February 17th 2022
Hidrovia Short Term Tender
ANTARES: We attach to this News a flyer with the full detail of all our staff for your ready reference. Both for our office in Buenos Aires and for San Lorenzo (Upriver).
Week end duty staff: (Friday noon, February 18th, until Monday February 21st 2022, 0800 hrs)
– HQ Buenos Aires:
Horacio Vazquez +54 9 11 5578 4554
German Stoppo +54 9 11 6434 1673
– Upriver:
Franco Gabriel Ostojic +54 9 11 6656 1678
Pablo Andres Faggiani +54 9 11 3156 1681
Walter Nestor Travaglini +54 9 11 3156 1680
National Holidays: Monday, February 28th and Tuesday March 01st, Carnival
River Paraná Draft:
INA, the National Water Institute has issued it’s medium and long range forecast.
Please find attached our Report for the coming months (February into mid-April).
Weather conditions remain very dry over the whole River Paraná catchment area, South East Brazil, Paraguay, Eastern Bolivia and Northern Argentina.
Kindly follow our Daily Draft Report sent every day.
Bahia Blanca Labor conflicts:
The stevedore union in Bahia Blanca continues protests by stopping work for one hour each shift. The stevedores are wanting a wage increase and a bonus to be paid for work during Covid-19 pandemic.
San Lorenzo, ACA Berth:
After surveys following the navigational incident where a vessel collided with the berth the CoastGuard have established a limitation for vessels berthing . The maximum LOA permitted for the moment is 180 meters.
Soyabeans 2022:
The rumor about the market is that the drought has affected Paraguay so strongly that the country may be facing the need to import soya beans to feed their crushing installations during 2022. It may only be a wild rumor.
Maize Harvest:
The dry weather has revised the total yield forecast to 50 million tons according to Buenos Aires Grain Exchange. Harvesting does not start until late April in the northern areas and although the dry weather has affected some prime central areas there are optimum weather conditions in the Western areas of the province of Buenos Aires. It is still early days.
Hidrovia Short Term Tender:
The tendering process for a short term contract (approximately one year) to dredge and buoy the Recalada/Upriver is underway and at the first stage of the procedure three of the four companies that presented offers were disqualified. Unsurprisingly the only company that will remain for the second stage is Jan de Nul who already have all equipment ready and pre-positioned in the area.
There still remains the long term contract, expected for a period of about 20 to 25 years that will go up for offer during the middle or second half of 2022. This terms of this tender have not been disclosed. Soonest there is news we will report on it.
Grain Markets:
Algeria is in the market for wheat. One 60,000 tons parcel has been bought from the Black Sea but more are reported to be coming and some, if not all may be originated from Argentina. The shipment dates would be as from end March.
Crew changes in Argentina:
Crew will only be allowed to disembark when a serious medical issue occurs.
In such a case a medical board will evaluate the situation and decide.
PLEASE CONSULT US PRIOR COMMENCING PROCEDURES.
Crew changes made at foreign port/s 14 days prior arrival at Argentine ports: Besides many other documents and certificates, these below are of special concern:
-Owner’s Crew changes protocol at foreign countries.
-Owner’s note (with signature and stamp of the Captain and Owners company) clarifying that the crew change was carried out taking all due precautions, etc.
-Medical certificate issued by certified professional in the country where the crew joined, not the country of origin.
-Covid test, PCR, for on-signers at port of boarding (not country of origin).
Lacking any of above (besides all usual documents) pilots will not be allowed to board until a 14 day period is counted starting from the moment the last crew-member has boarded.
Will keep you posted.
Best regards,
Antares Servicios Maritimos S.A.
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