Kingston

1. Kingston Harbour pilot boarding place Pilot boards17°53.8′N 076°45.2′W

Size limits

Harbour: LOA 366.96m, beam 51.0m, draught 9.7m, 158,097DWT.

Offshore: LOA 228.0m, draught 11.13m 74,999DWT.

Water density

1026.

Load line zone

North Atlantic Seasonal Tropical Area, Tropical Nov 1 to Jul 15, Summer Jul 16 to Oct 31.

Tides

Range 0.26m, occasionally 0.41m. Tidal streams set across the channel near Fort Augusta and must be guarded against, particularly on the falling tide.

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

Approach

The port approached through East Channel, dredged to 18.0m CD, or South Channel which converge on Port Royal.

The main Kingston Harbour outer approach channel is 250m wide at its narrowest point and has a mimimum depth of 16.4m CD.

The Kingston Harbour Ship Channel and Port Bustamante basin have a depth up to 15.7m CD .

From a position off Port Royal Point the line of bearing 010° of the SE angle of Fort Augusta (2nm N of Port Royal Point) leads across the approaches to Port Royal Harbour, passing (with reference to Port Royal Point (17°56.0'N 076°51.0'W));

Approx 0.2nm W of Harbour Shoal Light Beacon (0.15nm NW) then;

Approx 0.2nm W of De Horsey Patch (0.25nm NNW), then;

E of Delbert Sicard Light Beacon and Morton Light Beacon (port hand) (1.1nm and 1.3nm NNW) and W of Currey's Gate Light Beacon (starboard hand) (1.1nm N). From Currey's Gate Light Beacon, the direction of the channel curves slowly towards the NE and ENE, as guided by the light beacons on both sides.

Caution: Hazards to shipping: Reefs: East middle ground rock patches, 0.13nm SSW of Plumb Point Lighthouse.

Port limits

Kingston Harbour includes the water area N of The Palisades and of a line joining Port Royal Point (17°56.0'N 076°51.0'W) and Small Point (2nm WSW).

Anchorages

Anchorages "A", "B" and "C": Vessel LOA 320m, draught 10.3m.

Anchorages "D" and "E": Vessel LOA unlimited, draught 10.3m.

Port Royal Anchorage (19°56.6'N 076°50.8'W): Vessel LOA 320m, draught 13.0m.

Prohibited anchorages: In Ship Channel or within 30m of its boundaries.

Within the cable area, between the vicinity of Gallows Point (1nm NE of Port Royal Point) and Newport East Quay (2nm farther NE).

In the vicinity of pipelines leading to the oil berths off the Petrojam Oil Refinery (about 3nm NE of Port Royal Point).

Tugs

Tug service is compulsory. The port is serviced by 2 x 4,000hp tugs. Contact Maritime Towing, Tel: +1 876 923 8728, Telex: 2132. VHF Ch 11.

Charts and publications

BA 225, 456, 454. Admiralty Pilot NP70, NP286(7).

ETA and pre-arrival notices

ETA to be advised 72, 48 and 24 hours in advance.

Communications

Radio: Kingston Radio, callsign "6YI", keeps continuous watch on the international distress frequencies and operates services on radio, telephone and radio telegraphy throughout 24 hours.

VHF: Kingston Radio: Ch 16, 11.

Pilots: Ch 11. Tel: +1 876 922 5749, Fax: +1 876 922 5764.

Tugs: Ch 11.

Coastguard: Ch 16.

Notice of readiness

To be tendered on arrival.

Health

Quarantine regulations are strictly enforced.

Vessels awaiting pratique anchor W of Chevannes Light Beacon (0.35nm N of Port Royal Point) where the Health Officer will board.

Vessels placed in quarantine anchor in the area E of Lazaretto Cairn (1.5nm W of Port Royal Point).

Vessels arriving from outports of the island and having already been granted pratique fly International Flag "M" and are not boarded.

No other vessels, except HM ships, are permitted to proceed further inward until they have been boarded.

Ship Sanitation Control Certificate and Exemption Certificates issued.

Notices and regulations

All vessels are required to observe carefully the movements of other vessels, to avoid meeting in the above passages.

When two vessels are approaching the above passages from opposite directions:

The vessel entering harbour has right of way.

The vessel leaving harbour shall keep clear until the other vessel has passed.

An outbound vessel shall not pass Middle Ground Light Beacon (2.2nm NE) when an inbound vessel is observed to be between Harbour Shoal Light Beacon (0.15nm NW) and Middle Ground Light Beacon.

A vessel shall give warning of her approach to Port Royal by sounding one prolonged blast when 1nm from that point; the signal shall be answered with one prolonged blast by a vessel approaching the point from the opposite direction.

Overtaking is prohibited in East Channel and Ship Channel, between Lime Cay (1.7nm ESE) and Hunts Bay Light Beacon (2.3nm NNE).

Speed limit within the limits of the port is 10kts.

No vessel or boat may enter the area within 0.3nm radius of the W end of the runway of Norman Manley International Airport (1.4nm WNW of Plumb Point).

The use of rat guards on all securing hawsers is imposed by law, and vessels must haul off at least 2.5m from the wharves at night.

ISPS

ISPS Designated Authority: Port Authority of Jamaica.

Position: Vice President of Security.

Address: 15-17 Duke Street, Kingston, Jamaica.

Tel: +1 876 922 0290.

Fax: +1 876 924 9437.

Email: [email protected]

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

Description: Located in the Caribbean, Jamaica is the third largest island in the West Indies.

Repairs

Repairs afloat for larger vessels.

Dry docks

Drydock with 150t lift.

Bunkers, water and stores

Fresh water: Available.

Bunkering: Available.

Stores: Available.

Medical

Nearest hospital: University Hospital of the West Indies, 13.2km.

Transport

Nearest airport: Kinsgton Airport, 6.6km.

Nearest railway: Pechon Street, 3.0km.

Working hours

24hrs a day, all year round.

Where it is

Kingston, the principal port of Jamaica, is located on the S coast of the island.

The port

Kingston is an almost land locked harbour with approx 21km² of navigable water and depths of up to 27.4m. The Port of Kingston is comprised of Port Bustamante and a number of private berths. There is a large container/transhipment terminal, modern break bulk and Ro-Ro facilities. In addition, there are a number of smaller terminals for the shipment of oil, cement, gypsum and lumber. Integration of the container/transhipment terminal with the adjoining break bulk wharves at Newport West has provided a greater flexibility in the handling of containers, Ro-Ro and break bulk cargoes for local distribution, export and transhipment.

The Kingston Export Free Zone has been established by the port authority of Jamaica on land adjacent to the transhipment terminal. This Free Zone offers both foreign and local investors a wide range of incentives to enable them to set up customs free operations in this area.

Imports: Lumber, grain, oil, fish and motor vehicles.

Exports: Aggregates, gypsum, cement and produce.

Traffic

Approx 28,000,000t of cargo, 2,300,000 TEU and 900 vessels handled annually.

Where does the pilot board at Kingston?

The pilot boards at Kingston Harbour pilot boarding place, 17°53.8′N 076°45.2′W.

What time zone is Kingston in?

Local time at Kingston is UTC−5. No summer time.

What is the maximum draft at Kingston?

The deepest berth listed is at Petrojam Terminal: 11.13 m maximum draught. The "Max draft per terminal" table gives each terminal's figure.

What is the water density at Kingston?

1026.

Which load line zone is Kingston in?

North Atlantic Seasonal Tropical Area, Tropical Nov 1 to Jul 15, Summer Jul 16 to Oct 31.

What is the UN/LOCODE of Kingston?

The UN/LOCODE of Kingston is JMKIN.

What crews who called at Kingston 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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