Daily Update

Sabine / Neches

May 13, 2024

Notices

Sabine Pilots advise the air draft restriction at the MLK bridge has been reduced to 133.2' as of 2300/02nd and will remain in effect until water levels subside.

Sabine Pilot Helicopter Trials

April 08, 2024

Vessel owners, terminals, and agents,

This correspondence formally informs you that the Sabine Bank Channel Pilotage Association will conclude its three-month helicopter trial on April 11, 2024.

The trial was to determine whether an airborne pilot delivery method is a financially and logistically feasible alternative for our customers and the Sabine Bank Channel Pilots. While we are still organizing our data, it has become apparent that helicopter use is safer and more efficient than pilot boats alone, and the additional service cost has not hindered its use.

Our helicopter trial officially commenced in week two of January. For the first two months, we serviced vessels at the SB-buoy pilot boarding area by helicopter during daylight hours. For the last 30 days, we have expanded the service to 24 hours daily, with two helicopter crews working 12-hour shifts. Our helicopter service provider (Brim Aviation) has maintained 100% aircraft availability to support marine pilot transfers during this period. By the trial's end, we will have boarded 600 ships and conducted over 700 pilot hoists.

We look forward to sharing more insight into the lessons learned in the coming weeks.

The funding for this helicopter trial was scheduled to run until May 01. We included these additional days to protect against any loss of business that may have occurred if there were changes in shipping patterns or if there had been a long period of channel closure due to events like long-duration fog. We are happy to report that the number of vessels taking pilots at this remote boarding station has remained the same percentage as in 2023, keeping us ahead of our financial obligation to our service provider.

We will cease collecting the additional transportation fee on April 7, 2024, and the cost will return to its pre-January level of $1025.00 per vessel.

We have solicited vessels for any comments they wish to share about the helicopter operation. If you would like to share your thoughts about this program, please provide comments to feedback@sabinepilots.com

Once the data review is completed, the benefits of balancing pilot transfer operations between traditional pilot launch and helicopter methods will become evident. In the coming weeks, we hope to provide actionable documentation to the Sabine-Neches community to demonstrate the efficiency gains and additional opportunities this service offers vessels and terminals.

Wesley Moore

President, Sabine Pilots

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2024 Channel Closures

Jan 05th – 0905 Pilot service suspended due to high winds / rough seas
Jan 05th – 1630 Pilot service resumed
Jan 12th – 0230 Pilot service suspended due to poor visibility

Jan 12th – 0900 Pilot service resumed

Jan 12th – 1030 Pilot service suspended offshore due to high winds
Jan 12th – 2000 Pilot service resumed
Jan 15th – 1600 Pilot service suspended due to freezing temps and icy road conditions

Jan 16th – 1400 Pilot service resumed
Jan 18th – 0430 Pilot service suspended due to fog

Jan 19th – 0600 Pilot service resumed

Jan 22nd – 1904 Pilot service suspended due to fog

Jan 24th – 1000 Pilot service resumed

Feb 02nd – 0900 Channel closed above Port Arthur turning basin to remove sunken vehicle

Feb 02nd – 1600 Channel open

Feb 10th – 0445 Pilot service suspended due to fog

Feb 10th – 1030 Pilot service resumed

Feb 10th – 2100 Pilot service suspended due to fog

Feb 10th – 1530 Pilot service resumed

Feb 11th – 1900 Pilot service suspended due to fog

Feb 11th – 2330 Pilot service resumed

Feb 22nd – 2310 Pilot service suspended due to fog

Feb 23rd – 0600 Pilot service resumed
Feb 27th – 0145 Pilot service suspended due to fog

Feb 27th – 0900 Pilot service resumed

Feb 27th – 2130 Pilot service limited to one way traffic due to fog

Feb 28th – 0300 Pilot service resumed two way traffic

Mar 02nd – 1730 Pilot service suspended due to fog

Mar 03rd – 1000 Pilot service resumed

Mar 03rd – 1740 Pilot service suspended due to fog

Mar 05th – 1200 Pilot service resumed

Mar 08th – 0550 Pilot service suspended due to fog

Mar 08th – 2200 Pilot service resumed

Mar 14th – 0245 Pilot service suspended due to fog

Mar 14th – 1100 Pilot service resumed

Mar 14th – 2130 Pilot service suspended due to fog

Mar 15th – 1100 Pilot service resumed

Mar 21st – 1145 Pilot service suspended due to high winds/seas

Mar 22nd – 0600 Pilot service resumed

Apr 09th – 2035 Pilot service suspended due to high winds/seas

Apr 10th – 1030 Pilot service resumed

Apr 27th - 0500 Pilot service suspended due to high winds/seas

Apr 28th - 0900 Pilot service resumed

Apr 28th - 2200 Pilot service suspended due to high winds/seas

Apr 29th - 1030 Pilot service resumed

Weather / Marine Zone Forecast

Today: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 4pm. Some of the storms could be severe. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 85. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Tonight: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before midnight. Some of the storms could be severe. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 67. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming east in the evening. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Tuesday: Partly sunny, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 89. West wind 5 to 10 mph.

Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 64. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm after midnight.

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 90. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph in the morning.

Wednesday Night: A slight chance of showers between 1am and 4am, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 4am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 69. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Thursday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 1pm, then showers and thunderstorms likely after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 83. Southeast wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

Thursday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71. Southeast wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

Friday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 87. South wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72.

Saturday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 87.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 71.

Sunday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 88.

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ATTACHED LATEST WEATHER REPORTS.
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Port / Terminal Restrictions

General Channel Restrictions/Info

* Max Safe Draft 40ft FW
* Air Draft above Valero Terminal – Less than 136ft for passing 3 fixed bridges
* 800ft wide channel from 29/30 Buoy to Texaco Island
* 400ft wide channel from Texas Island to Port of Beaumont
* “SB” Buoy is located at Lat. 29-25N Lon. 93-40W
* Navigational Charts NOAA 11341, 11342 & 11343 cover the entire waterway
* Sabine Pilots www.sabinepilots.com

Sabine Pilot Restrictions

* Vessels 85,000 DWT or over, 875 FT LOA or over or 125FT beam or over will transit during daylight hours only above Texaco Island. Only one (1) of the limitations has to be met to restrict a vessel.
* Daylight Restriction times are based on the daylight hours and are adjusted according to sun rise/sun set. Current times as follows, the terminals shown are the ones that handle Aframax size vessels which are typically daylight restricted.

(INBOUND)

ExxonMobil 0500-1030 Hrs Approx Transit time “SB” Buoy to Berth – 8hrs
Jefferson Terminal 0500-1100 Hrs
Enterprise BMW 0500-1130 Hrs
Sun Terminal 0500-1200 Hrs
Phillips 66 0500-1200 Hrs
Motiva PN 0500-1330 Hrs
Total 0500-1400 Hrs Approx Transit time “SB” Buoy to Berth – 5.5hrs

(OUTBOUND)

ExxonMobil 0600-1400 Hrs
Jefferson Terminal 0600-1400 Hrs
Enterprise BMW 0600-1430 Hrs
Sun Terminal 0600-1500 Hrs
Phillips 66 0600-1530 Hrs
Motiva PN 0600-1530 Hrs
Total 0600-1430 Hrs

* Vessels with the combined beam of one-half the width of the channel will not meet/pass day or night.
* Any vessel that meets or exceeds either or both 860FT LOA or 120FT beam will require two pilots.

Vessels that do not exceed the above size restrictions can transit day or night consistent with other port traffic movements. Vessels that are daylight restricted will generally have priority to move before non-daylight restricted vessels.

Disclaimer: For quality assurance purposes please note well that while the information contained in this website is regularly vetted for accuracy it is not intended to replace the local knowledge or expertise pertaining to port conditions of our marine operations personnel.