Trincomalee Harbour: A Comprehensive Guide to Its Features

Trincomalee Harbour is a stunning natural harbour located on the north-eastern coast of Sri Lanka. It's one of the finest natural harbours in the world.

Trincomalee Harbour is a major shipping route and a vital economic hub for the region. The harbour is approximately 5 miles long and 1 mile wide.

The Port of Trincomalee is open every day of the year, except for May Day when only daylight navigation is allowed.

You can rely on the port's 24-hour operation, making it convenient for cargo and ships to come and go at any time.

The port's consistent operation ensures that trade and commerce can continue without interruption.

It's worth noting that the port's 24-hour operation is a testament to its importance as a major shipping hub.

Trincomalee Harbour is a bustling hub of activity, with ships coming and going at all hours of the day. According to recent ship arrivals, the OCEAN TRINCO Oil Products Tanker has arrived in Trincomalee multiple times, with the first arrival on April 9 at 06:06 LT.

The vessel is quite large, measuring 88 meters in length and 13 meters in width. It was built in 1988 and has a gross tonnage of 1848 tons. Other notable arrivals include the GLANZ CORAL General Cargo Ship, which arrived on April 12 at 20:37 LT and measures 120 meters in length and 21 meters in width.

Here is a list of recent ship arrivals:

As you can see, Trincomalee Harbour is a busy and diverse place, with a wide range of ships and vessels passing through its waters.

Ship movements are fascinating, and one way to track them is by looking at recent ship arrivals. The port of Trincomalee has seen a variety of vessels in the past few weeks, with the OCEAN TRINCO Oil Products Tanker being one of the most frequent visitors.

The OCEAN TRINCO Oil Products Tanker has arrived in Trincomalee multiple times since April 9, with the first arrival on that date at 06:06 LT. Its built date is 1988 and it has a Gross Tonnage (GT) of 1848.

On the other hand, the GLANZ CORAL General Cargo Ship is a more recent arrival, docking on April 12 at 20:37 LT. This ship was built in 2023 and has a GT of 9943 and a Deadweight Tonnage (DWT) of 13542.

Here's a breakdown of the recent ship arrivals in Trincomalee:

The IMULA 0239 KLT Fishing vessel arrived on April 18 at 12:25 LT, while the IMULA 0189 TC OFishing vessel arrived on April 12 at 16:17 LT. Both of these vessels are of unknown age and have no GT or DWT listed.

Recent ship departures from Trincomalee have been quite frequent, with multiple vessels setting off on their journeys over the past few weeks.

The IMULA 0119 NBO fishing vessel departed on April 20 at 15:49 LT.

OCEAN TRINCO, an oil products tanker, has been a regular sight in recent departures, with multiple departures recorded on April 14, 9:07 and 9:28 LT, as well as on April 8, 6:42 and 17:10 LT.

The GLANZ CORAL general cargo ship departed on April 16 at 03:58 LT.

VISHVA VINAY, a bulk carrier, departed on April 14 at 9:28 LT, while its sister ship VISHVA ANAND departed on March 30 at 7:40 LT.

Here's a summary of recent ship departures:

OCEAN TRINCO, the oil products tanker, has been a frequent visitor to the departure list, with multiple entries on different dates.

The largest vessel to depart recently was the VISHVA VINAY bulk carrier, which measures 229 x 32 meters.

The Port of Trincomalee operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, except for May Day when daylight navigation is the only option.

Premier Shipping (Pvt) Ltd. provides stevedoring services at the port, which include freight forwarding, chartering, ship bunkering, and more.

Trincomalee's harbour is one of the largest natural harbours in the world, spanning 1630 hectares of water. It's a remarkable feat of nature.

The harbour's entrance is guarded by two headlands, making it a safe and secure location for vessels. The entrance channel is a respectable 500 metres wide.

Trincomalee's bay is home to the first of a number of submarine canyons, making it one of the finest deep-sea harbours in the world. This unique feature provides a challenging and exciting experience for sailors.

The harbour's size is impressive, with 1630 hectares of water and 5261 hectares of land area. For comparison, that's roughly 4,000 acres of water and 13,000 acres of land.

Here's a quick rundown of Trincomalee's geography:

The Multipurpose Terminal at the Port of Trincomalee is a key facility that offers flexibility and versatility in handling various types of cargo.

One multi-purpose berth owned by Prima is available for use.

The terminal's equipment and services are designed to cater to a wide range of cargo, including containers, general cargo, and even bulk cargo.

However, it's worth noting that the availability of certain equipment, such as dockside cranes and container gantries, is currently limited.

Here's a breakdown of the equipment available at the terminal:

This equipment will come in handy when handling cargo, especially when it comes to loading and unloading containers and other heavy items.

Trincomalee Harbour is a secure destination, thanks to the Sri Lankan Navy's efforts. The harbour is ISPS Compliant, which means it meets international standards for security.

The harbour's security level is currently at Level 1, indicating normal security measures are in place. This is reassuring for visitors and sailors alike.

The harbour also has police boats and fire engines on hand, providing an added layer of safety.

Port security is a top priority for the Sri Lankan Navy, which is responsible for ensuring the safety and security of ports.

The Sri Lankan Navy is ISPS compliant, meaning it meets the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code standards.

The current ISPS level is at Level 1, which is considered normal.

Police boats are present at ports to maintain law and order and prevent any security breaches.

Fire engines are also available at ports to respond to any emergencies that may arise.

Here's a quick rundown of the port security measures in place:

The Port of Trincomalee is open 24 hours a day, every day of the year, except on May Day when only daylight navigation is open.

For information on port rates and charges, you can refer to the Sri Lanka Ports Authority's Tariff Charges booklet, which can be found at https://www.slpa.lk/uploads/article_attachment/attachment_2022_05_04_16516462931651646460.pdf.

Trincomalee Harbour has a range of berthing facilities that cater to different types of vessels. The port has 3 conventional berths, each with its own specifications.

The Prima Jetty (inner) has a length of 122m and a alongside draft of 5.9m. The Prima Jetty (outer) is longer, measuring 227m, and has an alongside draft of 13m. There's also the Tokyo Cement Jetty, which is 155m long and has a draft of 8.6m.

The berthing facilities include the following piers:

The entrance channel to Sri Lanka's ports measures 500 meters in length, which is equivalent to 1,600 feet.

This is a significant dimension, especially when considering the types of vessels that can safely navigate through the entrance channel.

The standard dimensions of the entrance channel remain consistent across various ports in Sri Lanka.

Here's a breakdown of the entrance channel dimensions for each coast:

The Port of Trincomalee has a total of 3 conventional berths available for use.

The longest conventional berth is the Ashroff Quay, which measures 250 meters in length.

You can also use the Prima Jetty (inner) which is 122 meters long.

The maximum draft for the Prima Jetty (outer) is 13 meters.

The Oil Jetty (petroleum corp) has a maximum draft of 9.75 meters.

Here's a summary of the conventional berths available at the Port of Trincomalee: