Transshipment moves cargo from one vessel to another without that cargo ever crossing a dock, and the method used to do it, ship-to-ship transfer, has made Curaçao one of the busiest transshipment points in the Caribbean.
Understanding how STS operations actually run explains why so much cargo passes through the island without ever touching land.
How a ship-to-ship transfer actually works
An STS operation brings two vessels alongside each other, either at anchor or moored to a buoy, and transfers cargo directly between them using hoses or cargo gear rather than shore infrastructure.
The larger vessel typically stays stationary while a smaller vessel, often a barge, comes alongside under careful control. Getting two vessels safely alongside each other at sea depends on precise mooring, and a marine pilot usually oversees the approach given the tight margins involved.
Planning matters more in STS operations than almost any other port activity, since two vessels are working in close proximity with cargo hoses connected between them.
The industry’s own reference for this work, the Ship to Ship Transfer Guide, was recently updated by the International Chamber of Shipping, OCIMF, SIGTTO and CDI, and the new edition covers planning, risk assessment and vessel compatibility in detail. It has become the standard reference kept aboard vessels and terminals involved in STS work.
Who is involved in a transshipment call
An STS operation brings together more parties than a standard port call. The two vessel masters coordinate directly, but a mooring master often manages the actual approach and connection, while the local agent handles clearance, communications and logistics on shore.
STS and cargo transfer services typically include supplying our barges and tugs for the operation itself, since the smaller vessel in the transfer is frequently a barge rather than another oceangoing ship. OCIMF, the body representing the oil companies most invested in safe STS practice, publishes the checklists and technical guidance that most operators now build their own procedures around.
Bunkering shares some overlap with STS transfer, since both involve transferring liquid cargo between two vessels alongside each other, though bunkering supplies fuel for the receiving vessel’s own use rather than moving cargo destined for a different buyer.
Why Curaçao and Bullen Bay lead the Caribbean
Curaçao’s position outside the hurricane belt, combined with deep, sheltered water close to shore, makes it a natural fit for STS operations that need calm conditions and minimal weather risk.
Bullen Bay in particular has developed into the island’s primary STS anchorage for crude and product transfers, supported by the free zone status that lets cargo move through without the customs formalities that apply onshore.
Choosing between a bonded warehouse and free zone routing matters for transshipment cargo the same way it does for stored goods, since the two paths carry different documentation and duty implications.
Together with the island’s port and harbour services, the Bullen Bay terminal gives owners and charterers a reliable, well-supported location to move cargo between vessels without ever bringing it ashore, keeping transshipment operations fast and predictable.