ADDRESS

INTRODUCTION

Kerch city is situated on the Ukrainian shore of the Kerch-Yenikalsky Strait, which joins the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.

In 1874 the Kerch-Yenikalsky Strait was dug through the Strait of Kerch to develop merchant navigation.

Besides Port Kerch and the ferry complex TIS-Krym there is also SE Kerch Fishery Port in Kerch. The big local enterprises include an integrated iron and steel plant, and the Zaliv Shipyard.

The population of Kerch is approx. 160,000 people.

The official date of birth of Kerch Merchant Sea Port is October 10 (October 23 by Gregorian calendar), 1821.

The nearest ports are: Theodosia, lying 100 km away, port Krym (Ukraine), port Kavkaz (Russia), port of CJSC Kamyshburun.

PORT REGULATIONS AND NAVIGATIONAL INFORMATION

The article is written on the basis of the Mandatory Regulations Issued for Kerch Merchant Sea Port, dated 01.08.2004.

General Information

Along the shores of Kerch Strait the coldest months are January and February. Most part of the year NE winds prevail, known for their high speed and long duration. In summer southern winds are common. Wind speeds up to 21–24 mps are rare. Calms are rare.

Fogs occur most often from November till March. Atmospheric precipitation occur most often from November till March–April. Thunderstorms are most probable from May till October–Novem-ber; during this period thunderstorms can be observed on an average 3–5 days per month.

Kerch port is situated on the coast of the Kerch Bay. The port’s approach channel withdraws from the Yenikalsky bend of Kerch-Yenikalsky Strait, 1.1 miles to ESE from Cape Beliy, and leads to the port’s Shirokiy Mole.

Besides its inner water area, the port also owns: the water area of its approach channel that is up to 80 m in width plus the channel’s pro-tective margins (up to 100 m in width on both sides); the water area of the Kerch-Yenikalsky Strait (from buoy No. 1 to buoys No. 51 and No. 52, running through Pavlovsky, Burunsky, Yenikalsky and Chushkinsky bends) that has a width of up to 100 m on both sides.

The port is open to ships all year round; when there is ice in Kerch Strait, motion of thick ice in the channels is possible because of constant turn of the current and wind.

In such conditions vessels can be permitted to pass only by VTS in any individual case.

Entering and Leaving Port

When proceeding to Port Kerch, information about the ship’s approach must be given 48 hrs prior to ETA and again 24 hrs thereafter. It is defined more precisely 4 hours before entering the Kerch-Yenikalsky Strait. Clearing the ship departure and arrival is performed on board the ship.

Navigational Conditions

The port is accessible for vessels with draft of up to 8 m and length up to 200 m.

The total length of the Strait of Kerch is 22 miles. The widest part, between Kerch and the eastern part of Taman Gulf, is 22.5 miles; its narrowest part, between ports Crimea (Ukraine) and Kavkaz (Russia) is 2 miles.

The Kerch-Yenikalsky Strait is accessible for ships of up to 215 m in length and up to 8 m in draft. The Harbour Master may permit bigger vessels to enter the channel individually. Ships of over 160 m in length and over 6 m draft should only navigate the channel during daytime. It is prohibited to enter Kerch-Yenikalsky Channel during periods of fog, snowfall, mist, heavy rain, and if wind speed is over 14 mps.

The VTS operates in Kerch Strait. For ships bound for ports in the Strait of Kerch and passing in transit through the Kerch-Yenikalsky Strait, the services of Vessel Traffic Service Centre are compulsory by KYC (Kerch-Yenikalsky Strait).

Rules concerning Ships’ maximum speed limits are as follows: throughout the entire Kerch-Yenikalsky Strait: 10 knots for the ships with a draft of over 5 m; 12 knots for vessels with 5 m and less draft; along Port Kerch approach channel: 7knots for all vessels.

Pilotage

Pilots of SE Delta-Pilot provide pilotage to Port Kerch through the Kerch-Yenikalsky Strait and to all Ukrainian ports of the Sea of Azov. Pilotage in Kerch-Yenikalsky Channel is compulsory for:

• all vessels flying foreign flags;
• vessels of CIS countries under the flags of Ukraine and Russian Federation with the draft exceeding 4.5 m or length of 120 m and more;
• all damaged ships;
• oil carriers and vessels carrying dangerous cargoes;
• nuclear-powered ships;
• vessels going through Kerch-Yenikalsky Channel independently from their flag or departmental fixture;
• vessels towing substandard objects;
• passenger vessels;
• vessels in other cases – if compulsory pilotage is required to provide navigational safety in Kerch-Yenikalsky Strait, protection of floating mark signs (FMS) – by decision of the Harbour Master.

Pilotage in in the Sea of Azov to Ukrainian ports is compulsory for:

• all foreign flag ships;
• damaged ships;
• oilcarriers and ships carrying dangerous cargoes;
• nuclear-powered ships;
• all vessels during the ice period in the Sea of Azov independently from draft and disposition;
• passenger vessels.

The order for a pilot should be submitted to UMPS Kerch SE Delta-Pilot when notifying it about the ship’s approach. When leaving the port, a pilot should be ordered 2 hours prior to the ship’s departure.

Tug Assistance

To enable ships to turn safely from the Kerch-Yenikalsky Strait into port Kerch approach channel and vice versa when leaving the port, tug assistance is compulsory for vessels with draft of more than 6.5 m and more than 100 m in length.

Anchorage

In Kerch Strait, ships are laid at anchor in ancorage areas Nos. 450, 452, 453, 471.

Ships with drafts of less then 8 m are to anchor at anchorages Nos. 450 and 453. Their anchorage areas are limited to a circle with the radius of 6 cable’s length.

Anchorage No. 471 is the area of customs control of Kerch merchant sea port and is intended for cargo operations. Anchorage No. 471 comprises 46 places for anchorage in three subareas.

Ships with draft of no more than 6 m are to anchor at anchorage No. 452.

On the port’s inner road 2 ships with length of up to 120 m each or 1 ship of over 120 m in length and 3 m in draft can ride at the anchor.

Repairs

Ships’ hulls can be repaired in the port.

Ships Bunkering

Bunkering service is offered 24 hours a day to all vessels bound for the port of Kerch.

Bunkering of vessels, passing by transit through the Kerch Straight, is performed by ship’s closed boarder.

Additional Services

24 hours a day the port takes oily, sewage, bilge waters and garbage from the ships entering the port or passing through the Kerch straight. The port has its own purification station for oily water.

Tariffs for bilge and sewage water carriers and for garbage carriers, depending on the area (port/roadstead) and the total quantity in tons is USD 100 per m³; dry garbage – 69.7 USD/container (0.75 m³). Vessels entering the port can be supplied with potable water 24 hours a day. Price for potable water amounts to USD 17.28 for 1 m³ (delivered to shipboard by non-self propelled barge Vodoley-9 by means of tugs, that is why the water price includes price of the water itself + price of towing boats service). Tug service is charged extra.

The ships entering port Kerch or passing through the Kerch straight can be offered agent service, all capacity tug service, roadstead cutter service.

SPECIALIZATION

Kerch Sea Port can handle up to 2.5 million t of cargo per year. The port has reloading devices and machinery to handle general cargo such as steel products, equipment, etc., bulk cargo (ferroalloys, cast iron, coke, coal, scrap metal, iron ore pellets), containers, wheel motor cars, bulk grain.

PORT FACILITIES

The territory of Kerch Sea Port totals 615,328 m² including 564,036 m² of the operational area. There are two handling terminals in the port.

Handling terminal No. 1 has 7 berths, whose overall length is 1,431.96 m.

Handling terminal No. 2 is located on the territory of 15.25 ha in the port waters of Kerch Sea Fishery Port. The terminals comprises the 8-th, the 9-th and the 10-th berths, 2 sheltered storages of total area of 4,856 m² and over 15,000 m². of open storages, approaching ways to berths Nos. 9, 10 and their rear sides, motor and rail scale units.

Storage Facilities

The total open cargo storage area is 105,864 m². The port’s 8 sheltered warehouses for general cargo have the total area of 16,842 m².

The port operates round the clock, Sundays and holidays included.

Machinery

The port has universal lift trucks:

• Toyota (lifting capacity up to 10 t) - 21 units;
• Still (lifting capacity 4 t) - 3 units;
• Boss (lifting capacity 4 t.) - 2 units;
• Vаlmet (lifting capacity up to 25 t - 4 units;
• Komatsu of (lifting capacity 5 t) - 9 units;
• specialized lift trucks, port tractors Kalmar, hold devices and warehouse trucks – 19 units;
• trucks for grain handling – 5 units.