Daily Update
Sabine / Neches
February 09, 2025
Notices
Sabine Pilots advise pilot service resumed 1130/09th.
As per attached forecast, there is a high probability of fog through the 11th.
Below information from this morning’s PCT call provided courtesy of WGMA.
The MSU Port Arthur held a Port Coordination Team (PCT) conference call this morning at 1000 hours to update all concerned about the situation with the dense fog and its effects on vessel/ship traffic in Sabine-Neches Waterway.
Below information from this morning’s PCT call provided courtesy of WGMA.
The MSU Port Arthur held a Port Coordination Team (PCT) conference call this morning at 1000 hours to update all concerned about the situation with the dense fog and its effects on vessel/ship traffic in Sabine-Neches Waterway.
National Weather Service:
· Not much change from yesterday
· Some lingering fog remains inshore, only slow improvement is expected offshore
· Winds should be increasing this afternoon, helping to clear the fog
· Dense fog again tonight from around midnight until 6AM
· Tomorrow night the same
· Monday night into Tuesday morning a front is approaching and rain showers expected
· Patchy fog again Monday night but not as bad due rising winds and showers
Sabine Pilots:
· Remained closed all day yesterday
· Some improvement this morning
· Scheduled to board 5 ships for inbound transit, starting around 11:30AM
· 28 ship arrivals on the bar & 20 ships for departure pending
Another PCT conference call has been scheduled for 1000 hours tomorrow Sunday, February 9th, to provide updates on this situation.
2025 Channel Closures
2025 Channel Closures
Jan 05th – 1900 Pilot service to/from SB Buoy suspended due to high winds/rough seas
Jan 06th – 0630 Pilot service resumed
Jan 09th – 1715 Pilot service suspended due to high winds/rough seas
Jan 10th – 1100 Pilot service resumed
Jan 11th – 0900 Channel draft reduced to 38’ 06” due to channel obstruction
Jan 14th – 0900 Channel draft returned to 40’
Jan 21st – 0001 Pilot service suspended due to weather / icy road conditions
Jan 23rd – 0930 Pilot service resumed
Jan 29th – 0001 Pilot service suspended due to fog
Jan 30th – 0900 Pilot service resumed
Feb 03rd – 0115 Pilot service suspended due to fog
Feb 03rd – 1300 Pilot service resumed
Feb 03rd – 1700 Pilot service suspended
Feb 05th – 0700 Pilot service resumed
Jan 06th – 0630 Pilot service resumed
Jan 09th – 1715 Pilot service suspended due to high winds/rough seas
Jan 10th – 1100 Pilot service resumed
Jan 11th – 0900 Channel draft reduced to 38’ 06” due to channel obstruction
Jan 14th – 0900 Channel draft returned to 40’
Jan 21st – 0001 Pilot service suspended due to weather / icy road conditions
Jan 23rd – 0930 Pilot service resumed
Jan 29th – 0001 Pilot service suspended due to fog
Jan 30th – 0900 Pilot service resumed
Feb 03rd – 0115 Pilot service suspended due to fog
Feb 03rd – 1300 Pilot service resumed
Feb 03rd – 1700 Pilot service suspended
Feb 05th – 0700 Pilot service resumed
Weather / Marine Zone Forecast
This Afternoon: Patchy fog. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 79. South wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Tonight: Patchy dense fog. Otherwise, increasing clouds, with a low around 66. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light after midnight.
Sunday: Patchy dense fog. Otherwise, cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 79. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Sunday Night: Increasing clouds, with a low around 60. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Monday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 72. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 63. East wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after noon. High near 77. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Tuesday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers, mainly before midnight. Cloudy, with a low around 59. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Wednesday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 72. Southeast wind 10 to 15 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 45.
Thursday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 60.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 43.
Friday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 67.
Tonight: Patchy dense fog. Otherwise, increasing clouds, with a low around 66. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light after midnight.
Sunday: Patchy dense fog. Otherwise, cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 79. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Sunday Night: Increasing clouds, with a low around 60. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Monday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 72. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 63. East wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after noon. High near 77. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Tuesday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers, mainly before midnight. Cloudy, with a low around 59. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Wednesday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 72. Southeast wind 10 to 15 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 45.
Thursday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 60.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 43.
Friday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 67.
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ATTACHED LATEST WEATHER REPORTS.
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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
Energy Transfer 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
Energy Transfer 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.
* 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
Energy Transfer 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
Energy Transfer 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.
