: +49 (0)40 377090. Fax: +49 (0)40 37709199. Email: [email protected]

Harbour Master: Tel: +49 40 42847-2571, Fax: +49 40 42847-2588, Email: [email protected]

Hamburg Elbe Pilots: Ch 09. Tel: +49 40 828592, Fax: +49 40 803425, Email: [email protected].

Hamburg Port Traffic: Ch 14, 16, 74. Radio stations operate continuously.

Cuxhaven Elbe Traffic: Ch 71.

Brunsbuttel Elbe Traffic: Ch 68

Este Lock: Ch 10, Hamburg Lock: Ch 13, Tiefstack Lock: Ch 11.

Este Bridge: Ch 10, Kattwyk Bridge and Rithe Bridge: Ch 13.

Documents

Port fee Declaration: Inbound vessels must complete a Port Fee Declaration and submit it to the Hamburg Port Authority by Fax (+49 40 428 473034) or email PDF ([email protected]) giving details of size of vessel, type of cargo, etc. The form may be downloaded from the Hamburg Port Authority website: www.hamburg-port-authority.de

Health

Master has to complete and sign the Marine Health Declaration brought onboard by the pilot. Clean ships will be granted free pratique on arrival. Only vessels with infectious diseases are subject to detention.

Ship Sanitation Control and Exemption Certificates issued.

Customs and immigration

Customs Regulations for the Passage of River Elbe: All inbound vessels must report at Cuxhaven for Customs examination except in circumstances where sworn pilots have been engaged and the signals, as laid down by the Customs Laws, have been hoisted. Such vessels are subject to a complete traffic ban during the river voyage and are not permitted to establish any direct contact with either the shore or other vessels. The same regulations are applicable to vessels outbound from Hamburg.

The following documents are required to be presented:

Cargo declaration (cargo manifest, B/L)

Crew's effects declaration

Ship's stores declaration

Notices and regulations

Very large vessels: Must obtain permission from the marine police before entering the limits of the port.

Rights of way: Hamburg Harbour Regulations state that vessels navigating in the main fairways, defined as Die Unterelbe and Die Norderelbe have right of way over vessels in any other channel.

Main machinery turning trials: Permitted only with the written permission of the Port Authority and at certain berths.

Port State Control here: Paris 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.

ISPS

ISPS Designated Authority: Bundesamt fur Seeschifffahrt und Hydrographie.

Position: Head of Maritime Shipping Department.

Address: Bundesamt fur Seeschifffahrt u. Hydrographie (BSH) Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency Section S42 - Martime Security

Bernhard-Nocht-Str. 78

20359 Hamburg, Germany

Tel: +49 40 3190 7420

Fax: +49 40 3190 5009

Mob: +49 40 3190 7777

Web: http://www.deutsche-flagge.de/

Email: [email protected]

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

Repairs

All types of repairs available.

Bunkers, water and stores

Fresh water: Available by barge.

Bunkers: 24 hour service available throughout the port. All grades available by barge.

Stores: Available.

Medical

Helios Endo-Klinik Hamburg in Hamburg, 18km.

Transport

Nearest airport: Hamburg-Fuhlsbuttel, 28km.

Nearest railway: Hamburg Hauptbanhof. Direct raillink from Port of Hamburg to Lubeck Port Container Terminal.

Inland Canals: Connections to Magdeburg, Dresden, Riesa and Torgau and Upper Elbe destinations

Container link to China (mainland): Zhengzhou International Inland Port Development, a business and logistics centre in Central China, has initiated the link to Germany (07/13). Trains will take just 18 days to make the 10,214km trip. The boxes will be transferred by crane between different track gauges twice, at the Kazakhstan-China (mainland) border at Alashankou, in northeastern China's Xinjiang region, and at the Polish-Belarusian border.

Working hours

Within port area 24/7.

Where it is

Hamburg is situated on the River Elbe, 65nm from the open sea.

The port

Germany's largest and most important port, with over 320 berths, handling a wide variety of cargoes and especially prominent in container and petroleum movements. Also extensive transhipment facilities, including the container block train system and the Elbe Lateral Canal which links Hamburg to Magdeburg, Aken, Riesa, Dresden, Decin and Prague, as well as Brunswick and Hanover.

Mega ship with a combined width of up to 98m can now passing each others after widening the Elbe "Passing Box". The fairway along 36km stretch between Wedel & the mouth of Stör has been widened from 300 meter to 320 meter, start 28 January 2020 onwards, ship with a combined width of 92m may pass or overtake each others in this area.

Traffic

Approx 115,000,000t of cargo, 8,000,000TEU, 7,000 vessels and 900,000 passengers handled annually.

What are the pilot arrangements at Hamburg?

Vessels exceeding length 330m and beam 45m require official permit to enter port.

What time zone is Hamburg in?

Local time at Hamburg is UTC+1. Clocks go to UTC+2 on 28 Mar 2027. Back to UTC+1 on 31 Oct 2027.

What is the maximum draft at Hamburg?

The deepest berth listed is at HHLA Container Terminal Tollerort (CTT): 15.20 m maximum draught. The "Max draft per terminal" table gives each terminal's figure.

What is the water density at Hamburg?

1000.

Which load line zone is Hamburg 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 Hamburg?

Port State Control at Hamburg: Paris MOU.

What is the UN/LOCODE of Hamburg?

The UN/LOCODE of Hamburg is DEHAM.

What crews who called at Hamburg 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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