Porto Amboim (AOPBN)

A breakwater has been built to the SW of Porto Amboim at Enseada de de Benguela Vella which provides substantial shelter for a new marine supply base built to service Offshore Block 31 and other future Angolan offshore energy projects. To the NE, 1.25nm along the Atlantic shoreline, there is a town pier, where cargo can be lightered from vessels at anchor, and a pier for fishing vessels 0.75nm NE of this. The port also handles project cargo and liquid cargo.

Tropical zone.

Porto Amboim is situated midway between Luanda and Lobito.

Max LOA 146m, beam 22.6m, 17,497 DWT.

Anchorage can be found in sand and mud in any depth but is exposed to SW swell. Good anchorage, in tolerably smooth water, may be obtained in a depth of 18m with Morro Cambiri Light structure bearing 160° distant 0.35nm. There is another good anchorage in depths of approx. 22m, with the Cambiri Light bearing 132° at a distance of 0.4nm and the seawood side of Morro de Benguela Velha, bearing 221°. When anchoring care must be taken to avoid a wreck, with a depth of 3.0m over it, which lies 0.5nm WSW of Morro Cambiri Light.

BA 1215. Admiralty Pilot NP2, NP286(8).

1025.

Porto Amboim Light (10°45.4'S 013°43'E) is exhibited from a white square tower, 12m in height, with nearby dwellings, situated on Morro de Benguela Velha. Lights are exhibited from the town jetty.

Submarine cables: Arrive onshore close NE of the town jetty (10°43.83'S 13° 44.94'E). Suction Pipe Piers (some now not used): To the N of Morro Cambir, along the shoreline, are the sites of six piers, used to carry suction pipes up to 150m offshore to convey fish from fishing craft moored at their ends to fishmeal factories on shore.

Range 1.3m.

Not available.

Prevailing winds: SE'ly.

VHF: Ch 16.