We have recently been advised of many cases brought against ships for Notice of Arrival (NOA) violations in Savannah, USA.

As part of the United States Coast Guard (USCG) security measures, there are requirements for most ships calling at US ports to provide USCG advance notice of arrival information in the form of a written NOA along with crew, passenger and cargo details. The NOA must be submitted to the USCG National Vessel Movement Center within specified times prior to arrival in a US port.

The USCG in Savannah is strictly enforcing these regulations and since the 1^st January 2004 has brought action against nine ships for not conforming, which includes:

1  Withholding permission for ships to enter port

2  Delaying commencement of cargo operations

3  Withholding clearance

4  Interrupting cargo operations whilst the ship is alongside and ordering the ship to vacate the berth and proceed to sea.

In each of these cases the USCG has required that a Club Letter of Undertaking (LOU) in the amount of US$32,500 be posted on behalf of the ship.

We advise all Members of the above situation and to ensure relevant personnel are informed of the strict enforcement of NOA regulations in Savannah.

Source of information: 

Hunter, Maclean, Exley & Dunn PC

Club correspondent

Savannah, USA

Email:

dsipple@huntermaclean.com