The seaport Vitino (67°05'N, 32°20'E) is situated in the middle part of a southwest coast of a strait running between the continental coast and Ostrov Oleniy (Island Oleniy). The area of the Port covers a coastal belt alongside the berths Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 4.

Harbour Rules. Below are extracts from “The Obligatory Regulations for the Seaport Vitino” published in 1998. A copy of the Regulations could be provided on request after arrival in the Port. The Obligatory Regulations are corrected and republished on a regular basis, so the extracts given below may differ from the corresponding texts of the editions published at a later date.

1.      General

1.5              The water area of the Port includes an outer road, an inner road and a navigable rout joining the outer road to the inner one. The navigable rout is an approach channel marked with floating port-hand and starboard-hand beacons (buoys). The outer road limit is a line joining the following points:


 1) 66°53'42"N    32°39'00"Å 

 3) 66°54'18"N    32°42'00"Å 

 2) 66°54'18"N    32°39'00"Å 

 4) 66°53'42"N    32°42'00"Å 

The limit of the inner road is a line joining the following points:

 1) 67°04'13"N    32°21'13"E

 4) 67° 05'11.5"N    32°19'49.5"Å 

 2) 67°04'43"N    32°22'35"Å

 5) 67° 04'56"N    32°19'05"Å 

 3) 67°05'14.6"N    32°21'54"Å 

1.7     The Port receives vessels of the dimensions up to and including the following:

Length – 230 m,

Beam – 32 m,

Draft – 10.9 m.

A vessel of dimensions exceeding the ones stated above may be brought into the Port only with the special permission of the Captain of the Port.

1.9       There are four berths in the Port. The berth No. 1 is used only for the vessels of the Port fleet and has a depth of 3.5 m alongside.

The berths Nos. 2 and 3 are used for river/sea-going vessels (ore-oil carriers) and have a depth of 4.0 m alongside.

The berth No. 4 is used for the mooring of tankers of displacement up to 40,000 tons; it is the dolphin berth, consisting of 7 hauling-off buoys, pontoon passage with pipelines and  anchor systems, and has a depth of 13.7 m alongside.

1.10          The water area of the Port and the land area adjacent to the berth No. 4 are a frontier post of the Russian Federation and a zone of frontier, customs and sanitary control.

1.      Traffic within the Area of Obligatory Regulations

2.1       Traffic Regulations

2.1.1    The permissive order of traffic is established in the water area of the Port. Traffic is controlled by the Inspection of the State Supervision of the Port (ISSP) through the Port Dispatcher.

2.1.4    The anchorage in the approach channel is prohibited. In case of anchorage in emergency the Master of a vessel should immediately inform the Port Dispatcher and request tugs.

2.1.5    Travelling speed should not exceed 8 knots in the approach channel and  6 knots in the inner road.

2.1.6    In the approach channel travel of vessels in ballast and over 150 m in length under wind speed exceeding 12 m/s is prohibited.

2.1.7    In the approach channel travel of loaded vessels over 150 m in length under wind speed exceeding 14 m/s is prohibited.

2.1.8    The travel of all vessels in the water area of the Port is suspended under wind  speed over
20 m/s.

2.1.9    The travel of vessels in the water area of the Port under visibility less than 15 cables is prohibited.

2.1.11  The water area of the Port within the approach channel lies in the area of the Kandalaksha State Nature Reserve of the international significance. Sailing outside the channel and landing onto the island of the Reserve are prohibited.

2.2 Pilotage Regulations

2.2.1    In the water area of the Port pilotage is compulsory.

2.2.2    Pilotage inwards, pilotage outwards and harbour pilotage are round-the-clock.

2.2.3    Pilotage shall be requested by the Masters of the vessels according the following rules:

-         for vessels arriving at the Port – the request is submitted to the Captain of the Port 24 hours before a vessel approaches the pilot boarding place and is confirmed 4 hours before the time fixed;

-         for the vessels lying in the Port and intending to leave or shift berth – the request is submitted to the ISSP not later than 2 hours before the intended time of unberthing.

Cancellation of pilotage requested may be made not later than 1.5 hours before the time fixed for the beginning of the operation.

2.2.6    The Pilot Company shall not be liable for potential vessel delay or demurrage caused by waiting for a pilot in case of unfavourable weather conditions – under wind force over 4 (wave height over 2 meters), when a pilot disembarking or a pilot vessel sailing are unfeasible.

In such a case pilotage by the leading method may be allowed subject to the decision of the Master of a vessel and the Pilot, or the pilot boarding and disembarking place is changed on the instructions of the ISSP and subject to the agreement of the Master of the vessel.

2.2.8.   Presence of a pilot aboard shall not relieve the Master of responsibility for the vessel steering. The Pilot is only the Master’s adviser.

2.2.15  The liability for accidents which might occur because of the fault of pilots fulfilling their duties, i.e. wrong recommendations and advice given by pilots to the Master of a vessel, shall be accepted by the Pilot Company in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation currently in force.

2.3 Towing Services

2.3.4    The Master’s request for tugs for mooring operations shall be broadcast on VPF t