Johnston Island Harbor (USJOA)

The port is currently closed for commercial operations. Information for the port is retained should the port reopen. The harbour is normally used by US vessels only. A basin approx 0.25nm in width, which extends 1.25nm ENE from the middle of the N side of Johnston Island to Sand Island.

Johnston Island Harbor is a dredged harbour at the NE corner of Johnston Island (16°44'N 169°32'W) in the N Pacific, 788nm W of Hawaii Island.

Draught 8.5m. Largest vessel handled: LOA 159m.

In emergency only, vessels may anchor temporarily in the basin, except in an area 0.22nm long and 200m wide in the centre of the basin. The bottom is sand and coral, poor holding ground.

The harbour is approached from S and usually entered at No 2 Lightbuoy by a channel, dredged through the reef, which passes E of Johnston Island. The harbour can also be entered by a dredged channel W of Johnston Island. The main entrance channel is nearly 150m in width and leads 1.5nm N from No 2 Lightbuoy, passing E of Johnston Island into the basin. From the E side of the inner end of this channel a dredged channel with a least width of 30m leads to the small craft berths at Sand Island. The channel is entered with leading beacons in line, bearing 000°. The front beacon (red rectangular daymark with white stripe on a platform) stands in the basin 200m W of Sand Island. The rear beacon (red rectangular daymark with white stripe on a post) is situated in the lagoon, 0.3nm from the front beacon. In line, the beacons lead through the fairway of the main entrance channel into the harbour basin. A speed of at least 8kts should be maintained in the channel to reduce the effects of cross wind and flow. Low powered vessels or others with relatively high windage should favour the E side of the channel, in normal conditions. The W entrance is entered 0.2nm S of the W end of Johnston Island, when it leads N and E close round Johnston Island into the harbour basin. This channel has a least width of 100m.

Admiralty Pilot NP62.

Two mooring buoys are established in the basin, approx 0.2nm N of E end of Johnston Island and approx 200m apart.

There are no licensed pilots but the Harbour Master boards all vessels proceeding into harbour at No 2 Lightbuoy with the latest information about the channel and harbour.

The main entrance channel and harbour basin are marked by buoys and beacons (US system). The W channel and Sand Island channel are not marked.

Normally, entry is not permitted after dark, nor when cross channel winds exceed 25kts. Submarine cables exist between the islands of the atoll.

In the main entrance channel there is usually a flow to the N with the flood tidal stream and a flow to the S with the ebb tidal stream, at rates from 1-2kts. During the period from 1.5 hours before to 1.5 hours after LW the flow is SW at approx 1kts. For an hour on each side of HW the flow is N but weak. When there is a heavy swell on the barrier reef there may be a strong E set at the junction of the main entrance channel and basin, especially with the ebb tidal stream.

There is a harbour control station, callsign "Johnston Control", frequency 2716kHZ. Communication should be established 100nm from the atoll. Other frequencies can be used if prior arrangements are made.

Please see country information for details of documentation requirements.

Vessels arriving in first US port: Please see country information.

Vessels at anchor are required to remain at immediate notice to move. Photography is not permitted. No animals may be landed. Rat guards must be fitted to all shore lines. Plants and fruit may not be imported without the authority of Commander, US 6846 Air Base Wing. Coastguard Vessel Inspection: Please see country information.

No action initiated unless there is illness onboard. Ship Sanitation Control Certificates: Please see country information.