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Corpus Christi, TX

27°48.0′ N 97°24.0′ W

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Port Overview

Local Marine Weather

Live data

GMZ250 — Coastal waters from Baffin Bay to Port Aransas out 20 NM

Forecast office: NWS Corpus Christi, TX

  • Rest of Tonight

    Southeast winds 10 to 15 knots with gusts up to 20 knots. Seas 2 to 3 feet. Wave Detail: Southeast 3 feet at 4 seconds and east 2 feet at 7 seconds.

  • Tuesday

    South winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas 2 to 3 feet. Wave Detail: Southeast 3 feet at 6 seconds. A chance of showers with a slight chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon.

  • Tuesday Night

    North winds 10 to 15 knots. Seas 2 to 4 feet, occasionally to 5 feet. Wave Detail: Northeast 3 feet at 4 seconds and north 2 feet at 3 seconds. A chance of showers with a slight chance of thunderstorms in the evening.

Source: NOAA / National Weather Service · Issued Mon, Nov 2, 13:24 · Last retrieved Mon, Nov 2, 21:47

Full NWS marine forecast (opens in new tab)

Nearby Tide Stations

Source: NOAA CO-OPS · Last retrieved Mon, Nov 2, 21:47

Nearby Current Stations

Source: NOAA CO-OPS · Last retrieved Mon, Nov 2, 21:47

Nearby NOAA/NDBC Stations

  • vtbt28775222 - Viola Turning Basin, TX7 NM7 kt
  • lqat2La Quinta, TX MET (8775132)8 NM14 kt
  • mhbt28775283 - Enbridge, Ingleside, TX11 NM9 kt
  • pact28775792 - Packery Channel, TX13 NM12 kt

Source: NOAA NDBC · Last retrieved Mon, Nov 2, 21:39

Salinity — USGS Water Quality

Live data

Readings are from the gauge location, which may differ from conditions at the port. Provisional USGS data are subject to revision. Conductivity is shown as reported and is not converted to salinity.

Source: USGS National Water Information System · Last retrieved Mon, Nov 2, 21:32

USGS Water Data (opens in new tab)

Navigation Resources

Port Approach — Aransas Pass & Corpus Christi Ship Channel

Planning reference only. Consult current official charts, notices, surveys, and pilot instructions before navigation.

STATIC REFERENCE — not live data. Live observations are in Port Overview above.

A · Entrance & Approach

  • Approach Aransas Pass through the prescribed shipping safety fairways. The southeast approach is a pair of partially divided parallel fairways, not a traffic separation scheme; the Coast Pilot recommends the northeast lane for inbound (298°) and the southwest lane for outbound (118°) traffic.[¶178]

  • A dredged approach channel runs northwest from the fairway between two jetties to an inner basin between Port Aransas and Harbor Island. Corpus Christi Channel then leads west-southwest across Corpus Christi Bay to the harbor and on to Viola Turning Basin, 23.5 miles from the outer bar.[¶183, ¶185]

  • Landmarks

    By day the Port Aransas water tank is usually the first object sighted; at night, the microwave tower. A privately maintained 65-foot red-and-brown brick lighthouse stands on Harbor Island.[¶175]

  • COLREGS line

    Demarcation lines for Aransas Pass are described in 33 CFR 80.850.[¶180]

Sources (1) · static reference

“Source checked” means the document was reviewed; current channel conditions were not independently verified.

B · Channels & Depth

Project depth ≠ available depth. Federal project (authorized) depths below are design figures. Current controlling depth not confirmed. Consult the latest USACE surveys and official notices.

  • Entrance channel / inner basin

    Federal project depth 56 feet in the entrance channel and 54 feet in the basin (authorized depths).[¶183]

  • La Quinta Channel

    Branches north near Port Ingleside to a turning basin 5.5 miles above the entrance; federal project depth 47 feet in channel and basin.[¶186]

  • Barge shelves

    Corpus Christi Bay has barge shelves 200 feet wide with a 14-foot draft on both sides of Corpus Christi Channel, markers 38–82, described in a USCG MSIB.[¶185]

  • The Coast Pilot directs users to NOAA ENCs for USACE-reported minimum depths and to USACE hydrographic surveys for channel condition reports.[¶183]

  • Current controlling depth not confirmed. Consult the latest USACE surveys and official notices.
Sources (1) · static reference

“Source checked” means the document was reviewed; current channel conditions were not independently verified.

C · Cautions & Restrictions

  • ICW crossings

    The Coast Guard advises particular caution where the channel crosses the Intracoastal Waterway alternate route at Lydia Ann Channel (about 1.6 miles above the jetties) and the ICW main route (about 7.1 miles farther). Collisions, groundings and close-quarters passings have been reported; a SECURITE call is requested.[¶184]

  • LPG safety zone

    A safety zone surrounds loaded LPG vessels transiting from the outer end of the Aransas Pass jetties to Oil Dock No. 10, including La Quinta Channel.[¶181 · 33 CFR 165.808]

  • Bar conditions

    Easterly winds roughen the bar and can raise inside water up to 2 feet; a sudden south-to-north wind shift makes an especially rough bar for a short time.[¶194]

  • Harbor speed

    Vessels in the Inner Harbor may not exceed safe maneuvering and steerage speed or create unusual wake (Port of Corpus Christi Authority regulations).[¶220]

  • No dated restriction is presented as active here. Check current Local Notices to Mariners and Sector Corpus Christi MSIBs.
Sources (1) · static reference

“Source checked” means the document was reviewed; current channel conditions were not independently verified.

D · Anchorages

  • Designated

    Anchor off Aransas Pass in the Aransas Pass Fairway Anchorages.[¶189 · 33 CFR 166]

  • General description

    Inside Aransas Pass there is no suitable deep-draft anchorage. Light-draft vessels up to about 10 feet draft can anchor in Lydia Ann Channel north of Inner Basin; lighter-draft vessels can anchor in Corpus Christi Bay in depths up to 13 feet. These are general descriptions, not designated anchorages.[¶190]

Sources (1) · static reference

“Source checked” means the document was reviewed; current channel conditions were not independently verified.

E · Pilotage

  • Requirement

    Compulsory for all foreign vessels and U.S. vessels under register in foreign trade; optional for coastwise vessels with a federally licensed pilot on board.[¶204]

  • Boarding

    Pilots board between the sea buoy (Aransas Pass Entrance Lighted Buoy AP) and Lighted Buoy 3. Pilot boats have orange hulls and white superstructures.[¶206]

  • Radio

    Arrange by telephone or VHF-FM Channel 12, hailing "Aransas Corpus Christi Pilots". Service is available 24 hours.[¶207]

  • Notice

    3-hour advance notice of arrival at buoy AP; 3-hour notice for sailings and shifts. ETA updates may be emailed to dispatch.[¶207]

Sources (1) · static reference

“Source checked” means the document was reviewed; current channel conditions were not independently verified.

F · USCG / Captain of the Port

Routine contact · USCG Heartland District

Sector Corpus Christi

COTP: Captain of the Port, Corpus Christi

249 Glasson Drive, Corpus Christi, TX 78406

1-800-874-2143(Sector Corpus Christi main line)

Coast Pilot 5 App. A ¶64 · 33 CFR 3.40-35

Emergency

Maritime distress: VHF-FM Channel 16 / DSC Channel 70. The Sector office line above is for routine business.

  • Sector Corpus Christi and Air Station Corpus Christi are at Corpus Christi International Airport. Port Aransas Coast Guard Station is on the northeast end of Mustang Island.[Ch. 11 ¶216, ¶177]

  • Harbormaster radio

    The Port of Corpus Christi harbormaster monitors VHF-FM Channels 12 and 16 continuously (call sign KKQ-769).[Ch. 11 ¶220]

Sources (1) · static reference

“Source checked” means the document was reviewed; current channel conditions were not independently verified.

G · Reference Positions

Orientation only — not for navigation

  • Port Aransas Coast Guard Station

    27°50.3'N., 97°03.5'W.

    CP5 Ch. 11 ¶177

  • Sea buoy AP and boarding positions are not stated with coordinates in the cited Coast Pilot text. Use the current Light List and ENC.

Coordinates reproduced with the source's precision. Coast Pilot positions are referenced to NAD 83 unless stated otherwise.

Sources (1) · static reference

“Source checked” means the document was reviewed; current channel conditions were not independently verified.

H · Official Navigation & Conditions Links

Sources (2) · static reference

“Source checked” means the document was reviewed; current channel conditions were not independently verified.

Port Facilities & Contacts

Port Authority & Public Contacts

Port of Corpus Christi Authority

400 Charles Zahn, Jr. Drive, Corpus Christi, TX 78401

361-882-5633(Port of Corpus Christi Authority main line)portofcc.com(opens in new tab)

  • Harbormaster

    Assigns berths and enforces port regulations. Office at 1305 North Shoreline Boulevard. VHF-FM 12 & 16, call sign KKQ-769.

  • A Port Police / security contact was not confirmed from a primary source in this review. Use the official website.
Gulf Port Directory (no port-specific service listings yet)

Listings come from official publications. Inclusion does not mean a terminal or shorebase is open to visiting vessels — confirm directly with the operator.

Sources (2) · static reference

“Source checked” means the document was reviewed; current channel conditions were not independently verified.