We are pleased to present herein a copy of the report produced by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) entitled: "CALIFORNIA'S GLOBAL GATEWAYS: TRENDS AND ISSUES". This important "white paper" offers a detailed analysis of California's shipping activities, and its powerful role in providing "global gateways" for handling a substantial portion of America's international commerce. The document is lengthy (109 pages), but well worth the read for those who are concerned and involved with global trade -- and particularly for those who live and work in California, or who bring their goods through our ports.

In the report's "Forward" (written by David Lyon, CEO of PPIC), you'll note that he clearly describes therein the paradox that California now faces. And that is: while California's ports are experiencing unprecedented success and (in some cases) double-digit growth in accommodating the ever-expanding flow of world trade cargoes (bringing new jobs, new profits, and new tax revenues to the state) -- with that success and growth comes the negative "side effects" of massive freeway congestion, increased air pollution, and significant infrastructure wear-and-tear that is increasingly impacting the quality of life issues that most Californians hold dear. Add to that the real need to address homeland defense and port security issues in a profound and timely manner, and you have a challenge that seems daunting at best, and impossible at worst. As Mr. Lyons sums it up: .... "(the authors) make it abundantly clear that 'Global California' is finally inseparable from 'Local California', and that visionary solutions at this level can affect the state's competitive position in the world"....

Our thanks to Mr. Jim Haussner, Executive Secretary for the California Marine Affairs and Navigation Conference (C-MANC), for sharing this important document with us. 

Capt. Manny Aschemeyer, Executive Director

> Marine Exchange of Southern California

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PROFESSIONAL MARINER MAGAZINE ARTICLE:
VTS ALLOWS SoCAL PORTS TO HANDLE GROWTH SAFELY

COPYRIGHT NOTICE --

Posting of this article to www.MXSoCal.org is with permission from Professional Mariner Magazine. This article is protected under copyright laws and may not be reproduced or distributed from this web site without written permission from Professional Mariner Magazine. Contact John Gormley, Editor, at jgormley@professionalmariner.com.

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The neighboring ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach compete fiercely for business, but when it comes to moving ships in and out of San Pedro Bay safely, the two are eager collaborators.

Either one by itself would be the largest container port in the United States. Considered as a single transportation complex, which the two really are, they form the third-largest container port in the world, exceeded only by Hong Kong and Singapore.

Big as these ports are, they are getting bigger fast, thanks largely to the rapid expansion of the Chinese economy. Los Angeles and Long Beach are far and away the biggest beneficiaries of that boom, handling two-thirds of the Pacific Rim cargo containers moving through U.S. ports.

In 1990 the container traffic through the twin Southern California ports amounted to about 1 million TEUs (20-foot equivalent units). In 2003 the volume exceeded 11.8 million TEUs (4.6 million in Long Beach and 7.2 million in Los Angeles). Over the next decade that figure is expected to double again.

Vessel traffic in Los Angeles and Long Beach is monitored both by active duty Coast Guard personnel, such as Petty Officer First Class Sean Smith (above) and by employees of the Marine Exchange, including watch supervisor Ray Law (below).

How have the two ports been able to handle such tremendous growth, while safely managing the vessel traf-fic? A good part of the answer is to be found at Point Fermin in the San Pedro section of Los Angeles. Here, at the crest of the hill offering breathtaking views of the harbor, Santa Catalina Island and the Pacific beyond, sits a bunker-like structure that once commanded a Nike missile base. This building is home to the Marine Exchange of Southern California, operator of the Vessel Traffic System for the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. The Marine Exchange, in cooperation with the U.S. Coast Guard and the two pilot groups in the ports, has created an unusual and highly successful model for safely controlling the movement of ships in and out of the harbor.

“Everybody’s a competitor here in getting the customers and contracts,” said Capt. Richard B. McKenna, the Marine Exchange’s deputy executive director. But the VTS, he explained, is “the product of the harbor community” and an expression of “how we cooperate in terms of the big picture.”

The VTS is in a literal sense the creator of the big picture. Its computer hardware and software process radar data and other information sources to create a comprehensive picture of ship movements from 25 miles out on the Pacific right up to the docks.

Technology plays a big role in fulfilling this task. At the heart of the VTS is an advanced PC-based system — a VOC 5060 operator workstation by Norcontrol IT that was installed in January 2002.

The system allows the Marine Exchange to distribute this big picture in real time to the groups in the port that need it — notably the pilots, to help them do their job of bringing ships in and out of the port safely, and the Coast Guard, to help it fulfill its safety, regulatory, rescue and security roles.

The system also allows the Marine Exchange to record all the information processed by the system. In effect, the Marine Exchange is creating a history of what every ship is doing at any given moment. Clearly this kind of record can be a powerful tool for enforcement of regulations and investigations of accidents. It can also be invaluable as a training tool.

In December 2003, the VTS capability was enhanced by the introduction of AIS (automatic identification system) technology. A new AIS shore station supplied by Tideland Maritime Systems allows the VTS computers to collect automatically a variety of data on ship movements that previously was obtained through radio calls and radar contacts. Because the AIS data has been integrated into the VTS, all this information is immediately displayed on the Marine Exchange website and can be viewed in real time by users throughout the port on their PCs. For security
reasons, only those who have gained clearance from the Marine Exchange can view this part of the website.

While the technology is a defining element of the system, it is not what sets it apart. What makes it perhaps unique in the nation is the cooperative arrangement with the Coast Guard. In other ports with VTS, the Coast Guard operates the system. In Los Angeles/Long Beach, the Marine Exchange, a private nonprofit organization has primary responsibility for the system, under authority delegated by the Coast Guard. While the system is housed in the Marine Exchange’s building, the job of actually monitoring and assisting vessels is shared by employees of the Marine Exchange and active duty Coast Guard personnel.

Under most circumstances, the VTS personnel simply provide information to the crews of ships to help them navigate safely. They alert them to the whereabouts and movements of nearby vessels or of traffic conditions or weather, such as patches of fog. Or they might warn them if they seem to be headed into a hazardous situation. They also notify vessels that are exceeding the speed limit of 12 knots or failing to maintain the minimum separation distance of a quarter mile.

While the personnel operating the VTS don’t ordinarily give direct commands to vessels, they have the authority to do so. Because of the cooperative arrangement with the Coast Guard, the VTS acts as the “direct representative of the captain of the port,” McKenna said. “I think we have used that authority maybe five times in a quarter-million ship movements.”

The VTS’s Coast Guard connection has other serious implications for the officers in charge of ships calling in Long Beach or Los Angeles: Rule violations or operational problems observed by VTS are reported to the Coast Guard for possible enforcement action.

“We have a high degree of compliance with the 12 knot speed limit,” McKenna said. “We make sure that everybody observes the rules.”

McKenna tells the story of one irate captain who showed up at the Marine Exchange with his lawyer after he was accused of a speeding violation. He arrived with charts under his arm, prepared to contest the allegations.

McKenna took the two men to show them what the new Norcontrol equipment could do, including the replay of the ship movements under discussion. That record left no question about what had happened. According to McKenna, the lawyer turned to his client and said, “I think we ought to thank both these gentlemen and leave.”

Not every observed violation results in a fine or formal charge. Sometimes the Coast Guard sends out a “letter of concern” based on what the VTS observed. This is a warning that does not go on the deck officer’s official record but still has consequences since a copy is sent to the employer. “That was invented here,” said Capt. M.H.K. “Manny” Aschemeyer, the Marine Exchange’s executive director, of the letter of concern. “When a company gets it, that’s heavy duty.”

Perhaps the best measure of the success of the cooperative approach to VTS is the fact that the L.A./Long Beach model has survived. When the system was launched as a hybrid operation, many thought the arrangement would be temporary and that the Coast Guard would eventually run the whole show.

The system was created following the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska. In the aftermath, the state of California pushed hard for a system to prevent a similar disaster from occurring in one of its ports. But several years went by without the Coast Guard setting anything up in Southern California. Under mounting pressure from the state, the Coast Guard agreed to let the Marine Exchange lead the way.

“It was intended to be an interim setup,” McKenna said. “Washington looked on it as a threat for a while.”

There is a saying that few things are more permanent than the provisional. The Southern California VTS would seem to fall into that category. “We’re still a bit of an odd duck,” McKenna observed.

Odd duck or not, it seems to have a very loyal following in the two ports.

Traffic inside the breakwater is monitored by the two pilots' groups. Above, Capt. Michael R. Rubino, chief port pilot in Los Angeles, uses radar at his pilot station to assist a vessel through patchy fog.

The two pilot groups in particular have embraced it and have become integral parts of the overall system. The Marine Exchange VTS tracks vessels within 25 miles of the port but outside the breakwater at the entrance to the harbor. Once vessels pass inside the breakwater, they become the responsibility of the pilot groups.

“This is a partnership. We’re joined at the hip,” Aschemeyer said.

Jacobsen Pilot Services Inc. provides pilots in the Port of Long Beach. Capt. Thomas A. Jacobsen, president of the group, agreed that cooperation within the two port communities has been the recipe for success. “Everyone works together quite well,” he said.

Each of the pilot groups is linked to the VTS system and uses that information to help the pilots operate safely. The Long Beach pilots have taken a leadership role in developing even further the technology available to move ships safely in and out of the port.

With financial help from the Port of Long Beach, the Jacobsen pilots have been working on a DGPS-based system called PilotMate. The system integrates GPS data, electronic charts and the dimensions of specific ships. The pilot brings a GPS aboard, and then positions it at a location that is programmed into the computer. Since the computer has also been programmed with the dimensions of the ship, it can display a chart featuring an icon that locates the precise position of the vessel relative to other charted features.

In practice this means that the pilot can look at the screen and see, for example, exactly where the ship is in relation to the dock or the edge of the channel.

“You can tell how far off the bow is, how far off the stern is with an accuracy of less than 10 feet,” said Capt. Grant Livingstone, one of the Jacobsen pilots who helped to develop the system and demonstrate its capabilities.

Clearly this has enormous implications for handling large ships in a port as busy as Long Beach. And the implications become greater as each generation of containership increases in size.

The very fate of ports will depend on their ability to accommodate ships well in excess of 1,000 feet in length. Sometimes ships have to be turned in basins that are barely bigger than the ship is long.

PilotMate gives the pilots a way of determining with great confidence the exact position of the ship, allowing them to operate safely and efficiently within much closer tolerances. It also allows them to operate more confidently in conditions of lower visibility.

“It is a phenomenal system,” Livingstone said. “It really changed our capability of safe movement.”

While Livingstone is proud of the role his group has played in demonstrating the capabilities of PilotMate, he is acutely aware of the dangers of reliance on technology at the expense of good judgment and ship handling.

“We do not want technology to displace seamanship skills,” he said. “PilotMate is not the way we make our navigation decisions. PilotMate just confirms the decision.”

Technology, seamanship, cooperation. Those are the elements that have allowed Los Angeles and Long Beach to handle the great surge in traffic that the two ports are enjoying.

Aschemeyer thinks there are lessons other ports could learn from the example set by the Marine Exchange and its partners in Los Angeles and Long Beach. “We can be considered a national model for what can be done with a private/public model,” he said. “We have a navigational flow that is seamless from 25 miles out all the way to the dock.”

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Marine Exchange & VTS for LA/LB Harbor

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MASTERS WILL NEED TO TAKE TRAFFIC, WEATHER, TOW SIZE AND SPEED INTO CONSIDERATION PRIOR TO COMPLYING TO THE FOLLOWING TOW WIRE RETREIVAL POLICY FOR ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE OF LA/LB HARBORS.

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The Marine Exchange of Southern California is an eighty plus year old, non-profit organization dedicated to the development and efficient flow of maritime commerce throughout the region. Our records of ship arrivals and departures go back to 1923 in a string broken only by WW II. Since then, we have evolved into the Maritime Information Center for the Los Angeles - Long Beach Port Complex.

The icons to the left will take you to the various aspects of the Port Complex in which we play a role. Click on the icon that interests you to find the kinds of information described below.

We provide extensive reports of ship activities for the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, as well as Port Hueneme to the north and San Diego to the south. Check our REPORTS section to find a variety of ship information reports on schedules, arrival times, locations, etc tailored to suit your needs.

We also are partners with the United States Coast Guard in running the only public-private partnership Vessel Traffic Service in the United States. Our VTS section will provide operating rules, important notices, user fees and, for those authorized, a real time picture of our vessel traffic situation.

The Marine Exchange acts as the Secretariat for our local Harbor Safety Committee. You’ll be able to find the latest Harbor Safety Plan for the Port Complex, as well as tug bollard pull information and recent safety notices by looking here. Check out our other icons to the left for important elements of information about our Ports. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, try our SITE MAP or give the search engine a try.

As the de facto ship operations center for Southern California, our goal is to provide the most up to date information available. We strive to keep you, our customers informed. We are open to suggestions on how we may improve our operation. Reach us HERE.

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A.  OVERVIEW

1.  The Anchorage Management Guidelines in this chapter are the operating procedures and Standards of Care which the LA/LB ports expect mariners to follow in anchoring vessels.

2.  In addition to these Committee guidelines, vessels at anchor shall observe all Port Tariffs and Coast Guard regulations and procedures for anchoring in U.S. waters.  Coast Guard regulations (33 CFR Part 110.214) address identification of anchorage areas and authorized activities such as lightering, bunkering, and explosive loading and are not repeated here.

B.  GENERAL ANCHORING GUIDELINES OUTSIDE THE FEDERAL BREAKWATER

1.  VTS manages and monitors all anchorages outside the federal breakwater (6 in the “Golf” area and 16 in the “Fox-trot” area) for POLA/POLB.

2.  Any vessel wanting to use one of these anchorages must advise VTS on VHF–FM Channel 14 and be assigned an anchorage by the VTS watch.

3.  VTS will not assign an anchorage in the first row of sites closest to the breakwater (G–1 through G–3 and F–1 to F–4) to tankers or vessels exceeding 200m length overall.

4.  VTS will not provide shoreside radar direction during anchoring.  However, VTS will offer, on request, ranges and bearings from either the Los Angeles Light or Long Beach Light to the center of a particular anchorage site.

5.  Vessels do not require tug assistance to anchor outside the federal breakwater.  Chapter XII lists specific tug escort requirements for oil and chemical tankers.

C.  GENERAL ANCHORING GUIDELINES INSIDE THE FEDERAL BREAKWATER

1.  The respective Pilot Stations for LA/LB harbor manage and monitor all anchorages inside the federal breakwater, in partnership with the USCG.

2.      POLA currently has no anchorages available.

3.  Currently POLB has the following anchorages available inside the breakwater: 12 in the “Bravo” area; 2 in the “Charlie” area; 9 in the “Delta” area; and 5 in the “Echo” area.  Jacobsen Pilot Service (JPS) manages and monitors these anchorages for POLB.

4. The respective Pilot Stations assist their own pilots, assigned to commercial vessels anchoring inside the breakwater, with shoreside radar advice via radar equipment staffed at the Pilot Station when necessary.  This assistance is particularly important when the anchorage areas have limited visibility or are congested (Chapter XVIII has limited-visibility guidelines). 

5.  Laden tankers and all vessels with a draft of 15.2m (50 feet) or greater anchoring within the federal breakwater will use at least one tug to ensure proper placement of the anchor and chain, as well as to assist in turning the vessel at the anchorage site.  All other commercial vessels will use tug assistance as determined by the master and pilot.

6.  Vessels requiring a pilot by port tariff will utilize a POLA or POLB pilot when anchoring.  Foreign and U.S. vessels sailing on articles shall seek authorization from the COTP before opting not to use a pilot.

D.  STANDARDS OF CARE:  

Vessel bridge management teams should follow these Standards of Care and Good Marine Practices while at anchor in POLA/POLB (whether inside or outside the breakwater):

1.  Keep a 24–hour bridge watch by an English-speaking licensed deck officer monitoring VHF–FM Channel 16.

2.  Check frequently to assure the vessel is not dragging anchor.

3.  Determine accurate wind speed by contacting either VTS, the Los Angeles or Long Beach Pilot Stations.  When winds exceed 40 knots, put your propulsion plant on standby ready to bring on line on short notice, and make another anchor ready to let go.

4.  Provide 15–minute advance notice to the respective pilot station (inside anchorages) or to VTS (outside anchorages) before heaving anchor to get underway.

Los Angeles-Long Beach Proposed Anchorage Quick Reference Sheet
June 30, 2004

Anchorage	Description/Primary Usage	Bunkering	Lightering	Comments
B	Commercial Vessels	Yes	Yes	Absorbs old anchorages C, J, and the remainder of B in the Port of Long Beach.  Permit required for 10 + day stay.
C	Commercial Vessels	w/COTP permission	No	Permit required for 10+ day stay.
D	Commercial Vessels	Yes	Yes	Absorbs old anchorage K and retains old anchorage D in the Port of Long Beach.  Permit required for 10 + day stay.  U. S. Navy retains priority for eastern half of Anchorage D.
E	Commercial Vessels	w/COTP permission	No	Same except for a small deletion in the SW corner (for buoy) in the Port of Long Beach.  Permit Required for 10 + day stay.
F	Commercial Vessels	No	No	Same.  Outside Anchorage; no tank vessels or other vessels over 600’ in F-1 to F-4.
G	Commercial Vessels	No	No	Same.  Outside Anchorage; no tank vessels or other vessels over 600’ in G-1 to G-4.
N	Recreational Vessels	No	No	Same.  City of Los Angles regulated.
P	Recreational Vessels	No	No	Same.  City of Long Beach regulated.
Q	Recreational Vessels	No	No	Same.  City of Long Beach regulated.
Explosives	Explosives Anchorage	No	No	Same, except above designation changes.  Upon activation, no other vessels are permitted within anchorage K and parts of D, E, F, and Q.  Notify the COTP of desire to use this anchorage.

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A number of reports are available via our web site or in published form.

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Fees for reports made available online through the Marine Exchange/ PortSource web site.

Click here to PURCHASE REPORTS ONLINE.

Online Reports and Fee Schedule:
	Advance Arrival Report - 24 Hours - $5.00 1 Week - $27.50 1 Month - $100.00 Advance Arrival Report (Special) - 24 Hours - $5.00 1 Week - $30.00 1 Month - $115.00 Active Vessels in Port Report - 24 Hours - $5.00 1 Week - $25.00 1 Month - $90.00 Vessels Due to Shift/Sail Report - 24 Hours - $5.00 1 Week - $20.00 1 Month - $70.00 Daily Log Arrival/Departure/Shift - 24 Hours - $5.00 1 Week - $27.50 1 Month - $100.00

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>> Log In to Target Mapping

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The Marine Exchange also provides data to both the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach on air quality compliance through the Ports' Voluntary Speed Reduction Program. You can learn more about the program at the link above.

Our Target Mapping service provides real time ship locations from our 25 mile radius area of responsibility right to berth. For security reasons, this information is restricted to operational activities within the Harbor Complex. If you feel you fit within this guidline and desire the service, you may call Captain DickMcKenna at 310.519.3126 or email to rbm@mxsocal.org

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For U.S. Coast Guard Information:
Coast Guard Ballast Water Management Program

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Weather Related Sites

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The Marine Exchange/Vessel Traffic Center is located in San Pedro 350 feet above Point Fermin, the southernmost tip of the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Thus, our weather is representative of conditions at the water's edge. The links at this site expand the local profile of weather in and around the Port Complex, to conditions in the San Pedro Channel and ultimately to the remainder of coastal California.

Current Conditions at The Marine Exchange:

MxSoCal Local Weather

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• Baltimore Maritime Exchange, Inc

• Chamber of Shipping of British Columbia

• Greater Houston Port Bureau & Marine Exchange of the West Gulf

• Marine Transportation Exchange of Jacksonville, FL
• Marine Exchange of Alaska
• Marine Exchange of Puget Sound
• Marine Exchange of San Francisco Bay Region

• Marine Exchange of Southern California

• Maritime Association of The Port of New York/New Jersey

• Maritime Exchange for the Delaware River and Bay
• Merchants Exchange of Portland
• New Orleans Board of Trade
• Virginia Maritime Association

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Manny Aschemeyer
Consultant / Advisor
Marine Exchange of Southern California

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DOT Office of Intermodalism

Interagency Committee for MTS

International Maritime Organization

More MTS Links

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Marine Exchange staff will be adding to this page soon. Watch for additional links and information on various port facilities and resources.

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Seafarer's Services

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- San Francisco Bay
- Puget Sound, WA
- San Diego HSP
More SOON!

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Marine Exchange staff will be updating this page soon. Watch for additional links and information on various port facilities and resources.

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Please note that in the United States all
Police, Medical, Fire and other Emergency Services
can be reached by dialing 911 on any telephone

Report Marine Pollution:

Take immediate action to contain and control the incident without risking personal health and safety.

EMERGENCY WEB-SITES:

• Pacific/Bowers Ambulance Services

• Cal. Emergency Mobile Patrol

• California EMS Authority (Emergency Medical Services.)

• Critical Care Transport Association of California

• Emergency Digital  Information Service

• Long Beach Police Department

• Schaefer Ambulance

• So. California Earthquake Center

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These Vessel Operating Procedures list only the basics; additional and more detailed information can be found in HSP Chapters addressing each topic.  Port Tariffs also contain requirements for vessels operating in and around the port. Familiarization and compliance with the Harbor Safety Plan and the Port Tariff(s) are a must!  An electronic copy of the HSP can be seen on the Coast Guard Marine Safety Office/Group LA/LB home page at http://www.uscg.mil/d11/MSOGRULALB.  Nothing in these procedures precludes a master and/or pilot from taking necessary and prudent actions to avoid or mitigate unsafe conditions.

Topics Covered in this Quick Reference Guide:   Page

Important General Information                          VOP 1

Vessel Traffic Service                                         VOP 2-4

Vessel Speed Limits                                          VOP 4

Tug Escort/Assist for Tank Vessels                   VOP 5-9

Underkeel Clearance                                        VOP 10-11

Anchoring Procedures                                       VOP 11

Communications                                                VOP 12

Small (Recreational) Vessel Safety                    VOP 12

Reduced Visibility: Vessel Movement                VOP 12-14

IMPORTANT GENERAL INFORMATION

Pilot Requirements: 

Local Port Tariffs require vessels of greater than 300 gross tons to use a federally-licensed pilot whenever navigating inside the breakwater.  In most circumstances, vessels employ the services of a federally-licensed local pilot from Jacobsen Pilot Service (for Port of Long Beach) or the Los Angeles Harbor Pilots (for the Port of Los Angeles).  In instances where a local pilot is not used, masters must have a local federal pilot license and receive approval by the Coast Guard Captain of the Port (COTP) prior to entering or departing port. 

Equipment Failures:

Vessels are required by law to report navigational equipment, propulsion, steering or other vital system failures as soon as possible to the Coast Guard via the COTP office or the Captain of the Port representative at VTS on channel 14.  The COTP will require appropriate "equivalent levels of safety" provided by such things as:

1.      Directing vessels to outside anchorage pending verification of repairs; 

2.      Proceed into port at safest slow speed with suitable tug escort/assist;

3.      Second licensed navigation officer on the bridge for radar plotting, etc.

4.      Sea Trials performed to the satisfaction of the Master, Pilot and the COTP.

VESSEL TRAFFIC SERVICE (Chapter XI)

Vessel traffic in the ports of and approaches to Los Angeles and Long Beach is managed by three entities:

1.      Vessel Traffic Service - for the port approaches (25 nm from Pt Fermin to the Federal Breakwater)

2.      Jacobsen Pilot Service - for the Port of Long Beach

3.      Los Angeles Harbor Pilots - for the Port of Los Angeles

Vessel Traffic Service (VTS):

A VTS is in operation on the approaches to Los Angeles and Long Beach Harbors.  Operated jointly by the U.S. Coast Guard and the Marine Exchange, the VTS provides information about commercial, other vessel traffic and navigation safety.  Covered vessels are required to participate in the VTS. The following are considered "Covered Mandatory Full Participant" vessels:

1.      Every power driven vessel of 40 meters (131 ft) or more in length, while navigating.

2.      Commercial vessels 8 meters (26 ft) or more in length that are towing alongside, astern or by pushing ahead.

3.      Every vessel certificated to carry 50 or more passengers for hire, while engaged in trade, under sail or power.

Following are considered "Mandatory Passive Participants":

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.

Notes of Interest:

1.      The outer limit of the VTS AOR is defined by a 25 nm arc from Point Fermin (LAT 33 42.3'N, 118 17.6'W).

2.      There is no speed restriction between the 25 mile arc and the Precautionary Area.  However, ships are required to be at 12 kts or less upon entering the Precautionary Area.

3.      A minimum vessel separation of 1/4 nm is required in the Precautionary Area.

4.      Code of Federal Regulations, CFR 33, Part 165, Subsection 165.1152, identifies portions of the Precautionary Area as a Regulated Navigation Area.

Arriving Vessels Upon Entering the 25 Mile Outer Limit:

Call "San Pedro Traffic" on VHF/FM channel 14 and provide the following information:

1.      Vessel Name/Call Sign.

2.      Position, course and speed.

3.      Vessel destination.

4.      State whether or not taking a pilot.

5.      Estimated time of arrival to the breakwater/anchorage.

6.      Tank vessels report their displacement.

Contact Los Angeles Pilots on Channel 73 or Long Beach Pilots on Channel 12 to arrange pilot service.

Limit their speed to 12 kts or less upon entry to the Precautionary Area.

Upon Entering the Precautionary Area:

Call " San Pedro Traffic" and provide the following information:

1.      Confirm vessel speed is 12 kts or less.

2.      Confirm master is on the bridge.

3.      Confirm vessel is in hand steering.

4.      Maintain a minimum vessel separation of 1/4 nm.

Departing Vessels from Inside the Breakwater:

15 minutes prior to getting underway, contact Los Angeles pilots on Channel 73 or Long Beach Pilots on Channel 74 (depending on which harbor the vessel is in) to check into the traffic system.  Provide vessel name, type, departure point, destination and intended route.

15 minutes prior to the breakwater entrance, call "San Pedro Traffic" on VHF/FM channel 14.  Breakwater entrances include Los Angeles Gate (LA), Long Beach Gate (LB) and Anaheim Bay, (Naval Weapons Support Facility, Seal Beach).  Provide the following:

1.      Vessel Name/Call Sign.

2.      Destination.

3.      Acknowledge VTS traffic report.

4.      Report departure from Precautionary Area to VTS.

5.      If outbound, ETA to 25 nm from Point Fermin.

6.      Report departure from VTS at 25 nm limit.

Maintain speed at 12 kts or less through Precautionary Area.

Sea Approaches - CAUTION

The Master's attention is directed to NOAA Chart nos. 18746 & 18749 or BA

1063 & 1082 regarding regulations for:

1.      Passage of Los Angeles and Long Beach sea buoys.

2.      Transit of Los Angeles and Long Beach Pilot Boarding areas.

3.      Anchorage G, outside the breakwater.

VESSEL SPEED LIMITS

These speeds restrictions do not preclude the Master or Pilot from adjusting speeds to avoid or mitigate unsafe conditions.  Weather, vessel maneuvering characteristics, traffic density, construction/dredging and other possible items should also be taken into account.

Tank Vessels:

Precautionary area (approach to port): ……………………………………..		12.0 kts
Within pilot operating areas and anywhere inside the breakwater (except where lower speed limits apply):
	60,000 displacement tons or less:…………………….….…………….	8.0 kts
	Greater than 60,000 displacement tons: …………………….…………	6. kts
Other than Tank Vessels:
Precautionary area (approach to port): …………………………………...…		12.0 kts
Long Beach (LB port tariff):
Within the Main Channel between the breakwater entrance and
	light 6 …………………………………………………………………	10.0 kts
Everywhere else in the harbor: ……………………………………………….		6.0 kts
Los Angeles (LA port tariff):
	Outer Harbor (between breakwater and Reservation Point) if draft greater than 1.5 meters: ………………………………..……..	10.0 kts
West Channel, Fish Harbor, marinas, yacht anchorage …………………....		4.4 kts
	Everywhere else in the harbor…………………………………….…	6.0 kts
See Port Tariff for Speed limits for vessels that have drafts of 5 feet or 1.5 meters or less.

TUG ESCORT/ASSIST FOR TANK VESSELS (Chapter XII)

Overview:  "Tug Escort" refers to the stationing of tugs in proximity of a vessel as it transits into port to provide immediate assistance should a steering or propulsion failure develop.  "Tug Assist" refers to the positioning of tugs alongside a vessel and applying force to assist in making turns, reducing speed, providing propulsion and docking.  Additional assist tugs may be required inside the breakwater.  Arrangements should be made via the vessel agent, tug company and appropriate pilot service.  Outbound laden tank vessels are not required to use tugs once they have safely cleared the breakwater.  All tank vessels shifting within the harbor(s) (including dock to anchor, anchor to anchor and dock to dock) shall comply with the escort requirements.  Arrangements should be made via the vessel agent, tug company or appropriate pilot service to ensure compliance. 

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 long tons  of oil) entering the port should ensure proper implementation of the Displacement Ton/Tug Braking Force Table listed below.  In addition, to meet the requirements of the Force Selection Matrix, tractor tugs shall be tethered, inbound and outbound.  Conventional tugs may be tethered or untethered inbound, but shall be tethered outbound.   Inbound, laden Oil and Chemical Tank Vessels shall not proceed closer than two nm from the Federal Breakwater entrance unless the prescribed escort tug(s) are in position at the southern boundary of the pilot operating areas.  Masters shall also ensure that anchors are ready for letting go prior to entering the pilot operating areas.  The tank vessel master/pilot shall hold a "pre-escort conference" that should at a minimum include:

1.      contacting the escort tug operator to confirm the number and position of the escort tug(s); and

2.      establishing the radio frequency to be used; and

3.      establishing the destination of the tank vessel; and

4.      discussing any other pertinent information that the master/pilot and escort tug operator deem necessary.

These standards reflect favorable circumstances and conditions.  Adverse weather, unusual port/traffic congestion or other conditions/circumstances may require additional tugboat assistance.

Small Tank Barge Matrix

Total displacement tonnage of the tank barge and primary towing tug	Minimum required escort  tug(s) static bollard pull in short tons
A.  =20,000 displacement tons	Tethered escort tug(s)	Untethered escort tugs
	10 short tons	15 short tons
B. >20,000 displacement tons	Tethered Escort Tug(s)
	A total astern static bollard pull (in pounds) equal to or greater than the sum of both the primary towing tugs and barges total displacement tonnage. (E.g., where the total towing tug and tank barge displacement is 25,000 displacement tons, the escort tug’s astern static bollard pull shall be at least 25,000 pounds or 12.5 short tons.)

    SECTION 851.27.   FORCE SELECTION MATRIX

	Tractor		Tugs	Conventional Tugs
Tanker  Displacement	Ahead Forces For Tugs Using Stern Line (VSP) Astern Forces For Tugs Using Headline (ASD)		2ND Tug Ratio	Ahead  Forces		2ND Tug Ratio	Astern Forces
Long Tons	Kips	Short Tons	Rt2	Kips	Short Tons	Rc2	Kips	Short Tons
0 < 60,000	20	10	2.7	50	25	1.2	30	15
60,000 < 100,000	40	20	2.7	60	30	1.3	50	25
100,000 < 140,000	50	25	2.7	80	40	1.4	80	40
140,000 < 180,000	60	30	2.8	120	60	1.4	100	50
180,000 < 212,000	90	45	3.8	220	110	1.6	120	60
212,000 < 220,000	100	50	3.8	250	125	1.6	120	60
220,000 < 260,000