Hon Chong (VNHCH)

The port handles cement, with road connections to Ho Chi Minh and Phnom Penh (Cambodia).

Tropical.

Hon Chong is located on the W coast of Vietnam approx 30km S of the Cambodia border.

LOA 130m, beam 20m, draught 4.8m, 8,100DWT.

Anchorage can be obtained by small vessels with local knowledge close off Hon Chong, according to draught, there is no greater depth than 3.7m off the town. The holding ground is good in a depth of 5.0m, in a position 0.3nm NW of Mui Ong Thoa. During the SW monsoon the anchorages are untenable and the sea breaks around the off lying islets but there is some shelter for small craft under Hon Heo.

The channel has a depth of 5.0m.

BA 3879, 3985. Admiralty Pilot NP30, NP286(6).

Pilotage is compulsory. The distance of the port from the pilot station is approx 8nm.

Towage is available.

Customs: Officers and crew have to declare their personal effects to Customs as required. This includes foreign exchange, accompanied baggage and goods. The Customs allowance for officers and crew are a max of 1.5 litres of alcohol, a max of 400 cigarettes, 50-100 cigars, a max of 100gm of tobacco. Penalties for non compliance are based upon individual circumstances. The bonded store will be sealed while a vessel stays in the port. A release of bonded goods may be permitted at any time subject to Customs approval and presence onboard. Crew/passenger are not allowed to sell or change their personal effects, which are already declared to Customs, with local people. It is strictly prohibited to supply any bonded goods to shore personnel. The following are prohibited from import/export: Weapons, explosives, drugs, antiques, documents relating to national security, cultural articles which may cause harm to Vietnam morality.

Initial ETA should be sent to the vessel's appointed agent on departure from last port. This message will be passed to the Harbour Master by the agent. Additional ETA's should be sent each 48 hours after departure from the last port and then 72, 36, 24, 12, 6 and 4 hours prior to arrival. The ETA message should contain: ..... 1. Vessel's name, port of registry, nationality, callsign, vessel type 2. Ship's particulars (DWT, GT, NT, etc) 3. Crew/passengers onboard and stowaways onboard, if any (this is very important) 4. Last Port of Call 5. LOA, breadth, draughts fore and aft, air restriction 6. Vessel's cargo gear and capacity of each 7. Quantity/quality of cargo, condition and property of goods 8. Other information concerning dangerous, over weight, over length cargo. In the 4 hours prior to arrival message, the Master has to declare exact arrival time and health situation of crew members and passengers. Must also declare sickness or mortality onboard, if any. Owner's or charterers should also advise other relevant cargo related information to the vessel's nominated agent before arrival. Documentation required: The following documents are required on arrival by Customs, Immigration, Health, Harbour Master: 1. Copies For 1 Harbour Master 2. 4 All parties 3. 7 All parties 4. 7 All parties 5. 2 Customs 6. 2 Customs 7. 3 Customs & Health 8. 2 Customs 9. 2 Customs 10. 2 Customs 11. 2 Customs 12 2 Immigration 13. 7 Customs 14. 1 Customs 15. 1 Health 16. 1 Health 17. 1 Harbour Master Ship's documents submitted to Harbour Master as follows: 1. Ship Safety Construction Certificate 2. Ship Nationality certificate and Navigation Certificate 3. International Load Line Certificate 4. International Tonnage Certificate 5. Safety Radio Telephony Certificate 6. Safety Equipment Certificate 7. International Vaccination Certificates for crew/passengers 8. Ship Sanitation Control Certificate and Exemption Certificates 9. Seaman's passport/Seaman Book of crew and passenger's passports 10. Transit Cargo Manifest 11. Zoological and Botanical Transit Cargo Manifest 12. Certificates of competency of officers and engineers 13. Certificates of Proficiency in Survival Craft 14. Foreign currency declaration and invoices 15. International Oil Pollution Prevention Certificate. There are some other special forms to be completed which are delivered by the vessel's agent before or upon vessel's arrival at the pilot station. In the case of a cruise ship, vessel's agent must mail the Entry/Exit cards for passenger completion before arrival. If stowaways are onboard the Master must inform the Port Authority and vessel's agent 72, 36 and 24 hours prior to arrival with full details. Communications: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) coast radio station can be used for long range communication as follows: Working time 1. A1 (Morse) Tx: 16956kHz 30 + H00 Rx: 16738kHz (Ch 4) (0030-1700Z) Tx: 13042kHz H + 30 Rx: 12552kHz (Ch 3-4) (1100-1745Z) 12553.5kHz Tx: 8590kHz 24/24 Rx: (Ch 3-4-5-6) 2. HF (A3J) 12392kHz 2300-1700Z 8294.2kHz 6221kHz

Vietnam regulations require vessels entering a Vietnamese port to display the Vietnam flag. If the vessel does not possess a Vietnamese flag, the Master can request the local agent to supply it on arrival at the pilot station. Penalty for non compliance is approx US$100-200.

The main/emergency radio transmitter and direction finder will be sealed when the vessel is in port. No direct communications are therefore possible so all messages must be routed through the vessel's agent.

Pratique cannot be applied for by radio. It is normally applied for after the Quarantine delegation have viewed all the vessel's documents related to health (such as Health Declaration, Vaccination books, Ship Sanitation Control Certificate) and granted. Ship Sanitation Control Certificate and Exemption Certificates may be renewed.

The NOR should be tendered when the vessel arrives at the pilot station.