Maritime Captaincy regulates departures from the Port of Seville in two tides

The Maritime Captaincy of Seville has established the safety regulations that must be complied with by vessels departing from the Port of Seville in two tides with intermediate anchoring in the Guadalquivir estuary. The resolution, signed on September 22, 2026, by the maritime captain Rafael E. Bonald Reboul, is published in the Official Gazette of the province of Seville number 186, dated September 24, 2026, with the official reference BOP-SE-2026-186034, and shall take effect the day following its publication.

The text emanates from the Maritime Captaincy of Seville, under the Directorate General of the Merchant Marine of the General Secretariat for Air and Maritime Transport of the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility. The operation had already been regulated by this captaincy in 2008 and 2013: the first regulation detailed the characteristics of the vessels and the safety measures with intermediate anchoring, while the second set only the minimum requirements without differentiating whether the departure was made with or without anchoring, leaving the assessment of the remaining characteristics to the discretion of the pilots.

The new resolution is adopted considering the dimensions of the navigation channel, the greater departure draft of vessels leaving in two tides, the anchoring maneuver within the channel, and the experience of the pilots. It is issued in accordance with the functions of the maritime captain set forth in article 266.4 of Royal Legislative Decree 2/2011, of September 5, which approves the Recast Text of the State Ports and Merchant Marine Law, and after hearing from the Port Authority of Seville and the Corporation of Pilots of the Port of Seville and Guadalquivir Estuary.

Technical characteristics required for vessels

Vessels must meet the following conditions to be able to carry out the operation:

• Maximum overall length of 150 meters.
• Bow thruster with a minimum power of 300 HP for vessels with a length equal to or less than 100 meters, and 500 HP for those with a length exceeding 100 meters; this may be replaced by the assistance of a harbor tug.
• Flap, Becker, or equivalent performance rudder, with a response time of less than 25 seconds from side to side.
• Engine speed exceeding 10 knots in loaded condition, according to the pilot information card («Pilot card»).
• Controllable pitch propeller propulsion system, «Gear box» transmission, or other not limited by the number of engine starts, with control from the navigation bridge.

Maneuver conditions and crossings in the estuary

Along with the technical requirements, the resolution imposes operational conditions:

• Vessels shall berth bow-out.
• The propulsion system, anchoring equipment, and navigation aids shall be fully operational.
• The maximum freshwater draft upon departure shall be 20 centimeters less than the maximum freshwater draft upon entry at the Port of Seville for the day of departure.
• They shall not cross paths with other vessels in the area delimited by the pair of buoys number 60B, Rincón Roja, and number 71, Huerta del Rincón, up to buoy number 67, Río Pudio Guiniguada.
• Once anchored, they shall also not cross paths with large vessels or cruise ships with an overall length exceeding 120 meters or a draft exceeding 5 meters.

The pilot on board during entry will inform the captain of the rules and particularities of the maneuver, and the shipping agents must inform the captains before starting loading and before exceeding the maximum draft of the day. Before unberthing, the pilot will inform the captain again, who must give their approval.

Exceptions, rest, and discrepancy

Vessels that do not meet any technical characteristic or request to depart with a draft higher than indicated may do so when the Seville Port Authority and the Corporation of Pilots of the Port of Seville and Guadalquivir Estuary agree on its technical viability. If the pilot detects during entry that the vessel does not meet the requirements, they will communicate this to both entities in accordance with article 24.3 of Royal Decree 393/1996, of March 1, of the General Pilotage Regulations. The pilot performing the operation shall have a minimum rest period of 10 hours after completion, and discrepancies between pilots and the port authority shall be resolved by the maritime captain according to article 21 of said regulation.

This resolution nullifies the rules issued on July 3, 2013, and an administrative appeal may be filed against it before the director general of the Merchant Marine within one month, in accordance with articles 121 and 122 of Law 39/2015, of October 1.

The rule provides shipping companies and pilots with a uniform and verifiable criterion for a maneuver that allows departure with a greater draft than authorized for the day, with a direct impact on port call planning and port traffic.

Source: Official Gazette of the province of Seville, no. 186, September 24, 2026, State Administration, page 119 (official reference: BOP-SE-2026-186034).