HachinoheHarbor
HACHINOHE
HACHINOHE HARBOR
Because of the port's essentially unprotected exposure to the Pacific Ocean, a complex series of breakwaters has been constructed to mitigate the effects of wave motion on the inner harbors (Figure V-146). The port of Hachinohe is entered through a 492 yd (450 m) wide channel which passes between two of the outer breakwaters.
Ship berths at Hachinohe are assigned designators based on their location in the harbor. Berths on wharf number 1 are assigned letters A through F. A specific berth would be referred to as berth 1A, 1B, etc. Wharf 2 has berths H through M. Wharf 3 has berths designated N and O, which are assigned to berths on the northwest side of the wharf. Wharf 4 has a single face for ship berthing, so the designators assigned to wharf 4 are E and W, which stand for east and west, respectively.
The berth used by the USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19) on a visit in 1987, and according to local port personnel the one likely to be assigned to U. S. Navy ships during future visits, is designated 1-E. As shown in Figure V-146, to reach berth 1-E, an incoming vessel must make two turns to starboard after passing between the two outer breakwaters. Upon making the second turn, the channel width decreases to 383 yd (350 m). The designated channel depth is 43 ft (13 m) to the pier, but DMA chart 97041 shows several areas where the depth is less--as shallow as 41.3 ft (12.6 m).
Berth 1-E is 755 ft (230 m) long, with an alongside depth of 43 ft (13 m). Although they state it is not likely, local personnel say that other berths could possibly be assigned to U. S. Navy ships. The same harbor personnel relate that each of the pier faces have built-in rubber fenders suitable for use by large ships. Table V-34 lists the statistics for each of the berths identified on Figure V-146A, and others.
In November 1992, construction was progress at several locations in the harbor, and the configuration shown in Figure V-146 will change. When completed, one of the projects will add a total of 2,461 ft (750 m) of berthing space at the end of wharf 2, to be divided among three pier faces (dashed lines on Figure V-146). Two will be 886 ft (270 m) long and one will be 689 ft (210 m).
A second pier facility that is routinely used by the U. S. Navy is located on the channel that leads from the southeastern part of the harbor to the mouth of the Niida River. See Figure V-146B. The facility is used by fuel barges bringing aviation fuel for subsequent transfer, via pipeline, to the Naval Air Facility at Misawa. Fuel pier statistics, such as length and alongside water depth, are not specified, but measurements on a harbor chart indicate the three adjacent piers at the facility to be approximately 100 ft (30 m) to 165 ft (50 m) long. Water depths near the piers on DMA chart 97041 vary from 8.5 ft (2.6 m), at one location near the easternmost pier, to 17.7 ft (5.4 m).
The western entrance to the channel that leads from the main harbor to the basin, on which the fuel pier is located, is the one most likely to be used and is approximately 394 ft (120 m) wide as measured from DMA chart 97041. The eastern entrance to the same channel has a width of approximately 656 ft (200 m) as measured on the same DMA chart. The chart shows depths between 20 and 23 ft (6 and 7 m) in the channel between the entrance and the fuel pier. Depths in the eastern entrance are between 39 and 43 ft (12 and 13 m) but decrease to 20 to 23 ft (6 to 7 m) well before the fuel piers are reached.
A small anchorage in water of unspecified depth and bottom type exists outside the outer breakwaters, but from the information gathered during the November 1992 port visit, it should be used in fair weather only. Anchor dragging is a severe problem in windy situations.
Source: http://www.nrlmry.navy.mil/port_studies/thh-nc/japan/hachinoh/text/sect2.htm
