Chattogram Anchorage Zones: Alpha, Bravo and Charlie on the Call File
Four different anchorage zones, four different purposes, and currents strong enough that getting it wrong has real consequences.
Practical position. Outer anchorage at Chattogram is worked as Alpha (deep-draft holding), then Bravo or Charlie once the day's workable draft allows a shift that frees deep-draft space. Exact positions stay on the current CPA and pilot instruction for the vessel.
"Just anchor at Chittagong" isn't really an instruction, because Chittagong has four different places a vessel might end up sitting depending on draft, schedule and what it's there to do. Getting this wrong doesn't just look bad on a noon report, it can mean unnecessary lightering, wasted days, or a vessel parked somewhere CPA then has to ask it to move from. Queue position, berth prospect, permissible draft (confirm with current CPA/pilot guidance for date and LOA), pilot boarding and cargo-working conditions can change with the latest CPA notice, tide, traffic, equipment, labour and receiver readiness.
Kutubdia, for the deepest-draft arrivals
Vessels drawing more than about 11.5 metres typically anchor at Kutubdia first, roughly 32 nautical miles from the port proper, and carry out ship-to-ship lightering there, a lighterage vessel coming alongside to take off enough cargo before the mother vessel ever proceeds toward Chittagong's outer anchorage. It's not officially part of the inner harbour system, pilotage between Kutubdia and the outer anchorage follows its own rules (compulsory above 10 m draft, recommended below that), but for big tankers and bulkers it's effectively the first stop.
Anchorage A (Alpha), the working anchorage
Alpha is the northern roadstead area commonly used under the current assignment for eligible deeper-draft vessels and lighterage programmes. The exact draft category, limits and position can change by notice. Traffic density, tidal stream, weather and holding conditions require a proper anchoring watch and compliance with Port Control instructions.
Anchorage B (Bravo), the holding pen
Bravo sits in the middle and is generally assigned to vessels ready for inward movement under the current CPA programme. A vessel that has completed lighterage or no longer meets the reason for its earlier anchorage assignment may be instructed by Port Control to shift. The latest CPA anchorage order, not a fixed 24-hour rule, controls the position.
Anchorage C (Charlie), everyone else
Charlie is the southernmost zone, used mainly for lightering operations and vessels with no immediate schedule to enter port. If your vessel doesn't have a confirmed near-term berthing slot, this is generally where it sits and waits.
| Anchorage | Typical Use | Distance from Port |
|---|---|---|
| Kutubdia | Draft >11.5 m, initial lightering | ~32 nm |
| A (Alpha) | Draft >10 m, further lightening | Outer roadstead, north |
| B (Bravo) | Entering harbour within 24 hrs | Outer roadstead, middle |
| C (Charlie) | Lightering, no immediate schedule | Outer roadstead, south |
Practical points that matter more than the map
A charted or notice-designated no-anchoring area must be checked against the latest port instruction and navigational warning. Masters should not rely on an old web description for anchoring position or under-keel clearance. Under-keel clearance below the vessel’s approved company or port requirement is a dragging risk, worse on spring tides and through the monsoon months, so CPA's standing advice is to use more chain than you might at a calmer port and keep the engine on standby the whole time a vessel sits at anchor. And if you're lightering alongside another vessel, watch your own anchor even more carefully, two ships moving with the current at once is exactly when things go wrong.
Arriving with a Deep-Draft Vessel?
Send vessel name and IMO number, LOA, beam, arrival draft, cargo and gear details, ETA and intended berth or anchorage. The duty desk will report the current queue, permissible movement window and any separate lighterage, terminal or survey requirement.