Crew logistics
Maingate Shipping arranges crew changes at San Pédro for owners, managers and crewing agencies: immigration formalities, airport meet and transfer through San Pédro Airport, with connections through Abidjan, launches where the vessel lies at anchor, and hotels when flights and vessels do not line up. Our partner agent at the port attends the movement under Maingate's instruction; the Mombasa desk plans and reports.
For vessels calling San Pédro, the crew change is planned before the cargo is: flights are held until the ETA is firm, immigration is pre-notified, and the joining crew are met at San Pédro Airport and taken to the gangway or the launch. Where the vessel will not be entering the port, the desk advises whether the change is better made here or at the next port on the route.
The port's geography matters: the south-western coast of Côte d'Ivoire, the world's largest cocoa export port. So does the fact that cocoa loading dominates, and the port is far enough from Abidjan that crew travel, spares and specialist contractors need forward planning.
Every movement is confirmed in writing before the seafarer travels and reported promptly it happens.
The airport for San Pédro is San Pédro Airport, with connections through Abidjan. Joining crew are met on arrival, taken through immigration on the agent's pre-notification, and driven to the port or the launch pier. Leaving crew are collected from the gangway, taken through immigration with their sign-off documents and checked in for their flight.
Flights are held until the ETA is firm and rebooked without fuss when the vessel slips; a crew change fixed to an optimistic ETA is the commonest way a movement fails.
Immigration at San Pédro expects the crew list showing joiners and leavers, passports with adequate validity, seaman's books or seafarer identity documents, and the agent's letter of guarantee. Nationalities that need a visa are pre-notified or obtain it in advance where the rules require; the desk confirms the current position for each crew list rather than relying on a matrix that may be out of date.
Shore passes for crew going ashore during the call and gate passes for the agent's vehicle are issued through the port.
At berth the movement is a walk from the gate to the gangway. At the anchorage, a licensed launch is booked for daylight and acceptable weather, and the pilot ladder and the vessel's own arrangements are confirmed with the master beforehand. Where a flight lands after the last launch, a hotel near the port is booked and the transfer runs at first light.
Where the vessel is not entering port, the desk advises whether an off-port-limits change is workable at San Pédro or better made at the next port on the route.
Sick or injured crew are taken to hospital with an agent's representative, the owner and the P&I club are informed promptly, and repatriation with a medical escort is arranged when the doctor allows travel. Replacement seafarers are arranged in parallel from Kenya through our crewing desk so that the vessel does not sail short.
Every movement is reported to the owner with the times, the names and the costs, and the receipts follow in the DA.
Who changes crew at San Pédro: bulk carriers, container ships and general cargo ships, in the trades of cocoa beans and products, rubber and timber outbound, with clinker, fertilizer and general cargo inbound. Their rotations differ, so the desk asks the manager for the rotation calendar and works from it, rather than treating every movement as a surprise.
Berth or anchorage decides the last mile; San Pédro's working areas are the cocoa and general cargo berths and the expanded container terminal.
A few working days is comfortable for most nationalities once the ETA is firm; longer where a visa must be obtained in advance. The desk confirms the requirement when the crew list is received.
Case by case; the desk confirms with the port and the launch operator for each movement.
San Pédro Airport, with connections through Abidjan.
Yes. Kenyan officers and ratings are placed through our crewing desk in Mombasa with verified documents, and delivered to the vessel at the port of joining.
Receipts behind every line, a record behind every stoppage, a desk behind every call.
Desks that usually follow a San Pédro crew change.
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Maingate Shipping Limited · Express Building, Moi Avenue, Mombasa, Kenya · ops@maingateshipping.com · +254 784 622 091