Stopover

The Harbour Master’s Office: a Key Player in Your Port Call

In charge of vessel reception, the Harbour Master’s Office plays the role of director of operations. It organizes the port calls, supervises vessel movements and liaises with the various maritime services. It also ensures that the rules regarding safety and security are enforced. In its port authority role, the Harbour Master’s Office also polices Nantes ‒ Saint Nazaire Port waters, monitors hazardous cargo, and organizes the efforts to control pollution.

Maintenance of Water Depths Assured

Before authorizing a vessel to head up the Estuary, the Harbour Master’s Office verifies the depth of water in the channel and at the berths. Several Nantes ‒ Saint Nazaire Port teams are continuously on hand to ensure the highest level of safety for all vessels. Hydrographers regularly supply extremely precise bathymetric survey readings to the Dredging Department. Nantes ‒ Saint Nazaire Port has at its disposal three dredgers guaranteeing optimum fairway depth over a 60-kilometre stretch of water and at the berths alongside quay, permitting vessels to pass at low tide without difficulty.

The Preparation of Your Port Call

Before entering the Estuary, the vessel has to be placed under the authority of a ship’s agent, who supplies the necessary documents to the Harbour Master’s Office, the director of all port call operations. The Harbour Master’s Office then gives its vessel movement authorization, the "green light" for the vessel’s arrival. The ship’s agent can place an order for certain services (bunkering and ship’s supplies, replacement of crew…), and has access at the Port to all the infrastructures and all the partners required for the port call to go smoothly.

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The Port-Based Maritime Services on the Loire Estuary

Three sets of operators contribute to the proper execution of all on-water operations: the ship’s pilots, the tugboat operators and the inshore pilots. All possess valuable experience of the specific conditions on the Loire Estuary. The great majority of vessels use the services of a ship’s pilot when heading up or down the Estuary. Ship’s piloting is compulsory for all vessels measuring over 75 metres in length and/or transporting hazardous cargo.

The Loire Estuary ship’s piloting service today comprises 32 ship’s pilots. The pilot boat, the Couronnée IV, is stationed offshore and acts as a forward base for the ship’s pilots, who transfer to the vessels by launch.

During the manoeuvre, the ship’s pilot is in permanent radio contact with the control room of the Harbour Master’s Office and with the tugboat operators. For their part, the inshore pilots have at their disposal detailed mooring plans that are issued by the Harbour Master’s Office and take into account the characteristics of the vessels and of the Estuary (strong currents).

Safety and Security Onshore Also

Fire, pollution, hazardous cargo… safety and security are the Port Authority’s constant preoccupations. The ISPS (International Ship and Port Facility Security) Code applies to all the port infrastructures, delivering a secure interface between land and sea thanks to the installation of perimeter fencing and to the port patrols and port facility security put in place. When it comes to safety and security, Nantes ‒ Saint Nazaire meets the level of requirements for all of Europe’s major ports.