Hot Port News from GAC

From 0100 hours local time today (31 May), all port operations for berthing/unberthing of vessels were suspended by Jubail Port Authority due to strong winds and bad weather. The same conditions are currently prevailing at Jubail, with wind speed of 32 knots at the time of reporting.

For information about operations at Jubail contact GAC Saudi Arabia at jubail@gac.com

For information about operations at Dammam contact GAC Saudi Arabia at dammam@gac.com 

For vessels 500 gross tons and greater expecting to remain in port during a hurricane, a Heavy Weather Plan and Remaining in Port Checklist must be completed and submitted to MSU Port Arthur at least 72 hours prior to the arrival of gale force winds.

Vessels 500 gross tons and greater in or entering layup status should notify MSU Port Arthur (VTS) for their status and provide necessary information for hurricane season preparation.

From our experience with previous storms, the following recommendations are offered:

• Deep draft vessels should depart the port for sea, when at all possible, well in advance of approaching tropical weather systems.
• Commercial boat and barge tows that normally transit the Intracoastal Waterway should depart the area or move as far inland as possible on our rivers and bayous in order to establish secure moorings.
• Facilities with storage tanks should take preventative action to secure their tanks by any appropriate means, including pressing up, flooding, or cutting holes.
• Commercial fishing vessels that cannot leave port should find shelter as far north on our rivers and bayous as possible to increase their chances of surviving a tropical weather system. When Hurricane RITA, a Category Two storm, made landfall in 2005, not one of the approximately 80 commercial fishing vessels that were moored in the Sabine River south of Texaco Island survived. However, fishing vessels that sought shelter on the upper Neches River during Hurricane IKE in 2008 suffered little or no damage.

The Port Arthur Port Coordination Team (PCT), coordinated by the U. S. Coast Guard, which includes representatives from local facilities, boat operators, pilots, and other federal agencies, will be activated prior to a storm’s arrival and hold daily conference calls before, during and after a storm event.

Hurricane Planning Information, including the Remaining in Port Checklist is available at http://www.uscg.mil/d8/vtsportarthur/hurricanes.asp and http://homeport.uscg.mil/contingency plans/local contingency plan.

This notice will be posted on the HOMEPORT website at http://homeport.uscg.mil. If you have any questions, please contact MSU Port Arthur at (409) 723-6500.

(For information about operations in the USA contact GAC USA at usa@gac.com)

Source: U.S. Coast Guard, Marine Safety Unit, Port Arthur, Texas, Marine Safety Information Bulletin 002-17 dated May 26, 2017