Standards of Care at Anchor
•Maintain a 24-hour bridge watch by an English speaking licensed deck officer monitoring VHF-FM Channel 16.
• Make frequent checks to assure vessel is not dragging anchor.
• When winds exceed 35 knots, vessels shall ensure their propulsion plant is placed in immediate standby and
a 2nd anchor, if installed, is made ready to let go.
• VTS will not assign an anchorage in the first row of the Golf and Foxtrot anchorages (G–1 through G-3 and F–1 through F–4) to tankers or vessels 200 meters length overall or greater.
• VTS will not assign anchorage G-6 to vessels 300 meters length overall or greater.
• Golf-1 and Foxtrot-1 anchorages are established as “bail out” anchorages and only used for emergency purposes (including tankers and vessels 200 meters length overall or greater,
dependent on vessels’ draft).
• Sierra Foxtrot anchorages are designated for deep draft vessels and vessels engaged in hull cleaning operations.
• Deep draft vessels 15.2 meters (50 feet) or greater that do not require a Sierra Foxtrot anchorage due to their draft will be assigned to anchorages F-11 through F-16. Anchorage assignments will be assigned from South to North dependent on the vessels’ draft and anchorage availability.
• Provide 15-minute advance notice to the Long Beach pilot station (for inside anchorages) or to VTS (for outside
anchorages) before heaving anchor to get underway.
Covered Mandatory Full Participant Vesslels
- Every power driven vessel of 40 meters (131 ft.) or more in length, while navigating.
- Commercial vessels 8 meters (26 ft.) or more in length that are towing alongside, astern or by pushing ahead.
- Every vessel certificated to carry 50 or more passengers for hire, while engaged in trade, under sail or power.
VTS Mandatory Passive Partipants
Every power driven vessel 20 meters (65 ft.) or more in length, every vessel 100 gross tons or more carrying one or more passengers for hire and every dredge or floating plant are required to monitor Channel 14 VHF/FM when operating in the VTS area.
What vessels must monitor channel 13?
-power driven vessels 65.5’ (20 m.) or longer;
-vessels 26’ (7.9 m.) or longer with tows;
-vessels of 100 gross tons or more carrying one or more passengers for hire;
-vessels certified for 150 passengers or more for hire; and
-dredge and floating plants operating in or near a fairway or channel.
What are the three sectors of VTS?
- Vessel Traffic Service - for the port approaches (25 nm from Point Fermin to the Federal Breakwater)
- Jacobsen Pilot Service - for the Port of Long Beach
- Los Angeles Pilot Service - for the Port of Los Angeles
What should the tank vessel MPX include?
- contacting the escort tug operator to confirm the number and position of the escort tug(s)
- establishing the radio frequency to be used
- establishing the destination of the tank vessel
- discussing any other pertinent information that the master/pilot and escort tug operator deem necessary.
Tank vessel escort zones
Zone 1: Upon all waters within 2.0 nautical miles to seaward of the Federal Breakwater, escort tugs required for all laden tank vessels.
Zone 2: Upon all waters in the approaches to the Port of Long Beach within 3.5 nautical miles to seaward
of the Federal Breakwater, escort tugs required for all laden tank vessels with static deep draft greater than 16.5
meters.
Zone 3: Upon all waters in the approaches to the Port of Los Angeles within 4.0 nautical miles to seaward
of the Federal Breakwater, escort tugs required for all laden tank vessels with static deep draft greater than 14.0
meters
Tug Escort Applicability
All laden tank vessels (tankers or barges carrying as cargo a total volume of oil
greater than or equal to 5,000 metric tons of oil) entering the port should ensure proper implementation of either
the Tanker Force Selection Matrix or the Tank Barge and Tug Matching Criteria listed below. In addition, except
for tank barge/primary towing units that have total displacements of 20,000 metric tons or less, escort tugs
must be tethered.
Speed limits for Tank Vessels
Precautionary Area: 12 knots
Between the seaward limits of the applicable tank vessel escort zone and anywhere inside the Federal Breakwater (except where lower speed limits apply):
Disp < 60,000 MT - 8 knots
Disp >60,000 MT or more - 6 knots
Speed limits for all other vessels in both harbors
Port of LB: Within the main channel between the breakwater entrance and Light 6……………………………………10 knots
Everywhere else in the harbor……6 knots
Port of LA: Outer Harbor (between the breakwater and Res Pt) if draft is greater than 1.5 meters…………………….. 10 knots
West Channel, Fish Harbor, marinas, and yacht anchorages………………….. 4.4 knots
Everywhere else in the harbor……6 knots
Inclement Weather Definitions
High Winds: once the NWS issues a small craft advisory for sustained winds of 21 to 33 knots, potentially in combination with wave heights exceeding 10 feet (or wave steepness values exceeding local thresholds).
Restricted Visibility:
- Tankers 150,000DWT or more……1 nm
- Tankers >60,000 but <150,000…0.75nm
- All other vessels 45’ draft or more 0.75nm
- All other tankers/petro barges…..0.5nm
- All other vessels……3 times vessels LOA
Factors when considering UKC
Vessel’s trim and list characteristics;
Depth of the transit area;
Depth at the facility or anchorage;
Tide and current conditions; and
Weather impact on water depth.
Minimum UKC in POLA
Between LA approach channel lighted buoy “1” and LA main channel buoy “11”, minimum UKC before pitch and roll correction is 10% of the vessels draft.
In the channel between LA main channel buoy “11” and a position off the designated berth, minimum UKC is 2.0’
In the final approach to the berth, and while at the berth, vessel must remain afloat at all times
Shifts via the outer harbor between LA and LB, minimum UKC is 3.0’.
Minimum UKC in POLB
Between the LB sea buoy and LB channel buoy “3”, minimum UKC before pitch and roll correction is 10% of the vessels draft.
In the channel between LB channel buoy “3” and a position off the designated berth, minimum UKC is 2.0’
In the final approach to the berth, and while at the berth, vessel must remain afloat at all times
At anchorages inside the federal breakwater, minimum UKC is 4.0’ for anchorages B-7 and B-11 when draft is 50’ or more and 2.5’ for all other anchorages.
Shifts via the outer harbor between LA and LB, minimum UKC is 3.0’.
What do the CFR regulations state for LA/LB Pilot Operating Areas?
Los Angeles:
1. No vessel may enter the LA pilot operating area unless it is entering or departing Los Angeles Harbor entrance (Angels Gate)
2. Vessels entering LA pilot area shall pass directly though without stopping or loitering except as necessary to embark or disembark a pilot
3. When a vessel of 50’ draft or greater is embarking or disembarking a pilot in the LA Deep Water Pilot Area no other vessel shall enter the LA Deep Water Pilot Area.
Long Beach:
1. No vessel may enter the Long Beach Pilot operating area unless it is entering or departing the Long Beach harbor entrance (Queens Gate)
2. Vessels entering LB Pilot Area shall pass directly though without stopping or loitering except as necessary to embark or disembark a pilot
3. Every vessel shall leave LB approach lighted whistle buoy “LB” to port when entering and departing LB channel and departing vessel shall pass across the southern boundary of the LB Pilot area.
Who is required to take on a pilot?
Local port tariffs require vessels of greater than 300GT to use a federally licensed pilot whenever navigating inside the federal breakwater (HSP)
Locations of LA Fireboat stations?
Berth 44
Berth 85-86
Berth 194-195
Fish Harbor (256+258)
What is considered a “narrow channel” in LA/LB?
The Los Angeles and Long Beach main channels are considered narrow channels. Any vessel attempting the enter these channels shall not impede a vessel that can only safely navigate within a narrow channel, pet inland navigation rules, rule 9. See note C.
What are the working frequencies for harbor tugs in both harbors? What is the frequency to make passing arrangements?
Tugs:
LA - 77,
LB - 5A, 65A
Passing arrangements:
13, 14, 12, 73
What constitutes a reportable marine casualty?
- Unintended grounding or unintended allision with a bridge.
- Intended grounding or allision with a bridge that creates a hazard to navigation, the environment, or the safety of a vessel
- A loss of main propulsion, primary steering, or any component or control system that reduces the maneuverability of a vessel
- An occurrence adversely affecting the vessels seaworthiness or fitness for service or route (fire, flooding, failure or damage to FFE, LSA, auxiliary power generating equipment, bilge pumping systems.)
- A loss of life
- Any injury that requires professional medical treatment (beyond first aid) and if the person if employed onboard a vessel in commercial service, that renders the individual unfit for duty.
- An occurrence causing property damage in excess of $75,000
- An occurrence involving significant harm to the environment as defined in 46CFR 4.03-65
What must be included on the marine casualty notice?
- Vessel name and Official Number
- Agent or Owner
- Nature and circumstances of casualty
- Locality in which the incident occurred
- Nature and extent of injury and/or damage to property
