Argentina

Pilotage in Rio de la Plata is provided from Practicos Recalada Light F (in the vicinity of 35° 04.00′ S, 056° 00.00′ W) to the Zona Comun, Rada La Plata, where harbour pilots or river pilots take over.

ESEM Pilots. T: +54 (291) 457 0057. [email protected] esempilots.com

GETPilot. T: +54 (11) 4343 0707. [email protected] www.getpilot.com.ar

Nautical SA. T: +54 (280) 445 0500. [email protected] www.nauticalsrl.com

Nautica Del Sur. T: +54 (11) 4343 1177. www.nauticadelsur.com.ar

PILOTage SA. M: +54 911 2457 7373. [email protected] www.pilotage.com.ar

Pilotos. T: +54 (11) 4345 2223. [email protected] www.pilotos.com.ar

Practicaje Independiente SA. T: +54 (11) 5263 9633. [email protected] serviciosmaritimos.com/

Practicaje Río de la Plata CTL. M: +54 911 6193 7925. practicajeriodelaplata.com.ar

Practicaje y Pilotaje Buenos Aires Ltds. T: +54 (11) 4343 9447. coprapilba.com.ar/

Rosario Pilots. T: +54 (341) 448 3628. [email protected] rosariopilots.com

SIPSA Pilots. T: +54 (11) 4515 0101. [email protected] sipsa.com.ar

All messages should be sent to the nearest Prefectura Naval Radio station on VHF Channel 16 if possible, otherwise by MF/HF. If this is not possible, contact should be made through another Prefectura Naval Radio station or Coast Radio Station. Messages should be in Spanish. If Spanish is not understood, vessels should use the International Code of Signals, or the Q-code, making use of the Standard Maritime Navigational Vocabulary.

Vessels should also report any accidents, dangers to navigation, abnormalities to aids to navigation, or if any urgent medical assistance required.

Message reporting as follows:

When navigating within Argentine waters, vessel to report position:

The procedure is as follows:

Permissions are normally valid for 15 mins.

Vessels should report their time of passing and ETA at destination (using the Spanish language or the International Code of Signals) to the relevant Prefectura Naval CRS.

www.argentina.gob.ar/prefecturanaval/reglamentacion/ordenanzas

Asthma, sinus and bronchial problems can be aggravated by the polluted atmosphere in the major cities. If having specific conditions (e.g. diabetes), ensure to have a sufficient quantity of medical supplies and medicines.

Health risks in Argentina include yellow fever, typhoid, rabies, chikungunya, Zika virus, dengue and hantavirus. Hepatitis A and tetanus vaccines are recommended.

Section 9 of a new resolution states that Customs may authorise the bunker supply to complete the fuel tank for the vessel’s own consumption.

The details of the new regulation are:

It should be noted that if the stowaway has no documents to prove his/her identity, almost for certain the local authorities will insist he/she remains on board and sails with the ship. The departure of a stowaway must be certified by the Immigration authorities.

When a stowaway or rejected passenger is landed for the time the vessel is in port, all expenses are for account of the carrier. It should be noted that the stowaways are the responsibility of the Master, owner and agent whilst in Argentina and, should they escape, the pertinent penalties will be levied against the responsible parties.

To dial a long-distance number in Argentina (whether landline or mobile), the area code must be dialled before the subscriber's number. In addition, to place a domestic long distance call, trunk code 0 must be dialled as well. When dialling a number within the same area code, the area code is omitted. For example, in order to call a landline phone in Ushuaia from Salta, one should dial: 0 + 2901 + xx-xxxx, where 0 is the trunk code, 2901 is the Ushuaia area code, and xx-xxxx is the local phone number.

Calling a mobile phone from a fixed line locally requires dialling 15, followed by the subscriber’s number. For example, to call a Villa Carlos Paz mobile number from Villa Carlos Paz, 15 xx-xxxx must be dialled. To call a mobile phone in a different area code, the area code must be dialled, followed by the mobile prefix 15 and the number. For example, to call a Mar del Plata mobile from Buenos Aires, the dialling pattern is 0 223 15 xxx-xxxx, where 0 is the trunk code, 223 is the Mar del Plata area code, 15 is the mobile prefix, followed by the seven-digit subscriber number.

When calling a mobile telephone in Argentina from abroad, the mobile prefix 15 must be replaced by the prefix 9 before the area code; the 15 after the area code is only used when calling domestically. The inbound dialling pattern for mobiles is then: +54, 9, area code, mobile subscriber's number. For example, to call mobile number (223) 15 123 4567 (in Mar del Plata) from outside Argentina, the dialling sequence is: +54 9 223 123 4567.

Mobile prefix 15 and trunk code 0 can be omitted when calling a mobile from another mobile within Argentina.

Be advised to check with card provider before travelling. Also be sure to carry alternative forms of payment, including a credit card (accepted in most hotels and major shops and restaurants) or travellers' cheques, although the latter are not always accepted. US dollars are not widely accepted for cash transactions outside the major tourist areas, but it is worth bringing a small supply of dollars to exchange for pesos. When exchanging money, be advised to use only authorised bureaux de change, rather than informal traders.

Items not shown on the printed list must be added in as necessary. Particular care must be taken to declare all weights, sizes, and measures in the metric system: kilos, metres or litres and not pounds, feet or quarts.

Cigarettes must be declared as units, not by packets, cartons or boxes, e.g. 600,000 cigarettes, not 3,000 cartons, as also by length (king size, medium or short). Similarly, spirits must be declared as so many bottles, not cases, and indicate the cubic capacity of the various sizes of bottles, while with jams, jellies, etc., the total quantity of each, in kilos, should be declared, not tins or packages.

Care must be taken between departments to avoid any double declaration of items such as binoculars, typewriters, etc., either in cabin and deck or engine, or as personal effects of the crew. Argentine Customs are very strict with regard to the completion of vessel’s Stores Lists and Crew Effects Declarations; inaccuracies in these forms may cause problems for owners/agents.

Customs Officers may proceed on board vessel at any time without notification in order to inspect the vessel and verify that the declarations presented for inward clearance are accurate.

Each crew member is permitted to declare, as personal effects, up to one bottle of alcohol and one carton of cigarettes per day while berthed at any Argentina port.

OM 1645 – Ship’s stores declaration

OM 1646 – Deck store list

OM 1647 – Engine room store list

OM 1648 – Crew effect declaration.

Forms are available online using the search function at servicioscf.afip.gob.ar/formularios-app/#/formularios-app/formulario

Although these forms provide some uniformity, there are items in the lists which may still be unclear. One example is in form OM 1645 (Ship’s store declaration), where the form refers to “Lube oil”. However, it does not clarify if quantities of lube oil in the sump tank should be declared or not or if the volume of lube oil should be measured with the engines running or not.

Ship operators must continue to remind their Masters of ships calling at Argentinian ports to be particularly vigilant and attentive when filling in the Customs declaration and ship’s stores list, also when using the forms from 2018. It is recommended that the Master contact the ship’s local agent well before arrival to ascertain the Customs and Immigration regulations in force in Argentina at that given time and the documentation required.

In relation to lube oils, one of the main elements of dispute, the current practice, in general, is to include all measurable lube oils, including drums, cans, all tanks such as main engine, auxiliary engine, sump tanks, hydraulic systems, etc. converted into litres under the sole item ``Lube Oil'' on the Engine section of the form OM 1645 Ship’s Store Declaration. It is advisable to measure the consumables as close as to the port as possible to avoid discrepancies arising out of consumption.

In case of any doubt, e.g. if requested to sign an unfamiliar document or language and cultural differences make communication difficult, ask for the agent’s and/or vessel’s P&I correspondent's assistance.

Master should avoid entertaining himself in any discussion with Customs in relation to ``cash payments'' to avoid fines. Should Master encounter irregularities in the form of Customs officers soliciting bribes to overlook discrepancies, reporting is possible via the Maritime Anti-Corruption Network’s anonymous incident reporting system macn.dk/incident-reporting

Another common occurrence is the slitting of handbags in crowded places. Be particularly attentive in popular tourist areas, such as San Telmo. Avoid carrying large amounts of cash or wearing ostentatious jewellery.

In Mendoza, be particularly cautious downtown.

In Santa Fe, be particularly cautious in Rosario.

Kidnappings and so called ``express kidnappings'', short-term, opportunistic abductions, aimed at extracting cash from the victim, do occur in Argentina. Victims of express kidnapping are normally selected at random and held while criminals empty their bank accounts with their cash cards. Once the ransom is paid, the victim is usually quickly released. It is also common for thefts to take place when withdrawing cash from ATMs. Be alert at all times. Avoid isolated or poorly lit areas at night.

When travelling by taxi, whenever possible, book in advance. If it is not possible to book in advance, take care only to hail a radio taxi. The only noticeable difference between radio taxis and others is that they have a clearly visible company logo on the rear passenger doors of the vehicle. It is advised against hailing any taxi that does not display a logo. If being met at the airport and greeter is not known, be sure to confirm their identity before accepting a lift.

Alternatively use a ``remise'' service from the official stand in the centre of the arrivals concourse. When travelling on local buses and trains, remain alert at all times.

Pickpockets are rife. If robbed, inform the local police – a police report will be required by insurers and by the embassy if in need of a new passport.

In Buenos Aires the Tourist Police are available to assist foreign visitors. M: +54 911 5050 9260.

Passports should be left in a safe or security box except when being used for identification purposes such as purchasing expensive items or cashing travellers' cheques. Keep a photocopy of the details page of passport at all times. Passports are required as identification for internal flights.