Seattle

Size limits

Draught 14.0m, LOA 367m, beam 51.22m,165,644DWT.

Water density

1025.

Load line zone

Summer.

Tides

Mean spring range 3.3m; mean neap range 1.3m.

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

Approach

The main harbour area for larger vessels is very well sheltered being almost land locked. Elliot Bay, a salt water area, is linked to a large inland harbour via the Lake Washington Ship Canal from Puget Sound. The canal is 8nm in length.

Traffic schemes and VTS

The entrance to Seattle via Puget Sound and Admiralty Inlet is covered by a US Coast Guard Traffic Separation Scheme and vessel movement reporting. The lanes in the Traffic Separation Scheme are 900m in width and have a minimum depth of 18.2m.

Seattle Zone (Juan de Fuca Straits): Juan de Fuca Straits VTS, referred to in Canada as Juan de Fuca Zone, includes all Canadian and United States waters in the strait between its seaward entrance in longitude 125°00.0'W and a position on the international boundary in meridian of 123°15.0'W, about 75nm SE. It is operated by the Canadian Coast Guard at Tofino VTC and the US Coast Guard of Seattle VTC (47°35.0'N 122°20.0'W). US waters farther E are not part of the CVTS.

The VTS Area is divided into two sectors as follows:

Sector 1: The navigable waters of the Juan de Fuca Strait E of 124°40.0'W excluding the waters in the central portion of the Juan de Fuca Strait N and E of Race Rocks; the navigable waters of the Strait of Georgia E of 122°52.0'W; the San Juan Island Archipelago, Rosario Strait, Bellingham Bay; Admiralty Inlet N of a line connecting Marrowstone Point and Lagoon Point and all waters E of Whidbey Island N of a line drawn due E of the southernmost tip of Possession Point on Whidbey Island to the shoreline.

Sector 2: The navigable waters of Puget Sound Hood Canal and adjacent waters S of a line connecting Marrowstone Point and Lagoon Point in Admiralty Inlet and S of a line drawn due E from the southernmost tip of Possession Point on Whidbey Island to the shoreline.

VTS Special Areas:

The Rosario Strait VTS Special Area consists of those waters bounded to the S by the centre of Precautionary Area "RB" (a circular area of 2,286m radius centered at 49°26.2'N 122°45.2'W), and to the N by the centre of Precautionary Area "C" (a circular area of 2,286m radius centered at Lightbuoy C 48°40.3'N 122°42.4'W).

Note: The centre of the Precautionary Area "RB" is not marked by a buoy.

The Guemes Channel VTS Special Area consists of those waters bounded to the W by Shannon Point on Fidalgo Island and to the E by Southeast Point on Guemes Island.

Note: Seattle Traffic may direct a vessel to monitor either primary VTS frequency VHF Ch 05A or 14; depending on traffic density, weather conditions or other safety factors, rather than strictly adhering to the designated frequency required for each Sector as defined above. This does not require a vessel to monitor both primary frequencies.

Vessels entering the Puget Sound VTS (Seattle) must be capable of transmitting and receiving on VHF Ch 05A.

Anchorages

Quarantine anchorage is N of Harbour Island (47°34.78'N 122°21.11'W).

There are four general anchorage areas in Elliott Bay, marked on the charts, but the water is deep and there is limited swinging room. It is usual for vessels to proceed direct to their allocated berths.

Restrictions

Hiram M Chittenden Locks: Max vessel size in the locks is LOA 232m, beam 24.4m and draught 8.6m.

There are waiting berths at the West and East end of these locks. Adjacent to, and south of, the locks is a spillway dam with tainter gates used to regulate the freshwater levels of ship canal 2.5km to the East and the lakes.

Overhead power cables: Harbor Island Reach is spanned by one set of power cables, safe vertical clearance 53m.

Duwamish Waterway: Spanned by three sets of power cables, lowest safe vertical clearance 27m.

Tugs

Tug Escort for Laden Tankers: Any laden oil tanker proceeding East of a line extending from Discovery Island Light (British Columbia, Canada) and South to new Dungeness Light (Washington State, USA) must be escorted by a tug or tugs with an aggregate shaft horsepower equivalent to 5% of the deadweight tons of that tanker. (Washington State Law 88.16 Revised Code of Washington - RCW).

These tugs serve both Seattle and Tacoma ports as well as smaller ports in the area.

Emergencies: An industry-funded emergency response tug is located at Neah Bay at the entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The tug is available 24hrs a day and can be underway within 20mins. The purpose of the tug is to assist vessels having propulsion and steering failures or that are directed by either the US or Canadian Coast Guard to obtain emergency towing assistance. The tug can be contacted via USCG VTS or the Puget Sound Marine Exchange.

Charts and publications

BA 46, 4950, 1947. Admiralty Pilot NP25, NP286(5).

US18450, 18447, 18446, 18449. US Coast Pilot Vol 7.

ETA and pre-arrival notices

Vessels arriving in first US port: Please see country information.

Communications

Port: Tel +1 206 728 3000, Fax +1 206 7283280. Website: www.portseattle.org

Pilot: Tel: +1 206 448 4455.

VHF: Ch 16. Once in the Traffic Separation Scheme all communication between the ship and the Coast Guard (Seattle Traffic) is on Ch 14 or 05A.

Oil Spills and Vessel Emergencies: Tel: 800 258 5990 (Washington State) or 800 424 8802 (National Response Center).

Documents

Please see country information for details of documentation requirements.

Health

No action initiated unless there is illness onboard.

Ship Sanitation Control Certificates: Please see country information.

Customs and immigration

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.

Contingency Plans: Visiting tankers and passenger vessels over 300GT must either have a Washington State Dept. of Ecology approved oil spill contingency plan or be a member of a non-profit corporation that provides oil spill response capabilities consistent with their Washington Sate approved contingency plan. The non-profit corporation for Puget Sound is the Washington State Maritime Cooperative (WSMC) See www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/preparedness/cplan/cplans.html

Safety Zones: Have been established in Elliott Bay and Lake Union. Entry is prohibited unless by prior authorisation. Masters should check with the Captain of the Port, Puget Sound, as to the latest position of these.

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.

Repairs

Available.

Bunkers, water and stores

Fresh water: Available.

Bunkering: Available.

Medical

There are several hospitals in Seattle.

Transport

Nearest airport: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport 21km.

Nearest railway: Rail links are provided by Union Pacific and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroads. They are no more than 3.2km from any pier.

Working hours

Throughout 24 hours.

Where it is

The port of Seattle is located on the US western seaboard in the State of Washington. The main access from seaward (the North Pacific Ocean) is via the San Juan de Fuca Strait and Puget Sound to the West.

The port

The port is divided into three main areas, North Harbor, Central Harbor and South Harbor. Central and South Harbors have the main piers and terminals with North Harbor having mainly leisure and fishing activities. All types of goods are imported and exported through the many terminals. The Manchester Navy Fuel Depot is located on the W side of the Sound.

Seattle is an important base for large commercial fishing vessels. to the North of the main port area, the Hiram M. Chittenden Lock system, leads vessels from Shilshole Bay in the West, down into the quieter waters of Salmon Bay, where there are numerous facilities catering for the fishing and leisure industries, and then into lake Washington.

The port area has a continuing program of updating, regeneration and new construction. In particular Terminal 5 container area and the grain terminal on the SE side of Harbor Island.

A strategic partnership has been formed between the ports of Seattle and Tacoma, known as The Northwest Seaport Alliance, to help promote and expand business and strengthen the maritime economy in the Puget Sound Gateway Project (PSGP) area. The PSGP promotes the efficient and improved movement of freight and goods as part of an integrated transportation system in the area between Seattle and Tacoma and is seen as the key to its economic growth and prosperity. The two ports remain as separate organisations that retain ownership of their assets but work via a Port Development Authority, governed jointly by both sets of Port Commissioners, to manage container, breakbulk, auto and some bulk terminals.

Traffic

Seattle and Tacoma combined (Northwest Seaport Alliance): Approx 22,540,000t of cargo, 3,157,000TEUs and 1,750 vessels handled annually.

What are the pilot arrangements at Seattle?

Puget Sound Pilots provides pilotage service for all U.S.

What time zone is Seattle in?

Local time at Seattle is UTC−8. Clocks go to UTC−7 on 14 Mar 2027. Back to UTC−8 on 7 Nov 2027.

What is the maximum draft at Seattle?

The deepest berth listed is at East Waterway Pier (North End): 14.70 m maximum draught. The "Max draft per terminal" table gives each terminal's figure.

What is the water density at Seattle?

1025.

Which load line zone is Seattle in?

Summer.

Who carries out Port State Control at Seattle?

Port State Control at Seattle: US Coast Guard.

What is the UN/LOCODE of Seattle?

The UN/LOCODE of Seattle is USSEA.

What crews who called at Seattle 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.

Read and add tips for Seattle →