Sao Francisco do Sul (BRSFS)

There are berths for the following vessels; containers, Ro-Ro, bulk grain and vegetable oil tankers. Imports: Soya oil, reels (steel), wheat, and PVC. Exports: Engine parts (motors), soya bean (chaff) pellets, soya oil, textile manufacturing, frozen chicken, tiles, tobacco and motor engine parts. An offshore tanker SBM is positioned S of the river mouth (see separate entry: Sao Francisco do Sul Marine Terminal).

Summer.

Sao Francisco do Sul port is situated on the E side of Babitonga Bay on the W side of Sao Francisco do Sul Island in the N of Santa Catarina State.

LOA 292m, draught 12.8m, 93,353DWT. No beam restrictions.

Approx 11,000,000t of cargo and 66,000TEU handled annually.

Outer anchorages: Positions from Ilha da Paz Light: No 5 (4nm ESE), for loaded vessels with a draught between 16-18m. No 6 (2.3nm SE), for vessels up to 16.0m draught awaiting to moor at the SBM, in ballast or awaiting repairs. Inner anchorages: No 1 for vessels drawing up to 8.2m, in depths of about 11.0m, sand and mud. No 2 for vessels drawing over 8.2, in depths of about 11.0m, sand and mud. No 3 for small craft, in depths of 5.0m, sand and mud. No 4 explosives, dangerous goods and quarantine, in depths of over 20.0m, sand. Prohibited anchorages: Within the submarine pipeline area extending across the river SE of Trincheira Light. Within the turning area opposite the port. Anywhere outside the specified anchorages.

The approach channel is 9.3km in length, 150m wide, dredged to 14.0m depth at zero tide. The maximum permissible draught for laden vessels is 12.8m on favourable tide, however consideration should be taken for berth specific draught restrictions. The port entrance starts at the bar at the "Ilha Da Paz" Lighthouse, which has a visible range of 23nm.

BA 555, 8223. Admiralty Pilot NP5, NP286(7).

The Brazilian Navy is responsible for the coastguard covering a range of 100nm from the Brazilian borders.

1019-1021.

Pilotage is compulsory for all vessels except Brazilian vessels that are less than 500DWT. Night navigation is only permitted for vessels drawing up to draught 11.0m and LOA 286m, berthing/unberthing takes place during HW. The pilot station is situated on Ilha de Velha and pilots board vessels 0.7nm SW; in bad weather the pilot may board inside the bar W of Ponta do Sumidouro. Contact Maritima Agency for pilots on VHF Ch 11, 16.

The port has a system of navigation marks, starting at the entrance of the bar, where the lighthouse, Ilha Da Paz, has a range of 23nm.

Night navigation is only permitted for vessels drawing up to draught 11.0m and LOA 286m, berthing/unberthing takes place during HW.

The rate varies from 2-4kts with range 1.70m and 1.20m during springs and neaps.

The use of a minimum of 2 tugs is compulsory. There are 4 tugs from 850hp to 2,480hp available.

Prevailing winds: SE'ly. Frequent winds of low intensity are SW and NE. The visibility in general is good during the year except during winter (Jun, Jul and Aug) when there is possibility of fog.

Inmarsat communications available. Radio: National Coastal Radio Stations Network (RENEC): The National Coastal Stations Network offers free communication facilities for messages concerning the safety of human life at sea such as: Distress calls, urgent medical advice, notices to mariners, meteorological messages, etc. The network comprises of 39 stations along the coast of Brazil and in the Amazon River, distributed as follows: ..... 1. One main station at Rio de Janeiro (PPR), with facilities available for communication via radio telegraphy (WT) and radio telephony (RT), with vessels sailing in almost every sea and ocean. 2. Three regional stations located at Belem (PPL), Olinda (PPO) and Rio Grande (PPJ), able to communicate via WT and RT with vessels up to approx 600nm distant. 3. Three local stations at Manaus (PPM), Santarem (PPT) and Itajai (PPC) responsible for communications via RT with vessels approx 200nm distant. 4. Seven restricted local stations at Santos (PPS), Paranagua (PPG), Porto Alegre (PPP), Vitoria (PPV), Natal (PPN), Fortaleza (PPF) and Salvador (PPA) able to communicate via RT with vessels sailing in the immediate vicinity. 5. The remaining 25 stations handle local RT communications. VHF: Pilot station & Port Control: Ch 11, 16; 06, 09, 13, 14. E-mail: sfpilits@zaz.com.br. Tefran Terminal: Ch 16; 14. Vessels should establish contact with the terminal at least 2 hours before arrival.

Light Dues are payable according to tonnage. 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 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. 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.

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 Sao Francisco do Sul. It is planned to introduce this system to 34 public ports of Brazil. See Country Section for additional information. Paper documents should include Cargo Plan (export); Bill of Lading (import) and documentation regarding the Health and Agriculture Service.

Vessel's ETA should be sent 24 and 12 hours in advance, request for pilots 6 hours in advance, through ship's agent. For Tefran Terminal, vessel should send ETA 72 hours in advance through the agent.

All vessels, while in Brazilian ports, must fly the Brazilian national flag from 0800hrs to sunset.

Vessels may approach during day and night if a berth is available. Tankers should display the red flag "Bravo" during the day and a red light indicating inflammable or explosive cargo. Maximum permitted speed within the port is 8kts. Overtaking of vessels within the channel should be avoided. Night time movement of vessels is limited to those with a maximum draught of 8.5m or LOA 250m. Reports of position date and time of berthing or anchoring should be reported to the Port Captain. At anchor engines and personnel to be kept at immediate notice.

The health service will visit vessels to check for any kind of plague and endemic disease and the Agriculture Service will check for all products of animal and vegetable origin import and export. Ship Sanitation Control and Ship Sanitation Control Exemption Certificates issued.

An agency representative receives the NOR.