PORT GUIDE · FOR OFFICERS, MASTERS AND SHORE TEAMS
Manaus
Pilot
updated May 2010Lower river pilots: APBAM (Associacao de Praticagem da Bacia Amazonica, Belem) who cover navigation of the river from Belem and Santana to Itacoatiara, including Santarem (River Tapajos) Porto Trombetas (River Trombetas) and Munguba (Jari River), are compulsory. Pilots board at either Belem, or in case of vessels entering the river by the North Channel, at Fazendinha (Santana) at 00°40.65'S 051°06.45'W. Pilotage from the sea buoy to Fazendinha is not compulsory. The Amazon North Channel between North Bar and Fazendinha (approx 182nm) has been declared safe for navigation without pilot assistance.
The fairway is well marked by lights, racons and buoys. The channel is well defined and navigation is safe at all hours of the day and night. Vessels of up to LOA 245m with a draught of 11.2m FW are continuously navigating the channel. There are no means available to supply charts for the North Channel so it is most important that vessels have up-to-date charts before proceeding to the Amazon. The nearest alternative to pick up charts for the Amazon North Channel is Salinopolis pilot station.
Upper river pilots: PROA (Associacao de Praticagem dos Rios Ocidentais de Amazonia, Manaus) covers navigation of the river from Itacoatiara to Tabatinga (frontier with Peru and Colombia) including Manaus (River Negro). Pilotage is compulsory and pilots board at Itacoataria or Manaus.
River pilots boarding to assist navigation must be provided with officer standard accommodation near to the wheelhouse, hospital quarters will not be accepted.
Pilotage costs on the Amazon are extremely high.
Vessels calling at Manaus are served by the pilots of the Amazon Basin, 2 pilots embarking at Belem for the round voyage.
Vessels entering via the North Bar take on the pilot off Santana. There is no local pilotage service at Manaus.
Key data
updated Jul 2014Size limits
LOA 225m, draught 33m, 50,000DWT.
North Bar Channel: Max draught 11.45m HW, all seasons.
General Cargo Stages: Up to LOA 175m, draught 8.8m or up to LOA 210m, draught 7.3m.
Petrobras Reman: LOA 225m, beam 33m, draught 11.5m, displacement 66,000.
Water density
1000.
Load line zone
Tropical.
Tides
The port is non-tidal. There is a great variation in the level of Rio Negro during the year with regular periods of high and low river. The highest levels occur in Jun and Jul and the lowest in Nov and Dec. The mean range of the river level is 11.5m.
Max draft per terminal
| Terminal | Max draught | Max LOA | Berths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cimentos Vencemos Terminal | — | — | 4 |
| Public Port | — | — | 2 |
| Manaus-Super Terminais | — | — | 1 |
| Porto Chibatão Retroport-Manaus Branch | — | — | 1 |
| Moageira Terminal | — | — | 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 2010Approach
Entrance to the Amazon River by North Channel should only be attempted at HW. The max depth of water there is 11.5m FW. Via Belem the depth varies from 7.3m to 8.7m. At Manaus, along the length of the docks the depth of water is 35m.
Owing to the exceptionally good navigable conditions on the Rio Negro, no approach channel to Manaus has been marked. The manoeuvring basin is located between Lat 03°08.5'S and the Roadway/Towers docks and Long 006°02.5'W.
Anchorages
Tankers waiting to berth at the oil terminal should anchor in mid-river a short way below the refinery in 20 to 40m, sand.
Anchorage for vessels over 3,000GT at position 03°09.00'S 060°01.48'W and for vessels of less than 3,000GT at position 03°09.00'S 060°02.12'W.
Vessels in quarantine anchor in position 03°08.8'S 59°55.8'W.
It is strictly prohibited for any vessel to anchor in the approaches to the port or the manoeuvring basin.
Restrictions
As vessels receive pratique in Belem or Santana, they are normally received when alongside, however if in transit only, they must anchor off the port, or in the case of tankers, off the refinery pier, 8km downstream.
Petrobras: There are tug number requirements and night berthing length restrictions at Reman berths.
Tugs
There are 2 tugs of 1 x 210hp and 1 x 1,680hp available.
Charts and publications
BA 2229; Brazil 4110A, 4107A, 4107B, 4108. Admiralty Pilot NP5, NP286(7).
Reporting before arrival
updated Aug 2010Communications
VHF: Via "Salinopolis Radio".
Pilot services: Tel: +55 92 3624 2164, Fax: +55 92 3629 6208, must be made via agent at least 24 hours prior to arrival.
Customs and immigration
Contraband: Brazilian laws are very strict with respect to smuggling and masters are requested to instruct their crews not to take more than 2 packets of cigarettes and other articles ashore. Cigarettes in cartons, tobacco, alcoholic beverages, narcotics, souvenirs, explosives, firearms, etc should be collected prior to arrival in port and listed with the items in the Crew's Personal Effects List and placed in the custody of the master.
Immigration: All a vessel's passengers and/or crew members may only enter the national territory after their documents have been inspected by the federal police department, the revenue authorities and the port health authorities.
Vessels owners are responsible for the disembarkation and the embarkation of transit passengers as well as crew members who fail to join a vessel before it sails. Such responsibility includes the maintenance and other expenses until repatriation. In the event of non existence of a compulsory deposit as guarantee to cover such expenses, owners will sign, at the federal police department, a form of responsibility inherent to such obligations as therein expressed.
Flags
All vessels, while in Brazilian ports, must fly the Brazilian national flag from 0800hrs to sunset.
Inspections
ISPS
ISPS Designated Authority: Comissao Nacional de Seguranca Publica nos Portos, Terminais e Vias Navegaveis - CONPORTOS.
Contact person: Ezio Borghetti.
Position: Secretario Executivo.
Address: Esplenada dos Ministerios, Bloco T, 5 andar - Ministerio da Justica, DF, 70064-900, Brasilia, Brazil.
Tel: +55 61 429 3173.
Fax: +55 61 429 9169.
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.mj.gov.br
For further ISPS information see IMO website http://www.imo.org
Port services
updated Dec 2025Repairs
General repairs available in Manaus yard.
Bunkers, water and stores
Fresh water: Available by hydrants on all berths.
Bunkering: Only FO 180cst and MGO are available. The local refinery is able to supply "Bunker C", gas oil and IFO 1500. Bunkering is performed by oil barges. If required, the master of a vessel may shift the vessel to receive oil alongside the terminal.
One barge for fuel; 500t capacity, pumping rate 60m³/hr and 3 barges for MGO; 750t, 600t and 200t capacity, pumping rate 100m³/hr.
Stores: First class edible stores can be obtained but prices are high.
Medical
There are 3 hospitals in Manaus.
Transport
Nearest airport: Eduardo Gomes Airport, situated approx 15km from the port. International services call daily at Manaus.
Nearest railway: Manaus.
Working hours
Normally 0700-1100hrs, 1300-2300hrs.
About Manaus
updated Dec 2015Where it is
Manaus is situated on the left bank of the Rio Negro in the State of Amazonas, approx 925nm from Belem.
The port
Containerised, liquid/dry bulk and general cargo can all be handled by shore facilities. General cargo accounts for most of the port's tonnage with 1 ore and bulk cargo terminal, 4 tanker terminals, 1 liquefied gas terminal and 2 Ro-Ro offloading points available for specialised cargo.
The major exports are rubber, nuts, potatoes, timber, hides, fibre, guarama, vegetable oils and oil bearing seeds.
Traffic
Approx 600 vessels and 500,000TEU handled annually.
Questions about Manaus
What are the pilot arrangements at Manaus?
Lower river pilots: APBAM (Associacao de Praticagem da Bacia Amazonica, Belem) who cover navigation of the river from Belem and Santana to Itacoatiara, including Santarem (River Tapajos) Porto Trombetas (River Trombetas) and Munguba (Jari River), are compulsory.
What time zone is Manaus in?
Local time at Manaus is UTC−4. No summer time.
What is the water density at Manaus?
1000.
Which load line zone is Manaus in?
Tropical.
What is the UN/LOCODE of Manaus?
The UN/LOCODE of Manaus is BRMAO.
Tips from seafarers
What crews who called at Manaus 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.