Off-port-limits operationsor Off Port Limits refers to services that Salama carries out outside the limits of the port of Ceuta to see to the needs of ships passing through the Strait of Gibraltar. Such operations facilitate actions such as delivery of spare parts or crew changes where the vessel does not have to enter or approach the port. Our bunkering agency in Ceuta has a team specialising in this kind of operations and takes responsibility for carrying them out in a fully-guaranteed process within the agreed-to time frame.

The work is done in the same direction as the route the ship follows to ensure utmost diligence and comfort. As these operations take place outside established limits, the ships do not have to pay port taxes, with is a clear advantage for our contracting parties. Even if the purposes vary, the most common requests for this service are focused on:

·    Embarking and disembarking crew members and/or superintendents

·   Supplying spare parts and replacement parts

·   Delivering nautical charts

·   Provisioning

Shipowners or charterers of large vessels and freighters are usually those most interested in requesting this kind of service.

How are these operations performed outside commercial waters?

First of all, vessels get in touch with our team specialised in off-port-limits operations in the Strait of Gibraltar. The cost of the procedure as well as the agreement itself are confirmed and the specific information needed for the service is specified, including the day, time and coordinates.

The entire operation requires thorough planning, which begins on land and is completed on the high seas by a state-of-the-art launch. As the Strait of Gibraltar is subject to winds and storms this apparently simple operation must be very well organised to guarantee its success and avoid delays.

This entails flawless coordination between the crew on the boat, our process manager (following each step closely) and a carrier that will help load the material once the coordinates have been reached. As they arrive, the boat requesting the service has to reduce its speed to a minimum, making sure our launch can get close enough to proceed with the crew change, delivery of spare parts or provisions, etc.

At Salama we have been offering our clients tailor-made solutions for more than 160 years, guaranteeing their peace of mind. Among all the services we offer, the following can be highlighted: supplying fuel in the Strait of Gibraltar, crew changes in Ceuta, provisioning for boats and medical assistance service for crew members.

Our team also specialises in carrying out underwater inspections to check the condition of the hull and identify faults, delivering cash to the captain, repairing radios and engines and carrying out Bunker Quantity Survey procedures (preventing losses of fuel), among many other services.