Seaport Facts

Location

Port Vieux Fort is located at the southern most tip of the island, New Dock Road, Vieux Fort.

Depths

Turning Circle and Entrance Channel:
Channel Width 180m
Water depth 8.5m

Container moves

20 moves per hour guaranteed with Mobile Harbour Crane.

Anchorages

Outer Anchorages:
While awaiting a pilot, vessels may anchor 22m with good holding in rock and sand. No shelter.

Internal Anchorages:
Anchorage with good holding ground but little swinging room is available inside the harbour for small vessels.

Approaches

There are two leading lights that line up to a true bearing of 59.5° entering the harbour and reciprocally 239° leaving the harbour. The lights are coloured red with a visible range of 5 miles. The day marks are orange triangles, the forward triangle apex up and the rear triangle apex down, as per navigational standards and to distinguish these navigational aids from any other.

Airport Information

Port Vieux Fort is located 2.5 miles from Hewanorra International Airport, which plays host to a number of general aviation and commuter airlines linking Saint Lucia to Europe, North America and the other territories of the Eastern Caribbean.

Divers

Divers can be contacted on request for hull cleaning and hull inspections.

Pollution Control (hyperlink IMO and MARPOL)

Conforming to IMO/MARPOL requirements:

IMO – International Maritime Organization, specialized agency of UN established to maintain a regulatory framework for Shipping.  Saint Lucia being a signatory to the MARPOL Convention is mandated to conform.

Ship Repair

Ship repair services are limited. Welders can be contacted on request for repairs above the waterline. There is no dry docking facility available for large vessels.

Tide

Tidal range is about 0.5m (18”).   That is the difference in the height of the quay from the water level at low tide (2.5m) and high tide (2m).

Ship Stores control

A Permit to Ships stores is submitted to Customs and must first be allowed by Customs. After which a shipping bill is prepared for the stores and this is produced to the Security at the entrance and verified against the goods. A Customs Guard is stationed ship side to ensure compliance. It has been observed that ship stores shipped at Port Vieux Fort primarily consist of bunker or spare parts.

Communications

24 hours a day via Vieux Fort signal station VHF Channel 16.
Type                :           VHF radio
Range             :           10 miles average
Channels        :           16,6,12 and 14
HF Radio
Frequencies    :           2182, 2527, 2638, 2146, 2582, 2381