GIT AFRICA

1. The country

- Flag : Green Red and Yellow
- Official languages : French and English
- Main production : cocoa, coffee, cotton, rubber, timber, palm oil, bananas, aluminum
- Weight/measures : metric system
- Currency : CFA franc (XOF)
- Exchange rate : 1 USD = 450 CFA F, 1 Pound= 765 CFA F,
1 Euro = 655.957 CFAF
- Importation of foreign currency is not restricted
- Office hours :

a) Government : open 07.30 hrs close 15.30 hrs

b) Banks : open 07.30 hrs close 15.30 hrs

c) Business (port) : 2 shifts from 07.30 hrs to 12.00 hrs and from 14.30 hrs to 18.00 hrs
- Getting into Cameroon : valid passport and visa are required with an onward passage.
- An international health certificate verifying vaccination against yellow fever is required.
- Local time : GMT +1 hour

2. The Port of Douala

Douala port situation:

- Lat. 4° 03' N
- Long. 9° 41' E
- 15 miles from river mouth (24 km).

Seasons : Dry season : November to February
Rainy season : March to October
Hard rain period : June to September

a) Port Authority

- Management :
Tel: 237 2221 06 37 / 237 2221 06 38
Fax : 237 2221 06 39
Email: apn@camnet.cm

- Maritime affairs:
Po Box 4020 Douala, Cameroon
Tel : 237 3342 01 33 / 237 3342 11 90
Fax: 237 3342 67 97 / 237 3342 11 90
Tlx : 55270 KN


- Harbour Master : Mr
Tel : 237
Fax : 237
Mobile 237

- Firemen : Tel :237 3342 33 42

- Port police : tel : 237 3342 05 00

- Port Soldiers : tel : 237 3343 11 93

- Customs : tel : 237 3340 47 81

b) Average Daily Discharge Rate

- refeer ships / bananas = 883 mt
- cargos = 787 mt
- containers = 2118 mt
- bulk carrier = 2021 mt
- RO/RO = 1923 mt
- Ore carrier = 1000 mt
- Logger = 117 mt
-
c) Berth occupancy rate : 61.37 %

d) Average waiting time at pilot station : 21 hours

3. Communication

- Port traffic control VHF CH 16 , Tel : 237 3342 35 50

- Costal Radio Station "Douala Radio" Tel : 237 3342 09 16 / 237 3342 82 83
Call sign : TJC5 - TJC6 -TJC8
Tlx : 56074 KN
Frequencies : 500 khz, 8420 khz, 12 582 khz
Transmitter Power : 1 kw

- Listening hours :
Permanent from 05.00 GMT to 20.00 hrs on 500 khz
15 minute at 8-9-13-16-19-20-21 hours GMT on calling band 8 Mhz
72 hours / 48 hours / 24 hours notice of arrival are required and fresh water arrival draft to be confirmed.

4. Douala Port restriction


- Draft restriction

Water density is fresh water
Maximum draft allowed = 6.20 m + tide
Rise of tide varies from 1.85 m to 2.90 m

- Length / Breadth / Air draft
No length restriction but only on dolphin for tankers
Breadth / Air draft : no restriction

- Restriction on Dolphin : out of service since February 2002
Tankers are discharging clean petroleum product on berth n° 1
Max LOA = 140 m

- Time limit for berthing / sailing
Draft permitting, 1 hour before high tide but not later than 1 hour after

- Working hours
Operations : 2 shifts 07.30 hrs to 17.00 hrs and 17.30 hrs to 06.30 hrs
Overtime : Saturday, Sunday, holidays and normal day as from 18.00 hrs
Normal hours (office hours) : 07.30 hrs to 12.00 hrs / 14.30 hrs to 18.00 hrs
from Monday to Friday

- Holidays :
01st January NW
11th February W
25th April W
01st May NW
01st June W
20th May NW
15th August W
25th December NW
?/? unfixed two Muslims feats : W

Workable days (W) : same hours as normal days but work in overtime
Non workable (NW): work ceases 18.00 hrs day before and resume 07.00 hrs the day after
No movement, no work even on overtime

4. Roads / Anchorage / Pilotage

Sea channel : outside channel is designated by Buoys with co-ordinate (Buoyage December 1992) in notice n° 17.

Buoy A = landing Buoy
B9 = Base Buoy or pilot station
RCC = Racon Cap Cameroon
RSO = Racon Souellaba
NB : Ships are advised of traffic movements on VHF Ch 16 by port control

- Piloting
Pilot working hours = 24 hours per day
piloting is compulsory for all ships with LOA over 60 meters
request for pilot for berthing , sailing or all other movements in ports is done by Agent during port meeting held as follows:
From Monday to Saturday 10.00 hrs and 16.00 hrs
Sunday and holidays : 10.00 hrs
Pilot cannot be ordered out of port meetings nor directly from vessel
Ships are advised of shifting by port notice remitted through Agents.

- Tugs
1 seagoing tug of 2000 HP + 2 Harbor tugs of 800 HP and 1000 HP
1 Tug is usually supplied for berthing or departure, additional if required is ordered by Agent during port meeting or on pilot request

- Berths

Berths are kept as depth in compliance with allowance draft. Fenders are rubber poles of 2m length and 47 cm diameter. Wall is concrete wall.
Quay height above water:

- low tide = 1.30 m

- high tide = 3.20 m

Distance between bollards is 30 m
Berth N° 3 with railways facilities
Storage facilities : facing each berth is a bonded warehouse.

5. Clearance requirements

- Document distribution ( 6 copies of each document will be enough for distribution)

Crew list
Passenger list
Last port of call
Animal list
Dangerous cargo
Vaccination list
Narcotic list
Arms and ammunition
Crew effect declaration
Store list (including soft drink/ beers)
Stowaway list
Cargo manifest
Maritime declaration

NB.: All seamen's Books must bear Ship's stamp and all certificates must be valid.

6. Handling equipment

- 2 traveling gantry crane of 38.9 T capacity and outreach of 37 m for containers
- Straddle carriers, floating cranes available

For your guidance the maximum draft on august 2011 is 8.95 m and September 2011 is 9.00 m.

This report is issue by :

GOLDEN INTER