DOCUMENTATION REQUEST
Before your passage to Turkish straits ; Please fax/email us the followings ASAP :
(Fax No: +90-212-293 76 70)
- Register Certificate
- ITC (1969)
- Class Certificate (All pages)
- P&I Club Certificate of Entry
- Crew List
Any change on SP-1 report must be updated immediately thru the ship agent.
Ship masters must submit SP-2 report to VTSC 20 nm and then 5 nm prior to the entry into Istanbul and Canakkale Straits on VHF.
SP 2 REPORT FORM:
Designator Designator
A SHIP'S NAME, CALL SIGN, FLAG, IMO NO, MMSI NO
D SHIP'S POSITION (BEARING AND DISTANCE)
H DATE AND TIME OF ENTRY INTO THE TURKISH STRAITS
J REQUEST PILOT (YES OR NO) ISTANBUL STRAIT / MARMARA SEA / CANAKKALE STRAIT
T SHIP'S AGENT / REPRESENTATIVE
Q DEFECTS/DAMAGE/DEFICIENCIES/OTHER LIMITATING REASONS
Reference points for position "D":
Turkeli Lighthouse Position : 41° 14.10' N / 029° 06.70' E
Ahirkapi Lighthouse Position : 41° 00.40' N / 028° 59.20' E
Gelibolu Lighthouse Position : 40° 24.60' N / 027° 41.00' E
Mehmetcik Lighthouse Position : 40° 02.70' N / 026° 10.50' E
Position Report
Vessels 20 meters in length and over that will enter the Straits of Istanbul and Canakkale, when within 5 nautical miles from the entry to the Strait, shall provide a Position Report containing information identifying themselves to the TSVTS sector at the entry.
POSITION REPORT FORM:
Designator Information Required
A SHIP'S NAME
D POSITION
Call Point Report
Vessels 20 meters in length and over in passage through the Istanbul and Canakkale Straits, should provide the Call Point Report via VHF/RT, to the concerned TSVTS sector, at the positions designated. These positions are the entry and exit points of the TSVTS. Furthermore, vessels should provide this report via VHF/RT channel to the new sector at each change of sector.
CALL POINT REPORT FORM:
Designator Information Required
A SHIP'S NAME
D POSITION
Vessel must be at the entrance of both straits exactly on the time given and scheduled by VTSC. Otherwise, passage of your vessel may be postponed by VTSC, which will cause delay on your passage and possible fine issued by VTSC.
Position of the vessel must be updated to VTSC sector by sector as details given below:
Sector Name and sign VHF Channel
* Dardanelles (From South to North) (From North to South visa-versa);
Sector Kumkale Ch . 13
Sector Nara Ch . 12
Sector Gelibolu Ch . 11
* Bosphorus (From South to North) (From North to South visa-versa);
Sector Marmara Ch . 14
Sector Kadikoy Ch . 13
Sector Kandilli Ch . 12
Sector Turkeli Ch . 11
Please refer your navigation charts and TSVTS Guide for sector limits.
General Calling channel of VHF : CH : 16
Transit Pilot Channel : CH : 71
Meteorological Purpose : CH : 67
Agent contact : CH : 16
Pilot Boarding Points :
Please refer to the international charts and TSVTS Guide for pilot boarding points. We also recommend you to contact both VTSC and pilots on VHF to get the correct pilot boarding position, which may be changed depending on the current weather and traffic condition thru Turkish Straits. Due to safety of the pilots, pilot station to be contacted how to arrange the boarding of the pilots. Customary practice, if vessel’s freeboard exceeds more than 9 m, ship must prepare the combination of accommodation & pilot ladder, otherwise pilot may refuse to board on board.
Anchorage positions to be determined by VTSC. Therefore all masters must inform all anchorage movements to the related VTSC at least one hour prior to action. Please keep into consideration following important point when drop anchor at Istanbul roads.
WHEN THERE IS BUNKER SUPPLY OR DE-SLOPPING ETC, THE VTS KADIKOY SECTOR TO BE INFORMED AT LEAST ONE HOUR PRIOR TO TANKER ANCHORAGE AREA “C” (CHARLIE) FOR PRE-ARRIVAL INFORMATION AND BUNKERING ETC DETAILS. THEREFOE IT IS ESSENTIAL VESSEL TO DROP ANCHOR ONLY AT LOCATION GIVEN BY THE VTS SECTOR. KINDLY PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION TO “C5” (CHARLIE 5) AS SHOWN DEPTHS IN MANY MAJOR CHARTS DIFFERENT THAN THE PRESENT DRAFT WHICH CAUSED SOME VESSELS GROUNDED IN THE PAST. ALSO UTMOST ATTENTION TO BE PAID TO THE OTHER VESSELS AT THE ANCHORAGE AREA SINCE THE ANCHORAGE AREA IS OPEN TO WIND THAT MAY CAUSE COLLUSION RISK WITH OTHERS.
ALSO PLEASE BE ADVISED OF THE FOLLOWING IN RESPECT OF PILOT LADDER USAGE:
-ALL PARTIES ATTENTION IS DRAWN TO PAY UTMOST ATTENTION TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF SOLAS REGULATION 23 AS WELL AS THE IMO RESOLUTION A.889 (21) ON PILOT TRANSFER ARRANGEMENTS, TO IMPROVE THE LEVEL OF SAFETY AND PREVENT FURTHER ACCIDENTS.
-IN PARTICULAR, SHIPOWNERS, SHIPMANAGERS AND SHIP AGENTS ARE ADVISED TO REMIND ALL SHIPS ONCE MORE FOR STRICT COMPLANCE WITH SOLAS REGULATION 23 AND IMO RESOLUTION A.889 (21) IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT ALL THE IMO REQUIREMENTS REGARDING THE PILOT LADDER CONSTRUCTION, TEST, MATERIAL, MAINTENANCE, STOWAGE AND RIGGING ARE BEING COMPLIED WITH.
Overtaking:
Vessels shall not overtake another vessel in both straits unless there is an absolute necessity, which must be reported to the related VTSC by the masters to get permission prior to commencement of overtaking. We recommend masters to inform the overtaking to VTSC in English to avoid any confusion between pilots and VTSC by talking in Turkish Language.
Sanitary Inspection:
Sanitary inspection takes place at the entrance of Dardanelles (from south to north voyage), and at the entrance of Bosphorus (From north to south voyage). Sanitary Inspection takes only couple of minutes and vsl must slowdown during the sanitary clearance and following documents must be prepared in advance.
1- Copy of International Tonnage Certificate (1969) (1 set)
2- Ship Sanitation Control Certificate (1 set)
3- Crew list (2 sets)
4- Maritime Declaration of Health (1 set)
5- Copy of the ship registry certificate (1 set)
6- Medical certificate (if any) (1 set)
7- Last Port Clearance and last 10 port calls list (1 set)
8- Cargo manifest (2 sets)
Important : It is kindly requested that one authorized crew must be ready at the gangway with the above listed document copies and ship’s stamp to sign the clearance for sanitary inspection.
Failing to meet the sanitary inspection requirements/documentation/false declaration and even keeping sanitary boat waited for docs/formalities etc, vsl will be charged fines(*) by local authorities.
(*) if vessel is not ready and causes delay/wait for sanitary boat for documentation and formalities (even 10-15 min.), sanitary boat might leave the vsl without completion of inspection/formalities and authorities charge penalty/fines 4 times higher than free pratique sanitary dues.
FYI, sometimes sanitary department may not board the vessel with some reasons including dense workload or emergency causes, in that case, your sanitary inspection to be done during your southbound passage at the entrance of Bosphorus.
Sanitary Department VHF Channel : 16
In case of need, please contact either the agent or VTSC for further information.
We also strongly suggest the masters to follow up the instructions of sanitary inspectors, and sanitary inspection boats especially at the entrance of both straits. Otherwise it may cause unnecessary fines to the vessels that obligatory to pay to the local authorities.
In the past we observed some confusion between pilots and sanitary officers, that may create some trouble to the ship, in return as the official fine. Therefore, we request all the masters to contact related VTS Centers, and Sanitary dept, to be sure about the clearness of the orders from the pilots.
Sanitary Department also fines the vessel that do not hoist the yellow flag during daylight and not showing red(up) & white (below) lights before inspection boats come on board for the pratique. The ships are required to turn of red+white
AIS System:
According to SOLAS Section 5, Regulation No:19, Article No:2.4, All vessels must have AIS (Automatic Identification System) on board and working properly all the time providing correct info to the authorities. Otherwise VTSC will not allow vessel to enter the Turkish Straits. Therefore we recommend that AIS must be "ON" all the time during passing thru Turkish Straits, and in Turkish Territorial Waters which is controlled by VTS Centers. Otherwise Local authorities may fine and delay those vessels that fail to fulfill the SOLAS.
If there is any failure of AIS system please inform us 48hrs advance or latest by Sp1 report.