PORT GUIDE · FOR OFFICERS, MASTERS AND SHORE TEAMS
Mobile
Pilot
updated May 2010- Mobile Bay Pilot boards30°07.5′N 088°04.1′W
Compulsory across the bar. Pilots available from either Mobile Bar Pilots Association or Mobile Inner Harbour Pilots, throughout 24 hours, requests for pilots should be made 48 hours prior to arrival. Pilot boards near Mobile Entrance Lightbuoy (30°07.5'N 088°04.1'W).
Key data
updated Sep 2022Size limits
LOA 336.7m, beam 50.0m, draught 13.5m, 208,745DWT.
Water density
The port waterway is fresh water.
Load line zone
Summer.
Tides
Maximum tidal range about 0.5m.
Max draft per terminal
| Terminal | Max draught | Max LOA | Berths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pinto Island Steel Terminal | — | 292 m | 1 |
| Mobile Container Terminal (MCT) | 13.60 m | 337 m | 2 |
| McDuffie Island Coal Terminal | 13.50 m | 300 m | 3 |
| AGREX Grain Elevator Terminal | 12.20 m | 254 m | 1 |
| AutoMobile International Terminal | 12.19 m | 180 m | 2 |
| NuStar - Blakeley Island Terminal | — | 229 m | 1 |
| Shell Chemicals - Blakeley Island Facility | 12.19 m | 183 m | 1 |
| Cooper Marine & Timberlands | 12.04 m | 230 m | 2 |
| Core Industries - Theodore Industrial Port | 12.04 m | 200 m | 2 |
| Plains Marketing - Mobile Terminal | 12.00 m | 275 m | 1 |
| Vulcan Materials Co., Blakeley Island Yard | 11.90 m | 247 m | 1 |
| BWC Terminals - Mobile | 11.58 m | 259 m | 1 |
| Millard Refrigerated Services | 11.20 m | 190 m | 1 |
| Marine Liquid Bulk Terminal (MLBT) | 11.00 m | 185 m | 1 |
| Middle Bay Port | — | 100 m | 2 |
All 32 terminals
| Terminal | Max draught | Max LOA | Berths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama State Port Authority (ASPA) | 10.80 m | 292 m | 22 |
| Holcim (US) Theodore Cement Plant | 10.80 m | 200 m | 1 |
| BWC Terminals - Blakeley | 10.36 m | 183 m | 1 |
| Mobile Alabama Cruise Terminal | 10.30 m | 290 m | 1 |
| Alabama Bulk Terminal | 8.90 m | 244 m | 1 |
| Alabama State Docks - Blakeley Terminal | 7.50 m | 138 m | 1 |
| BWC Terminals - Chickasaw | 7.31 m | 152 m | 1 |
| Axis Terminal (Alabama) | — | — | 1 |
| Bridgeport (Alabama) Terminal | — | — | 1 |
| Columbia Terminal (Alabama) | — | — | 1 |
| Cordova (Alabama) | — | — | 2 |
| DemopolisTerminal (Alabama) | — | — | 1 |
| Eufaula Terminal (Alabama) | — | — | 1 |
| Montgomery Terminal (Alabama) | — | — | 1 |
| River Sand & Gravel | — | — | 1 |
| Selma Terminal (Alabama) | — | — | 1 |
| Radcliff South 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 Jan 2019Approach
Then the track leads N for 0.8nm within the marked channel, with little change of direction, to enter Upper Reach.
Then the alignment 174.5°, astern and the reciprocal 354.5°, ahead, of Middle Reach, outer leading lights and Middle Reach Leading Lights, respectively, leads through the centre of the channel for 10.4nm.
Then the alignment 181.5°, astern of Upper Reach Leading Lights leads through the centre of the channel for 3nm, to the entrance to Mobile River and the port of Mobile.
The chart and Port Authority should be consulted for the latest controlling depths.
Traffic schemes and VTS
Vessels should not exceed 5kts between the entrance to Arlington channel and the head of Chicksaw Creek.
Anchorages
Outer Fairway: Mid position 30°04'N 088°04'W, approx 9.5nm S of Mobile Point Light; depths 20-22.0m.
Lower Bay: Mid position 30°14'N 088°01'W, between Mobile Point and Middle Ground; depths 5.5-9.4m; good holding ground, but uncomfortable for small vessels in N'ly winds, due to short heavy seas.
Explosives: Mid position 30°14'N 088°01'W, N of Mobile Point; depths 5.5-9.4m; The Captain of the Port's permission is required to use this anchorage, which may also be used by other vessels if not required for explosives purposes.
Restrictions
Night time restrictions: Vessels whose dimensions are 259m x 41m or greater require daylight turning in the harbour. Vessels whose dimensions are 274m x 42.6m or greater require daylight passage from Buoy No 22 to the sea buoy or from the sea buoy to Buoy No 22.
One way traffic: The channel shall be limited to one way traffic when a vessel whose beam exceeds 35m transit's the ship channel.
Draught: Maximum combined draught of two meeting vessels shall not exceed 26m.
Beam: The combined beam of two meeting vessels shall not exceed 68.8m and the maximum draught of one of these vessels shall not exceed 7.6m.
Vertical clearance: Cochrane Road Bridge (30°44.0'N 088°02.5'W), with a vertical clearance of 42.7m, crosses the river at the N end of the harbour. An overhead power cable, with a vertical clearance of 49.3m, spans the river close N of Cochrane Bridge.
Submarine cables: Submarine cables cross the S end of Mobile Channel (30°40.0'N 088°02.0'W) and the entrance to Chickasaw Creek (30°44.5'N 088°02.5'W).
Tugs
Crescent Towing and Seabulk Towing Inc. all operate tugs that are available within the area.
Charts and publications
BA 3150, 3851; NOAA 11376. Admiralty Pilot NP69A, NP286(5).
Reporting before arrival
updated Sep 2012ETA and pre-arrival notices
Vessels arriving in first US port: Please see country information.
Documents
Please see country information for details of documentation requirements.
Health
US Public Health Service quarantine regulations apply. Officials usually inspect vessels at their berths.
No action initiated unless there is illness onboard.
Ship Sanitation Control Certificates: Please see country information.
Customs and 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
Coastguard Vessel Inspection: Please see country information.
Traffic Regulations: Vessels should not exceed a speed of 5kts between the entrance of Arlington Channel and the head of Chickasaw Creek.
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 Apr 2016Repairs
Repairs of all kinds can be undertaken.
Bunkers, water and stores
Bunkering: Available.
Fresh water: Available.
Stores: Available.
Medical
Mobile Infirmary, 5km.
Transport
Nearest airport: Mobile Municipal Airport, 17km. Mobile Downtown Airport, 6km.
Nearest railway: Four major railroads serve the port: Burlington Northern, ICG, CSX, Norfolk Southern.
Working hours
Normally Mon-Fri 0800-1700hrs. Sat-Sun and some standard US holidays can be worked as overtime.
About Mobile
updated Oct 2025Where it is
Mobile is situated at the head of Mobile Bay in the SW of Alabama, approx 30nm from the Gulf of Mexico.
The port
The port, also known as Alabama State Docks, handles general cargo, containers, Ro-Ro and bulk materials, including coal and grain. Included are McDuffie Island, Pinto Island and the middle bay docks complex of Theodore.
Mobile also acts as an important transhipment port for the 10 inland ports located on the navigable rivers operated by Alabama State Docks. This has been made possible by the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway which not only links the Alabama Inland Ports (see separate entry) but also services some 23 states in the heartland of America, terminating at Mobile.
Imports: Heavy lift and oversized cargo, containers, coal, aluminium, iron, steel, copper, lumber, wood pulp, plywood, paper, cement, chemicals.
Exports: Heavy lift and oversized cargo, containers, coal, lumber, plywood, wood pulp, paper, iron, steel, soybeans, chemicals.
Traffic
Approx 26,800,000t of cargo, 564,000TEU and 1,600 vessels handled annually.
Questions about Mobile
Where does the pilot board at Mobile?
The pilot boards at Mobile Bay, 30°07.5′N 088°04.1′W.
What time zone is Mobile in?
Local time at Mobile is UTC−6. Clocks go to UTC−5 on 14 Mar 2027. Back to UTC−6 on 7 Nov 2027.
What is the maximum draft at Mobile?
The deepest berth listed is at Mobile Container Terminal (MCT): 13.60 m maximum draught. The "Max draft per terminal" table gives each terminal's figure.
What is the water density at Mobile?
The port waterway is fresh water.
Which load line zone is Mobile in?
Summer.
Who carries out Port State Control at Mobile?
Port State Control at Mobile: US Coast Guard.
What is the UN/LOCODE of Mobile?
The UN/LOCODE of Mobile is USMOB.
Tips from seafarers
What crews who called at Mobile 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.