July 01st – New Procedures

July 01st 2020

New Procedures

In view of the ongoing developing situation and different communications and instructions being issued by Sanitary Authorities of the Argentine Government we have chosen to send a consolidated daily report at the closing of working hours with an update of the day’s news.

TUG BOAT STRIKE: The Government has decreed Mandatory Conciliation to the Nationwide Seamen’s Union strike declared yesterday night and the strike has been lifted.

National Holiday: Thursday, July 09th, Independence Day and Friday July 10th “Bridge Holiday”.

Covid-19 National Quarantine: As from today, July 01st until July 17th Buenos Aires and the suburbs are being subjected to very strict quarantine.

Buenos Aires downtown this morning.

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The Province of Santa Fe has been relaxing the restrictions. This includes Arroyo Seco, Rosario, San Lorenzo and Timbues. But this means that all persons coming from City and Province of Buenos Aires will be subjected to a 14 day quarantine before being allowed to take up residence, even if it is for only one night. All towns have restricted access. Over the last few days vessels calling in the area have had to suspend or ask for extension to surveys because surveyors come from Buenos Aires.

One solution to this, although partial, is that a remote survey is carried out which allows the vessel to be granted an interim extension to be granted by Class and Flag.

*** IMPORTANT *** Recalada/Zona Comun. New procedures for arriving vessels: As from Sunday June 14th, the CoastGuard medics will not be attending at Recalada. Until then the medics would board inbound vessels at anchorage Recalada prior boarding pilots. The change is that now medics are boarding vessels at Zona Comun, but only as from 0900 hours. It means that now the preliminary inspection has added cost. Each vessel must pay a launch service for the attending medics and additionally the pilots charge an anchoring fee. This will amount to additional cost as follows:
USD 1,200.00 launch service, Monday to Friday. Saturdays, Sundays and National Holidays USD 1,680.00

plus

USD ——– Pilot’s anchoring fee calculated as follows: USD 14.00 per Fiscal Unit of the vessel. FUs are calculated basis (LOA x Beam x Molded depth)/800.

The latest instruction is that inbound vessels will sail from Recalada so as to arrive at Zona Comun approximately 0800 hours so as to be inspected during daylight hours. On the other hand most vessels arriving at Recalada with more than 14 days since last port of call are frequently allowed to proceed to load port without stoppage.

Crew changes: Crew changes in Argentina and Uruguay are not possible TODAY. The European Union has announced that flights from Uruguay will be allowed to enter when they are resumed. When this is specified and flight schedules are pre-advised we will keep you posted. For Argentina there are no formal changes yet. Some airlines are planning a return soon to schedule flights due to start rolling in as from early July. Air France being the first.

San Nicolas: After surveys completed this afternoon the maximum draft for San Nicolas New port has been increased to 10.5 meters at datum. This means that the maximum draft for San Nicolas with today’s river level is 10.39 meters and the shallow pass for entry is now on the River Parana and no longer at the port entry canal. The San Nicolas Port Authority declares the dredging work to be completed.

Recalada: Recalada closes often due to swell and high winds. Usual during the early winter months.

Necochea: The port remains closed since yesterday, June 30th at 1345 hours due to swell.

Bahia Blanca: Pilotage service is being rendered normally.

Export licenses: July 01st was a busy day. Licenses were issued for 430,000 metric tons of soya meal, 214,000 metric tons of maize, 9,540 metric tons of soyoil and 9,400 metric tons of sunoil.

Maize, soya meal and soya beans: Upriver counted 3,345 trucks today of which 1,920 were maize. Cargill Punta Alvear received 30 wagons of wheat. Bahia Blanca took in 694 trucks, of which 354 were soya beans and 275 were maize. Additionally there were 168 wagons of soya beans.
The ratio is 32 tons per truck and 45 tons per wagon.

Will keep you posted.

Best regards,
Antares Servicios Maritimos S.A.

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