Suape

1. Suape Pilot boards08°23.1′S 034°55.9′W

Size limits

Draught 17.3m, LOA 320m, 300,000DWT.

Beam unrestricted at certain berths.

Load line zone

Tropical.

Tides

Mean Spring range about 1.9m. Mean Neap range about 0.8m.

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

Approach

The port is approached directly from the coastal route. The approach channel is 5,000m in length, 300m in width and has a depth of 16.5m, with a turning basin 580m in diameter and 15.5m depth in the outer harbour where there are three piers and an LPG storage vessel.

Internal Port: Has a depth of 15.5m with an access channel 1,500m in length and 450m wide.

External Port: Formed by an 'L' shaped sea wall 2,950m in length. The access channel has a depth of 16.5m, with a turning basin 580m in diameter and 15.5m depth. There are three piers with a total of six berths.

Port limits

Port limits comprises the maritime area between the parallels of 08°22'S and 08°25'S, the line of reefs (natural breakwater) and the meridian of 034°55'W.

Anchorages

Available in depths of 15.0 - 17.0m, sand, can be found 1nm NE of the breakwater but this area is very exposed.

There is no official appointed site for anchorage. Vessels may anchor with Cape of Santo Agostinho Light bearing 330°, at a distance greater than 1nm, from the Suape breakwater head.

Vessels are not allowed to drop anchor inside port limits.

Anchorage areas have sand and mud bottom, providing good holding power. Caution should be taken under strong ESE stormy winds, when the current can be strong enough to make the anchor drag.

Butane, Propane and LPG can be handled via STS operations.

Restrictions

Berthing Priority: Vessels constrained by draught/tide followed by passenger ships, oil tankers, chemical products and general cargo ships.

Tugs

Tugs are available throughout 24 hours, additional tugs can be available on request.

Vessels should have good quality ropes as tugs are not provided with their own towing gear.

Mooring

Tugs are compulsory. One tug is required for vessels up to 5,000DWT and 2 tugs are required for vessels over 5,001DWT.

Mooring of large LPG carriers (import vessels) is carried out during daylight hours only. Three tugs are necessary for this manoeuvre.

The port has modern monitoring and laser ship docking systems

The berthing piers are not fitted with a platform ladder, ship's accommodation ladder or gangway is to be used.

Terminal mooring gang is available for berthing and unberthing vessels. Mooring of LPG Carriers alongside the storage tanker is usually carried out by ship's crew.

Mooring priority: Usually the vessels which depend on tide to manoeuvre will proceed first, followed by the passenger vessels, oil tankers, chemical products and general cargo ships.

Amarena Apoio Portuario Turismo e Reparo Naval LTDA and Compor provide vessels to assist with mooring.

Charts and publications

BA 961, 969, 3978. Brazilian Charts 900, 930, 906. Admiralty Pilot NP5, NP286(7).

Communications

VHF: Pilots: Ch 16; 13. E-mail: [email protected].

Port: Ch 16; 09, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 69, 71. Callsign Mansangana Radio (PVJ4),

Notice of readiness

NOR is usually tendered at the time the vessel anchors in the anchorage area, or at the time the vessel is berthed, as soon as the last mooring line is made fast, which ever occurs first. NOR is accepted at the time the vessel is in all respects ready to operate cargo.

Documents

Port without paper programme: The Brazilian Federal Ports Bureau's Porto Sem Papel - PSP (Port Without Paper) programme was implemented at Santos Port in 2011. Initially, this will work alongside the old paper system. Several ports are now using PSP, including Suape. It is planned to introduce this system to 34 public ports of Brazil. See Country Section for additional information.

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.

Vessels must hoist the quarantine flag until free pratique is granted by Port Health Authority.

Notices and regulations

Inert Gas System: Cargo tanks must be fully inerted and pressurised with inert gas at a percentage of 02 below 8% before start of operations, and must keep such conditions throughout all operations. The terminal must be informed of all problems with the inert gas system.

Pilot ladder: Vessels are required to have a pilot ladder which is clean and in good condition, fitted with spreader and manropes, safely and securely rigged, ready for the pilot to immediately embark and disembark over the side of the vessel and of sufficient length to reach the pilot boat.

A lifebuoy with safety line and self-ignition light shall also be available at the pilot ladder head and a ships' officer standing by, in VHF contact with the bridge.

Vessels shall have a "Good Weather Lee" and shall reduce speed as directed by the pilot in order for a safe embarkation or disembarkation.

Pilots ladder should be 1.0m above water.

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

Repairs

Available.

Dry docks

The Atlantico Sul shipyard (08° 22.553'S 34° 58.649'W), located to the N of the Inner Harbour, has repair facilities and a 400m x 73m drydock with a depth of 12m.

VARD Promar (08° 22.301'S 34° 58.243'W), located to the N of the Atlantico Sul Shipyard, operates a floating drydock with 9,000 - 16,000t capacity which has a length of 153m and width of 33m.

Bunkers, water and stores

Fresh water: Available.

Bunkers: Available.

Stores: Available in limited quantities. Contact through the ship's agent.

Where it is

The port of Suape is situated 40km S of Recife.

The port

The port is protected by a curving breakwater extending 0.5nm ESE from the coast then turning ENE and NNE for 0.5nm and 0.4nm respectively. A GLP (Cooking Gas) storage LPG carrier operates ship to ship transhipments to vessels up to an equal size. The vessels operates from various berths in the outer harbour. Also in this part of the Port are the Multi purpose Commercial Berths and LPG berths. Access to the inner harbour is via a gap 300m wide, in the training wall. The Container Terminal lies on the S side of the inner harbour extending at right angles to the training wall. The Atlantico Sul shipyard is located to the N of the Inner Harbour.

Traffic

Approx. 23,800,000t of cargo and 476,000TEU handled annually.

Where does the pilot board at Suape?

The pilot boards at Suape, 08°23.1′S 034°55.9′W.

What time zone is Suape in?

Local time at Suape is UTC−3. No summer time.

What is the maximum draft at Suape?

The deepest berth listed is at Suape Marine Terminal: 17.30 m maximum draught. The "Max draft per terminal" table gives each terminal's figure.

Which load line zone is Suape in?

Tropical.

What is the UN/LOCODE of Suape?

The UN/LOCODE of Suape is BRSUA.

What crews who called at Suape 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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