Abidjan FBV July 2014

CMA CGM PORT CARDS

UN CODE PORT NAME VERSION PAGE

CIABJ ABIDJAN FBV July 2014

1 / 7

CMA CGM port cards are means of gathering port information and experience by individuals and shared by all. It is neither ‘to-do-list’ but a summary of what an experienced master would advise a colleague who does not know the next port he is scheduled to call at. Port card are not intended to replace official publications ALRS, navigational charts, etc… Port cards are supplementary information written by ships masters. Masters are invited to maintain port cards updated and corrected whenever change or correction is noted. Corrections and suggestions may be sent to [email protected]

Based on Captain Trostyanetsky’s visit to Abidjan in July 2014.

1. MAJOR OPERATIONNAL ISSUES 2. COMPANY REGULATION: NONE

3. TERMINAL

4. ENVIRONMENT

5. APPROACHES / POINT OF NO RETURN

6. PILOTAGE

7. TUGS

8. LIMITS

9. BERTH/BERTHING

10. CAUTIONS

11. REMARKS

mailto:[email protected]

CMA CGM PORT CARDS



2 / 7

1. MAJOR OPERATIONNAL ISSUES

There are many factors due to which the Vridi channel can be closed Usually Vridi channel is always opened during the windows of 1:30-1:45 hours before & after the HW and LW because of the less strong current

The pilotage of the vessels through the Vridi channel exceeding the length overall of 234 m is not allowed from 18:00 to 06:00 LT

2. COMPANY REGULATION: NONE The regulations included in this section are mandatory for CMA-CGM owned fleet. Chartered vessels are invited to act accordingly without prejudice to owners’ particular guidance.

3. TERMINAL There are many berths in Abidjan port where the container vessels can be theoretically moored and handled (for example the berths Nos.17-25 and the others). But usually the containers vessels are handled at the berths Nos.21-25 of the Abidjan Container Terminal (numbered ‘4’ on below picture).

The berths Nos.21-24 of the Container Terminal have a total length of 740 m. The total length of the berth No.25 is 200 m. It was used mostly for ro-ro vessels before, but nowadays it is usually not used. There are 6 shore cranes (which can reach the following maximum rows on the vessel respectively: 2 new shore cranes – the 17th row, 1 shore crane – the 14th row and 3 shore cranes – the 15th row) and 2 mobile cranes (which can reach the 15th row on the vessel) at the Abidjan Container Terminal.

CMA CGM PORT CARDS



3 / 7

Cargo operations by ship cranes are prohibited since a fatal accident in 2011 in the Container Terminal.

4. ENVIRONMENT Abidjan port is mostly affected by S-SSE winds and swell throughout the year. The single entrance to Abidjan port is provided through Vridi channel breakwaters which do not fully protect the channel from the swell. In July-August and October the sea swell can reach 3.5 m and the port can be closed for this reason. Visibility can also be reduced and the Vridi channel be closed in February-March due to sand storms and in August (usually from 04:00 to 10:00 LT but sometimes up to 5 straight days) due to fog. In October during the rainy season the wind gusts can be shortly so strong that the Vridi channel will also be closed for 30 min-1 hour. The normal current in Vridi channel is not less than 2.5 knots. During big and small rainy seasons, March-July and September-November, the current is usually stronger and the channel can be also closed for this reason. Abidjan tide window is usually 1.2 m, from the minimum LW 0.2 m to the maximum HW 1.4 m. During the neap tides of the month if the difference between the HW and the LW is only 20-30 cm during the day the Vridi channel can be opened and navigable 24/24. If the difference between HW and LW is bigger than 20-30 cm then the channel is opened only during the windows of 1:30-1:45 hours before and after the HW and LW. Abidjan Port Control prepares a specific logbook indicating the time/windows when the Vridi channel will be opened and pilotage permitted during the coming month. Additionally, the Port Control tower just at the Vridi channel entrance ascertains the safety situation and opening windows in the channel. The water density can be reduced down to 1.000-1.007 t/m3 during the rainy seasons.

5. APPROACHES / POINT OF NO RETURN The approach to any berth in the Abidjan port is not very easy due to the passage through the Vridi channel, use of the North or South harbour inner channels, shallow waters and constrained areas presence.

CMA CGM PORT CARDS



4 / 7

The passage to the port harbour is led through the weather-affected narrow Vridi channel. This channel is 300 m wide (270 m navigable, dredged to 13.5 m depth) but its entrance is reduced to 150 m by the breakwaters.

To enter safely the channel from the sea and to withstand the current a vessel has to keep a speed of 8-10 knots. The sectors light at the port breakwater provides a safe approach to the channel at night. There are 14 anchor places officially marked at Abidjan inner anchorage. A big vessel up to 250 m in length occupies 2 such anchor places. Only 1 vessel of 250 m in length with 11.5 m draft, and only anchored at 11-12 places, is allowed to be present together with other small vessels at the inner anchorage.

CMA CGM PORT CARDS



5 / 7

The point of no return is the area close to Vridi channel entrance. 6. PILOTAGE The pilotage is not easy as the vessel should be controlled in the weather affected narrow Vridi channel. The pilot usually boards a vessel at the “AN” sea buoy. Vridi channel has a one-way traffic. Priority goes first to warships, reefer vessels, container carriers and then to tankers. The pilotage of the vessels exceeding the maximum length of 234 m is not allowed from 18:00 to 06:00 LT. Due to the frequent opening/closing Vridi channel sequences, Port Control uses the inner anchorage as a buffer. The inbound vessel is brought to the inner anchorage by the pilot and berthed as soon as the berth is free; the unberthed vessel is waiting at the inner anchorage for the Vridi channel window to leave the port. The payment to bring the vessel to the inner anchorage by the pilot as well as the stay there is not charged to the vessel as executed for Port Control convenience. The pilotage is charged only once for the vessel berthing even if two pilots have been used. As there is no turning basin in the harbour, the anchorage places Nos.11-12 (buoys “A” and “0”) with a 800 m long space are used for biggest vessels’ port side swing (with tugs assistance) before bringing them to the South channel. 7. TUGS There are 6 tugs available in Abidjan (mostly built in France) operated by the private IRES Company like in San Pedro port: Ronier – 4487 bhp, 57 t bollard pull; Teck – 3043 bhp, 41 t bp; Robusta – 2723 bhp, 38 t bp; Marseillais 5 – 2719 bhp, 32 t bp; Kotibe – 2699 bhp, 32 t bp; VB Karite – 2602 bhp, 32 t bp. The tug “Marseillais 5” was chartered from Douala port until the tug “Robusta” finishes her dry-docking/repair, as the youngest tugs in Abidjan were built in 1998-1999. One newer tug VB Golden (5218 bhp, 65 t bollard pull, built in 2006) should be delivered to the Abidjan port in September 2014. More powerful tugs can be delivered to the port depending on the port demands and the clients’ request. 8. LIMITS The minimum UKC requested by the pilots is 1 m when the vessel is underway. Presently there are many limitations to the vessel’s size, airdraft and draught depending on the berth but none of the bathymetry sounding plans of the Vridi channel and of the Abidjan port harbour were officially presented by the Abidjan Port Authorities to prove the information of the actual depths. According to the Chief Pilot the Vridi channel and the port last dredging was done in 2013. The previous port

CMA CGM PORT CARDS



6 / 7

dredging was done 10 years ago and the last port depths sounding was done in April 2014 on the 6-months basis. The maximum airdraft is 57.6 m in Vridi Channel (ref: zero tide level). One power cable is crossing the channel at a height of 64 m. Crossing the electric field around that cable (5 m around) with the vessel structure can black out the power supply to the Abidjan port. Shallow water (on the left side just after the Vridi channel inside of the port harbour) and the very close proximity of the South channel to the Vridi channel exit make it quite difficult to execute the right angle turn to the right immediately after the Vridi channel and avoid grounding the vessel’s stern. For these reasons, according to the Chief Pilot the maximum breadth of the vessel should not exceed 42 m and the maximum length 260 m. No official circular or statement in regards to the Abidjan drafts/depths and current vessels limitations were received from the present Abidjan Port Captain. The latest official Circular was issued in 2007: 11.0 m draft was permitted at berths Nos.21-22 and 11.5 m at berths Nos.23-25 with 250 m maximum length. According to the Chief Pilot the minimum depth at all container terminal berths Nos.21-25 is 12.5 m and the maximum draft allowed at container berths Nos.21-25 is 11.5 m now. In 2008 Abidjan Port Captain stated that the maximum draft and the length of the vessel could be increased to 11.8 m and to 260 m on receipt subject to Special Authorization letter from the Port Captain 72 hours before the vessel’s arrival. Presently no Abidjan Port Authorities authorisation letter is usually required. The biggest vessel calling to the container terminal had a length overall of 261 m and the deepest vessel calling to the container terminal had the draught of 11.7 m. 9. BERTH/BERTHING The berthing usually goes against the current (depends on the LW/ HW) by any side of the vessel (or occasionally by the side as required by the Terminal). Accordingly, the North and the South channels are used just after the Vridi channel. The Container Terminal is segregated from the general cargo wharfs by a fence between the berths Nos.20-21. However, the vessel mooring lines are allowed to be sent to the general cargo berth No.20 to bring/moor the container vessel as close as possible to the north end of the Container Terminal quay. There are quite good quality mooring bollards all over the port with a capacity of 100 t and 23-25 m between each. Few of them at the berths Nos.21-25 are still rather old but they are progressively replaced. The fenders are also a rather old mix of tires and rubber tubes. The fenders at the berths Nos.23-24 have been already replaced by brand-new very good quality fenders. The fenders at berths Nos.21-22 should also be replaced soon.

CMA CGM PORT CARDS



7 / 7

10. CAUTIONS According to the Chief Pilot the Vridi channel entrance is limited by the breakwaters not to 150 m but to 100 m due to breakwaters stones fallen to the seabed close to these breakwaters during gales. Therefore the vessel has to pass closer to the east breakwater to be on the safe side of the Vridi channel entrance. There are 4 tanker berths (with a maximum allowed draught of 12.5 m at these berths) in Vridi channel, where some tanker vessels can be moored. Special precautions should be taken when navigating in their vicinity.

11. REMARKS The inner anchorage as well as the outside small anchorage is very exposed to local thieves boarding from boats. To avoid any troubles at the outside anchorage (such as thieves or stowaways) it is safer to drift at 10 nm distance from the port. Sometimes the Port Control is asking a vessel to approach to the distance of 3 nm from the “AN” buoy before starting to drift far away for the vessel registration of the arrival. In the Container Terminal the situation is controlled to avoid thieves or stowaways at the quay. All vessels are welcome to participate in any further updates of the present Port Card and send them to [email protected].

mailto:[email protected]

Documents

Abidjan FBV July 2014