Port Overview

The Ports Authority is a Crown owned Statutory Corporation established by Act of the Cook Islands Parliament. The objective of the Ports Authority is to provide commercially viable port facilities and develop growth opportunities from its assets which include Crown Land and buildings, wharves, port facilities, tug boats, barges, plant and equipment, storage sheds and open storage space

Port website: www.ports.co.ck/amenities.html

Key port information may also be found at: http://www.maritime-database.com

 

 

Port Picture

 

 

1 International Terminal                            2 International Cargo (shed 2)    3 Origin Gas Terminal

4 Ports Workshop & Canteen Room        5 Domestic Cargo (shed 1)          6 Domestic Terminal

7 Southern Wall Wharf                               8 Maritime Surveillance              9 Police Launch Berth       10 Tug Berth                                     11 Pleasure and fishing boats

Description and Contacts of Key Companies

The Ports Authority is responsible for the port. Its assets include buildings, wharves, port facilities, tugboats, plant and equipment, storage/transit sheds, open storage areas, and stacking areas for commercial purposes. It also maintains the channel, approach, berth depths, navigational aids, and wharves (piers, jetties).

It provides marshalling services for the movement of containerised, break-bulk and homogeneous cargoes. It also provides cargo handling equipment for containers and general cargo, and a container cleaning service.

There is a single stevedoring company; Cook Islands General Transport Ltd and a devanning company: HPM De-vanning that unpacks containers.

For more information on port contacts, please see the following link: 4.4 Port and Waterways Companies Contact List 

Port Performance

Channel draft is from 30m from outside reef to 13m before entrance. Inside entrance at breakwaters is 10m depth.

Maximum length for vessel of more than 120m and up to 200m can either enter bow into berth and reverse out, or reverse into berth and exit bow first.

There is no congestion currently with about 60% occupancy. It does experience congestion from time to time when domestic vessels, international cargo vessels, expedition cruise ships and yachts (during yacht season, May–August) are all present. There is no established priority for humanitarian cargoes at present however there is in emergency situations.

Average waiting time between arrival and berthing, dependant on weather, is 1 – 2 hours. Winds over 20 knots will result in vessels being held offshore until they abate. This happens occasionally and irregularly.

Fuel can be discharged from tanker vessels directly to the nearby fuel farms via underground pipe from the wharf.

Discharge Rates and Terminal Handling Charges

For information on port rates and charges, please see the following link:  www.ports.co.ck

Berthing Specifications

General Cargo Handling Berths

Port Handling Equipment

Equipment is owned and managed by the Ports Authority. Maintenance and repairs is carried out by external contractors

Container Facilities

Containers are stacked (up to 3 high) on a tar sealed open-air storage area.

Customs Guidance

Customs require:

- 5 days notice for cargo shipping

- 48 hours for cruise passengers (clearance procedures are required to be made at port of departure prior to Rarotonga)

Average clearance time for cargo shipping 1-2 hours.

Customs are available 24 hours if required (not available on Sundays)

For more information on customs in the Cook Islands, please see the following link: 1.3 Customs Information  

Terminal Information

Multipurpose Terminal

There is one terminal. It is used for discharging/loading containerised and/or palletised cargo. It does not have Ro-Ro facilities. It does not have dockside cranes; ships’ cranes must be used.

Grain and Bulk Handling

There are no facilities available for grain and bulk handling at this Port.

Main Storage Terminal

There are 2 warehouse storage units on the international terminal and 1 on the domestic terminal. All these warehouse facilities are leased out to private companies. They are generally at 80% capacity.

There is no permanent cool store facility at the port. Goods requiring refrigeration are bought in chilled from offsite and loaded directly into refrigerated containers within 24 hours of their shipping date.

Stevedoring

There is only one stevedoring company. They are responsible for unloading vessels using ships’ cranes. All marshalling and stacking of containers, once dockside, is carried out by the Ports Authority using their own equipment.

Hinterland Information

Containers are moved from the port using side lifter trucks owned by private companies. Currently (2018) there are only 4 side lifter trucks on the Island. Other cargo is unloaded from containers and loaded to small trucks for local distribution. Containers may be left on the wharf for 3 days at no charge, demurrage is charged after this time.

Port Security

Port security is in compliance with the ISPS Code and Cook Islands Customs Act. There is security present 24/7 at the International Terminal.

Port Overview

Arutanga Harbour is the only mainstream operation port that serves Aitutaki internationally. It is managed by the Cook Islands Ports Authority, they also own and manage the equipment used dock-side and the barges.

It is a small harbour inside the reef with a narrow pass (about 30m wide) and shallow (about 1.6m)

Large ships anchor off and all cargo is shipped to dock by barge.

 A concept proposal for the Port of Aitutaki involving the enlargement and deepening of the Aitutaki main entrance channel to accommodate local inter-Island ships and visiting yachts, and deepening the area in front of the existing fishing club for use as a marina, is to be undertaken as a long term project. No dates have been set for this work.

Port website: No port website

Key port information can also be found at: http://www.maritime-database.com

 

Port Picture

1 CIPO office and storage          2 Container stacking area 

 

3 Barge berth and container unloading area

 

4 Container stacking area

Description and Contacts of Key Companies

The port is is managed by the Cook Islands Ports Authority, they also own and manage the equipment used dockside and the barges used to transfer from larger ships to wharf. Stevedoring services are supplied by Baxter Boys Seana B Ltd.

For more information on port contacts, please see the following link: HQ staff will input a link to section 4.4 Port and Waterways Companies Contact List here.

Port Performance

The port links Aitutaki to the main Island Rarotonga and New Zealand. The port is not congested and receives ships on average every 6 weeks. The shallow channel draft means all shipping anchors off and cargo is transferred to wharf by barge. General turnaround time is 20 containers per day (2/barge trip/hour) however in rough or windy weather unloading may be restricted or not possible at all.

 

 

Discharge Rates and Terminal Handling Charges

For information on port rates and charges, please see the following link:  www.ports.co.ck

 

Berthing Specifications

 

General Cargo Handling Berths

Port Handling Equipment

The port handling equipment, including barges, is owned and operated by the Ports Authority

Container Facilities

Customs Guidance

 Customs have an officer based full time on the island who will be available to clear any shipping arrivals. Generally ships pass through the Port of Avatiu (Rarotonga) en route so customs clearance will have taken place there. They are capable of immigration and quarantine duties as necessary.

For more information on customs in the Cook Islands, please see the following link: 1.3 Customs Information   

Terminal Information

Multipurpose Terminal

There are no multipurpose terminals available. Large ships are anchored off and unloaded to wharf via barge 2 x 20’ containers maximum load at a time.

Grain and Bulk Handling

There is no bagged or bulk grain handling facilities.

Main Storage Terminal

There is a covered and secure storage building that also houses the Port Authority offices on a mezzanine floor.

Stevedoring

Stevedoring services are supplied by Baxter Boys Seana B Ltd. a local firm. Local labour is sourced. They are responsible for operating shipboard cranes used to load cargo onto the barges. The Ports Authority employees are responsible for stacking and marshalling container and break bulk cargo once it has been unloaded from the ship to the barge and then wharf. No unloading can occur on a Sunday due to religious beliefs.

Hinterland Information

There is one side lifter truck available for transportation of 20’ containers around the island. Generally cargo is unloaded from containers in the dock area and transferred to small trucks for distribution.

Port Security

Whilst security is not heavy at the port, due to the isolated and compact nature of the island and its population it is not overly required. However the Ports Authority have ensured it is ISP compliant.