Port au Prince

1. Port-au-Prince pilot boarding position a Pilot boards18°34.9′N 072°28.5′W
2. Port-au-Prince pilot boarding position b Pilot boards18°33.5′N 072°22.1′W

Size limits

Harbour - LOA 225m, beam 35m, draught 12m, 63,548DWT.

Offshore - LOA 200m, BCM 98.5m, draught 10.6m, 55,202DWT.

Water density

1025.

Load line zone

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

Tides

Range 1.0m. Current is almost negligible in the port; however a weak N going flow, rate 0.25kt, may be experienced when berthing or unberthing.

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

Approach

Details of Approach channels should be checked with the Port Authority as depths may change following seismic activity in the area.

Approaches: From a position about 1nm NNW of Pointe Lamentin (18°33.0'N 072°21.0'W) the alignment (104°), of the monument, N tower of the cathedral (front light) and the S side of Fort Alexander (rear light) leads into harbour, passing (with reference to the cathedral):

S of Recif Bolivar (4.7nm), marked by No 1 Beacon, then;

N of No 2 Light Beacon (4.4nm W), off Pointe Lamentin, then;

N of No 4 Beacon (3.6nm W), Pointe du Tor, then;

S of Banc de I'Ilet de Sable (3.4nm NW), marked by No 3 Beacon and into the quarantine anchorage then;

Between No 5 Beacon (1.9nm WNW) and a lightbuoy, which marks a shoal area, which has the least depth on the leading line and is S of Haut-fonds d'Inginac, then;

Close N of No 8 Beacon.

Caution: The best time for picking up the leading marks is just before the leading lights are extinguished or 2 to 3 hours after sunrise or after noon. In the early morning, owing to smoke and mist, the towers of the cathedral are difficult to distinguish at times.

Owing to the difficulty in distinguishing the leading lights from the many red airport lights near and N of Fort Alexander, mariners may find difficulty in entering after dark.

Traffic schemes and VTS

No traffic scheme adopted.

Anchorages

Outer anchorage: Berths have been designated in the NE and SW of Baie de Port-au-Prince, the port authority should be contacted for further details.

Quarantine anchorage: Situated 2.3nm WNW of the cathedral (18°33.0'N 072°20.0'W). Vessels must wait in the anchorage for the port medical officer, and keep the quarantine flag hoisted until pratique is granted.

Restricted area: Vessels are requested not to anchor in the area 1.3nm W of the cathedral.

The harbour basin offers a large anchorage consisting of a sand and coral bottom, with depths of 16 - 28m. Anchorage charges are not applicable to vessels that are anchored awaiting berth.

Restrictions

Many shipwrecks still 'litter' the area, following the earthquake and subsequent hurricanes.

Tugs

The use of tugs is compulsory for vessels of 1,000GT or more. Tugs are provided by private companies under contract to APN. Three tugs of 800t bollard pull and one of 1,100t bollard pull are available within the port.

Mooring

There are line handlers available at the port for vessels mooring and unmooring.

Charts and publications

BA 466, 3935. Admiralty Pilot NP70, NP286(7).

ETA and pre-arrival notices

Vessels should send ETA 48 and 24 hours in advance to APN (Autorite Portuaire Nationale), the Port Authority. The message should include details of the vessel, ETD and quantity and nature of cargo to be handled.

Communications

Medium frequency communications on 2182kHz, with 2738kHz standby frequency, power 85W, range approx 200nm.

VHF: Port and pilots: Ch 16, 12.

Notice of readiness

Tendered according to the contract terms of affreightment signed by the parties.

Health

Vaccination against yellow fever for all crew members.

Customs and immigration

Cargo Manifest and Bill of Lading should be sent to the agent 4 days prior to arrival of vessel.

Flags

Country of registration and host country flags should be shown.

Notices and regulations

Vessels may anchor or depart at any time of the day or night, but may go alongside only between 0530-2100hrs on weekdays.

ISPS

ISPS Designated Authority: Autorite Portuaire Nationale.

Position:Safety Director.

Address: PO Box 616, Boulevard La Saline, Port au Prince, Haiti

Tel: +509 298 4074

Fax: +509 298 3479

Mob: +509 402 0258

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

Repairs

Not available.

Dry docks

Not available.

Bunkers, water and stores

Fresh water: Available in small quantities.

Bunkering: Available through agent.

Stores: Available.

Medical

Port authority medical services, general hospital and medical centre are available.

Crew change

Should be negotiated with agent.

Transport

Nearest airport: Aeroport International Mais Gate, 64km.

Working hours

Mon-Fri 0700-1200hrs and 1300-1600hrs; Sat 0700-1200hrs. Overtime available on request.

Where it is

Port-au-Prince is the major city and principal port of Haiti and is situated in the SE corner of Baie de Port-au-Prince, on the western coast of the island.

The port

Port infrastructure was considerably damaged, and the city devastated, following an earthquake in January 2010.

At that time, substantial land areas of the port moved and broke up. It was reported that the entire main container wharf was lost or submerged, and a large portion of the S Pier was also damaged. Subsequently, the port has been partially repaired and reopened for use, with new facilities are being built on the North Pier to encourage economic growth. The tanker Terminal Varreux received emergency repairs to the jetty, tanks and pipelines to enable imports to resume. The finger pier formerly used by cruise vessels was destroyed by a hurricane.

Facilities normally exist for the accommodation of dry bulk, Ro-Ro, container and cruise vessels in the bay. Principal exports consist of coffee, and fruit; imports are mainly grain, soya and building materials. Imports include food products, manufactured goods, oil and petroleum. Again, these have been substantially affected by the earthquake. There is also a cement terminal and a grain terminal to the N of the port near Port Lafito (see separate entry).

Traffic

Approx 3,700,000t of cargo, 200,000TEU and 850 vessels handled annually.

Where does the pilot board at Port au Prince?

The pilot boards at Port-au-Prince pilot boarding position a, 18°34.9′N 072°28.5′W. Port au Prince has 2 pilot boarding places.

What time zone is Port au Prince in?

Local time at Port au Prince is UTC−5. Clocks go to UTC−4 on 14 Mar 2027. Back to UTC−5 on 7 Nov 2027.

What is the maximum draft at Port au Prince?

The deepest berth listed is at TVB Port-au-Prince Terminal SA: 12.00 m maximum draught. The "Max draft per terminal" table gives each terminal's figure.

What is the water density at Port au Prince?

1025.

Which load line zone is Port au Prince in?

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

What is the UN/LOCODE of Port au Prince?

The UN/LOCODE of Port au Prince is HTPAP.

What crews who called at Port au Prince 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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