Yosu Inward Transit Monitoring (Entering into the Port of Yosu on a Loaded VLCC) Vessel VLCC Date 11/05/2016 Draft Fwd 21.0 D Draft Midship 21.0 Draft Aft 21.0 Max Allowed arrival draft by the port: 21.0 m LEG 1: APPROACHING ANCHORAGE AND PILOT STATION Fishing boats and nets Direction of Cross Traffic. Be ready to maneuver. There is a TSS to the Port and Stbd of this area. Large vessels will cross your path. Area filled with Fishing boats, their buoys and Nets. At times we got calls from fishing boats to keep clear of their nets. Once the Port control also called and instructed us to alter and keep clear of the nets. It is a difficult area. Avoid large alterations. When approaching the Yosu harbor / Pilot station, be sure to have engines on standby ready for maneuvering well in advance. The area from about 48 miles south of the D-1 Anchorage up to the TSS is studded with fishing boats and cross traffic. Direction of Approach Reporting to be done to Yosu Coastal VTS on Channel 71 while approach, before you enter the Yosu VTS zone, Or else they will call you and ask you to identify yourself. At 10 miles south of the A-Buoy, Yosu VTS zone starts. Reporting is on Channel 12.
ENSURE ECDIS IS ON CUSTOM DISPLAY throughout the passage. Several charted objects are not visible in STANDARD display. Buoys are in place and are reliable LEG 2: ARRIVING AND ANCHORING AT D-1 ANCHORAGE D-1 anchorage is the VLCC anchorage for waiting VLCCs. Very often ships are called in directly for berthing. Confirm with agent beforehand. If you are going to Yosu GS Caltex berth please note that this is a very restricted berth and no storing, Garbage landing operations are possible at the there. Any such operations must be planned for the anchorage. The agent will know that and instruct you accordingly. Current is not very strong but changes directions very fast. Follow the heading of ships to know the direction of current at the time of anchoring. This circular zone is the quarantine anchorage Ask for the location for anchoring to Yosu VTS if you do not get much space. We got about 8-cables distance form nearest vessel. Direction of Approach If you are not picking up Pilot directly, preferably break away from your approach course and arrive at the anchorage from its East side as shown. Beware of ships overtaking you at the time of diversion. There is a huge container terminal inside and you may have loaded container ships overtaking you. Slow down well in advance as there are islands in the vicinity. Overtaking ships from behind
Pilotage is dependent on high water times. We had Pilot at 10am, and 10am was HW. Do not follow these NO Go areas or courses. The pictures were taken during exit when we followed the outbound low water channel. LEG 3: Anchorage to Pilot Station Pilot station is here. But pilot boats can come further. Our Pilot boarded here. We picked up anchor and approached Pilot station Ships coming up from here and picking up Pilot can come quite close. If you are coming from the anchorage better remain a bit behind and communicate with the ships approaching. Pilot will come up to your vessel. We had a container ship coming up, but we slowed down. She passed ahead.
LEG 4: Pilot Station to Buoy B Instructions from Pilot: Pass slightly North of Buoy Yeosuhaeman No.B. Depth is slightly higher there. Pilot will be on board Zone of Least Depth When you turn to Starboard you will find outbound ships in the other channel coming down. Remain within channel and you will remain clear. Our Experience: We found UKC was never below 3m with Speed of about 10 knots, draft of 21m.
Instructions from Pilot: Another Zone of less depth comes at this location as marked. Here also UKC reduces to below 4m (Never below 3m) and here the vessel slowed down to about 10 knots There are fishing vessels and Fishing nets all round. The Pilot deals with them, but the bridge team must keep an eye and inform/act if required. Do not follow these NO Go areas or courses. The pictures were taken during exit when we followed the outbound low water channel. Zone of Least Depth