Ponta Ubu

1. Ponta do Ubu Ore Terminal pilot boarding place Pilot boards20°46.0′S 040°32.5′W

Size limits

LOA 309m, draught 16.8m, beam 59m, 250,000DWT.

Water density

1025.

Load line zone

Tropical.

Tides

Mean Spring Range approx 1.3m. Mean Neap Range approx 0.5m. Local winds may have a significant effect on the tide. There are no significant currents noticed in the turning basin.

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

Approach

When approaching the Terminal, Escalvada Island (20°42.0'S 040°24.0'W) (Light Fl(2) W 6s, 27m high) is visible from up to 9nm distance, along with the higher land of Sela Grande and Urubu and the lighthouses on Ponta do Ubu and Ponta dos Castelhano.

On land, there are two towers with flashing white leading lights (Front tower 27m high, back tower 31m high) each visible from up 10nm at sea, which, when lined up, lead in on a bearing of 270°(90°) through an approach channel, marked by port and starboard buoys.

The approach channel is marked by 7 buoys, is 1852m long, 370m wide, with an average depth of 20.0m (maintained depth 18m) and max draught 16.3m.

The Manoeuvring Basin on the West Berth side has a draught of 10.2m (Bow) and 10.5m (Aft), and on the West Berth side, a draught of 12.4m.

Near the berths, the Inner Approach Channel for West Berth has a draught of 15.7m, and for the East Berth 12.4m.

Restrictions

Max permissible draught on entering 13.0m and 16.8m on sailing plus tidal height. On the W berth vessels over 250m in length may only berth during daylight hours. Vessels over 280m in length may only unberth during daylight hours. On the E berth, no entering or manoeuvring permitted during night time

A reef, approx 0.2nm in extent, with depths of less than 2m, is located with its centre 0.5nm SSE of the elbow of the breakwater. Patches, with depths of 9.7m, lie 0.75nm SE and ESE of the elbow of the breakwater. Barra de Maimba, with a least depth of 5.4m, located approx 0.8nm NNE of the breakwater.

Tugs

Tug service is compulsory for all vessels at Ponta Ubu.

The port has 2 x 1,680hp, 20t bollard pull tugs permanently based at the terminal. Further tugs can be requested by the vessel's agent from Vitoria.

All vessels should be equipped with a wire towing line with nylon pendant.

Mooring

A copy of Rules and Regulations for berthing at Ponta Ubu can be found on Samarco's Ponta Uba website, www.samarco.com

Before arrival, the port management at Samarco assess the operational safety of each arriving vessel. After mooring, the port also monitors Metocean data, wave data, tides, winds, currents, precipitation, temperature and humidity. This information is archived for future studies and helps to maintain operational safety and protection of the local environmental.

Charts and publications

Admiralty Pilot NP5, NP286(7). BA 551, 3972.

US Sailing Directions No 124 (East Coast of South America). US 24170.

ETA and pre-arrival notices

Details for registering visiting vessels can be found on the Samarco website (www.samarco.com).

The master of an arriving vessel is required to send notice of ETA 15 days (or when departing prior port, if sailing distance is less than 15 days) then 5 days (with cargo tonnage, hatch numbers and deballasting time required and whether vessel is an ore/bulk/oil carrier or an ore/oil carrier). Then 72 and 48 hours (with arrival draught, ballast tonnage carried and deballasting time).

The 24 hour message should then be sent, containing: ETA, indication if vessel is fitted with an inert gas system (IGS) and if compartments will be inerted during loading. The type, manufacturer's name and name of the classification society that approved the IGS should also be given.

When within VHF range the master should contact the Marine Manager's office for additional information on berthing prospects, anchorage arrangements and cargo information.

Communications

Radio: Rio de Janeiro coast radio station, callsign "PPR" (telex 491) operates throughout 24 hours on: 435, 8,634 and 13,105kHz.

Weather reports: Meteorological bulletins are available throughout 24 hours via Rio de Janeiro coast radio station, Radio Arpoador, callsign, "PPR" on 17,194kHz.

Documents

Cargo documentation: Vessels shall present a detailed loading plan immediately on arrival, including hatch quantities, with loading sequence and quantity of ore to be reserved for forward and aft trimming by hatches.

Health

Radio pratique alone does not constitute quarantine clearance and a vessel inspection will be required upon arrival. Radio pratique if granted, will enable a vessel to enter, berth and commence loading prior to official quarantine clearance.

Quarantine flag must be flown until free pratique is granted.

Customs and immigration

Upon arrival, all ships are subject to routine inspections by the following port officials: Health Officers, Customs Officers, Maritime Police, Immigration Authorities.

Flags

The Brazilian flag is to be flown while a vessel remains in the Ponta Ubu area.

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

Bunkers, water and stores

Fresh water: Not available except when supplied by truck.

Bunkering: Not available.

Medical

Sao Judas Tadeu Hospital, Guarapari. Vitoria also has modern hospital facilities.

Transport

Nearest airport: Vitoria, 64km has flights to the other airports in Brazil.

Nearest railway: Vitoria.

Working hours

Throughout 24 hours.

Where it is

The port of Ponta Ubu is located on the coast of the state of Espirito Santo approx 40nm S of Vitoria.

The port

The port is owned and operated by Samarco Mineracao SA for the handling of iron ore pellets. At the Ponta Ubu pipeline terminal, incoming slurry is thickened and then stored in tanks that feed vacuum filters. These remove the remaining water from the slurry, which is processed and then made into iron ore pellets.

Ponta Ubu, which is normally operational 365 days a year, consists of a breakwater, protected pier, dredged berth area and access channel.

The port facilities are located in the open sea near the apex of a shallow indentation in the coastline where currents have provided 20.0m deep water within 1.1nm of the shore. The pier, length 313m; width 22m has a concrete deck, extending in a NNE (022.5°) direction. It projects from the eastern portion of the breakwater to a distance of 685m off shore. The pier has berths on both E and W sides.

The nearest town to the port is Guarapari, approx 15mins to the N by car.

Latterly, iron ore pellet output at the port has been severely affected by the bursting of a tailings dam at Samarco's iron ore mining site, approx 396km inland. At the time, this was considered a environmental catastrophe, reported globally in the news. The event resulted in a substantial reduction in port output with the number of bulk carriers calling at the port declining from 220 in 2015 to just 24 in 2018.

Since the 2015 dam burst, the Company have made a conscious commitment towards improving safety and operations. Production in the mining area is resuming without a tailings dam, instead using a filtering and dry stacking system which is safer and has less of an environmental impact. It is expected that output at the Port will eventually recover and return to pre-damn burst levels.

Port Safety and Operational Procedures have been reviewed and improved. Before allowing the berthing of any vessel at its Terminal, Samarco evaluates the conditions of the vessel in terms of operational safety, environmental preservation and respect for neighbouring communities. After berthing, the vessels are subject to inspection to assure their safe operation and reduce the risk of any possible damage to the Terminal and to the environment. The port also records and reports data about the climate, tides, waves, winds, rainfall, temperatures and humidity as input for future studies, increasing the efficiency and mainly the safety of its operations.

Traffic

Approx. 23,000,000t of cargo and 25 vessels handled annually.

Where does the pilot board at Ponta Ubu?

The pilot boards at Ponta do Ubu Ore Terminal pilot boarding place, 20°46.0′S 040°32.5′W.

What time zone is Ponta Ubu in?

Local time at Ponta Ubu is UTC−3. No summer time.

What is the maximum draft at Ponta Ubu?

The deepest berth listed is at Ponta Ubu Terminal: 16.80 m maximum draught. The "Max draft per terminal" table gives each terminal's figure.

What is the water density at Ponta Ubu?

1025.

Which load line zone is Ponta Ubu in?

Tropical.

What is the UN/LOCODE of Ponta Ubu?

The UN/LOCODE of Ponta Ubu is BRPOU.

What crews who called at Ponta Ubu 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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