THE PORT OF PANAMA CITY, FLA. PORT AND HARBOR CONDITIONS - Location and General Description. City, Fla., is on the northeast shore of St. Andrew Bay. Bay Harbor is a part of the port, about 3/4 of a mile east of the entrance to Watson Bayou near the southeast end of The port of Panama the Panama City waterfront. St. Andrew Bay is a naturally deep, nearly landlocked, body of water about 10 miles long parallel to the northwest coast of Florida. rier peninsula (Lands End) and the mainland of about 3 1/2 It has a maximum width between the bar miles. The Bay is connected to East Bay, about 20 miles long, and to West and North Bays, each about 10 miles long. son Bayou is an arm of the bay at Panama City. St. Andrew Bay has two entrances from the Gulf: a natural inlet at its eastern end (East Pass) and a dredged cut through Lands End Wat(Hurricane Island), about 4 miles west of the natural opening. It is about 231 nautical miles northwest of Tampa and 110 miles east of Pensacola; Port St. Joe is 34 miles east of St. Andrew Bay. The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway passes through St. Andrew Bay, extending eastward by way of East Bay and westward by way of West Bay. inland route along the Gulf coast from Apalachee Bay (St. This waterway provides a protected Marks River, Fla.) to the Mexican border. Harbor and Channel Improvements by the United States.-Panama City Harbor, Fla., has been under Federal improvement since the adoption of the River and Harbor Act of June 25, 1910. The existing project was authorized by the River and Harbor Acts of August 30, 1935; March 2, 1945; and 1948. Specifically, the project provides for the A channel about 1.8 miles long extendi water in the bay across Lands End to the C 300 feet wide and 32 feet deep in the Bay Lands End and 450 feet wide and 34 feet d proach channel in the Gulf, and protecte ties, each about 700 feet long; and for Watson Bayou 100 feet wide and 10 feet dee depth in St. Andrew Bay to the highway bri 21 1 3/4 miles. 1949. The existing project was completed in November The controlling depths of channels on the dates shown were as follows: Channel from bay across Lands End, 32 feet, and approach channel in the Gulf, 34 feet, October 1956; and channel in Watson Bayou, 10 feet, October 1956. All depths refer to the plane of mean low water. Tides and Tidal Currents. The tides are chiefly diurnal; the average rise and fall is about 1 1/2 feet. Winds greatly affect the tide. Long-continued southerly winds raise the water level in the bay and northerly winds lower it. A strong ebb current sets outward through the dredged cut and causes heavy tide rips if the wind is southerly and of moderate force. Anchorages. -- Excellent anchorage can be found almost anywhere in the bay where the depth is suitable. The usual anchorage for large vessels is off the wharves at Panama City to the westward of Redfish Point in depths of 6 or 7 fathoms. Bridges.-- No bridges cross the main ship channel between the Gulf of Mexico and the docks at Panama City. However, Hathaway Bridge crosses West Bay and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway just west of the harbor entrance. The bridge has a swing span with a horizontal clearance of 78 feet and a vertical clearance, closed, of 14 feet at mean high water. At the time of this survey, a new bridge was under construction and will replace the Hathaway Bridge. Weather Conditions. -- The moderating influence of the waters of the Gulf on the daily maximum temperatures in Summer is quite strong. Sea breezes, although their influence diminishes rapidly inland, usually keep the Summer maximums in the low 90's. The average Summer maximum, June through August, is 90.3°; the average minimum during these same three months is 73°. Below freezing minimums have occurred in nearly all Winters, but the daytime temperatures have always risen above freezing mark. Freezing temperatures occur about 11 times per Winter on the average and are limited to the months November through March. The median dates of first freezing temperature in Fall and last in Spring are November 25 and February 25, respectively. Precipitation varies greatly for any one month from year to year but, on the basis of mean monthly totals, there are two maximum rainfall periods during the year: one in Spring about March and April, accounting for about 17 percent of the average annual total, and another in Summer from about June through September, accounting for about 43 percent. Thundershowers occur in all months of the year but generally more than three-fourths of them occur in the Sum mer. Nearly all of the precipitation is in the form of rain. Hail falls occasionally, and snow is a rarity. Tropical storms bring hazardous conditions to this area at irregular intervals. The chances of hurricane force winds (75 mph or greater) in any given year has been estimated to be about one in 12. Prevailing winds in this vicinity are southerly in Summer and mostly northerly in Winter. Wind speeds by day usually range between 10 and 20 miles per hour but nearly always drop below 10 miles per hour at night. Fire Protection. -- Pier, wharf, and dock facilities at the port of Panama City are furnished fire protection by the city's fire department. The plant fire department of the International Paper Company, located in the Bay Harbor section of the port, is available to aid the municipal department if the need arises. There is no high pressure system of water mains; however, the normal water pressure in the city mains is 40 to 50 p.s.i. Two water tanks supplement these pressures. One is a 500,000-gallon tank located at McArthur Avenue and U. S. Highway No. 98 and the other is a 200,000-gallon tank at 11th Street and Clay Avenue. Panama City Fire Department is made up of 3 companies which operate four 750-g.p.m. pumpers and one rescue truck equipped with ladders, search lights, an electric generator, and foam equipment. Three of the pumpers have 500-gallon water tanks. Equipment of the individual wharf operators is mentioned in the table of Piers, Wharves, and Docks. In emergencies and if requested, firefighting equipment will respond from nearby Springfield and Lynn Haven and Army and Navy installations. Trade Route 31 Description (Key West-Mexican border) and ports in the U. S. Gulf/West Coast South America. Between STEAMSHIP CONFERENCES.-- The establishment of rates, rules, regulations, and practices for or in connection with the transportation of cargo by carriers operating regular liner services in foreign trade usually is controlled by conferences or associations of the ocean carriers engaged in the particular trade. Section 15 of the Shipping Act of 1910 requires that agreements forming such conferences be submitted to the Federal Maritime Board for its approval before becoming lawfully effective. Copies of approved agreements setting forth the scope of the various conferences may be obtained from the Federal Maritime Board. A conference is a voluntary association of oceangoing common carriers engaged in the transportation of waterborne commerce on regular schedules in well defined trade areas. Broadly speaking, its principal purpose is to fix and regulate ocean freight rates and other charges and conditions for or in connection with the transportation of cargo direct or by transshipment. Most agreements are prefaced by statements similar to the following: "The parties here to associate themselves for the common good of shippers and carriers by providing just and economical cooperation between the steamship lines operating in the trade as well as stabilization of freight rates in the interest of shippers and carriers alike." Such organizations are presided over by a chairman or other officials elected by the members. Members designate a secretary to keep the minutes of all meetings including a record of votes on all matters. Usually members pledge themselves, their agents, principals, associates, or subsidiaries to refrain from unjustly discriminating against, or making any discount, rebate, or return of any description to any shipper, contractor, broker, or consignee to whom the payment of such compensation might serve as a rebate, refund, or preferential consideration in violation of the agreement. The expense of such organization is shared equally by the membership. Meetings are usually held once a month, although emergency meetings may be called at any time upon request of any member. Most conference agreements provide penalties for violations of rules and regulations and in many cases members are required to post bond which may, in whole or in part, be forfeited if a member is found guilty of violating the agreement. Agreements have provisions for the admittance of new members and the withdrawal of present members and, if reasonable cause is shown, for expulsion of an offending party. As a general rule, individual conferences do not require unanimous vote on all matters. Usually ordinary routine business and, in some instances, matters involving tariffs, freights, freight brokerage, etc., are not subject to unanimous vote. On the other hand, modification of the conference agreements, decisions affecting policy, and other similar matters must have unanimous approval before they become effective. Gulf. The conferences on the following page serve the U. S. Domestic Water Transportation. -- A general coverage of this subject is given in the Baton Rouge, La., section of this report, see page 195. RAILROADS.--For applicable rail carrier services and charges, see the Baton Rouge, La., section of this report beginning on page 196. MOTOR FREIGHT TRANSPORTATION. -- Motor freight services are generally available at the port. State and national highways serving this port are summarized in the Baton Rouge, La., section of this report on page 204. AIRPORTS AND AIR TRANSPORTATION.-- A general coverage of the air lines and airports is given in the Baton Rouge, La., section of this report, see page 205. |