At Santana, ships berth and sail in daylight only. A ship that reaches the port after dark, or finds the pier taken, waits at anchor off Fazendinha, near Macapá. For a ship chandler at Santana and Macapá, that rule sets the delivery: the stores have to meet her at the berthing slot she gets, and that is often not the ETA in the first message.
Santana, the port of Macapá
Santana is the deep-water port of Macapá, the capital of Amapá. It sits on the left bank of the Amazon, on the Santana channel, facing the island of Santana and eighteen kilometres from Macapá, according to the Brazilian Navy’s port regulations for Amapá. The port used to be called the Port of Macapá, and you will still see both names. Companhia Docas de Santana, a company of the municipality, runs the public port.
The public port has two piers. Pier 1 is 200 metres long and 12 metres deep, with a berth for Panamax ships. Pier 2 is 150 metres long and 11 metres deep. The same regulations set the rules of the berth: manoeuvres in daylight, azimuth tugs, and less than 5 knots in the channel close to the banks.
What ships load at Santana
Brazil’s Ministry of Ports and Airports reported that Santana handled about 3.6 million tonnes in 2025, 13.54% more than in 2024. The main cargoes are soy, wood, corn, soybean oil residues and manganese. Most of the ocean-going ships that call are bulk carriers loading grain and wood for export.
The port is growing. On 23 October 2026 the ministry signed a 25-year lease for the MCP01 terminal, with R$ 150.2 million of investment in soy and corn handling, and moved to extend the delegation of the port to Companhia Docas de Santana until 2053.
Reaching Santana from the sea
Ships come in from the Atlantic over the North Bar, and the bar sets the draft for the whole river. In May 2026 the Brazilian Navy raised the limit at the Arco Lamoso to 11.85 metres for merchant ships from 1 February to 15 August, and to 11.70 metres for the rest of the year.
Fazendinha is where compulsory pilotage on the Amazon begins, according to Praticagem do Brasil, the national pilots’ council. Ships bound upriver for Itacoatiara or Santarém pass Santana on the way. The Fazendinha anchorage is also where ships wait for the visit of the port authorities.
What decides the delivery at Santana
The berth window decides it. A ship that misses daylight waits for the next morning, and a ship that finds the pier busy waits for her turn. Stores that arrive on the original ETA can sit waiting on the quay, and stores that arrive late can miss a short call.
- Send the requisition with the ETA, and forward the berthing prospect as soon as the agent has it.
- Send it early, even incomplete. We start on what is certain and close the gaps as the list firms up.
- Tell us if she will wait at Fazendinha or go straight to the pier. It changes where and when the delivery reaches her.
- Name the agency handling the call. Port access and the delivery slot go through them.
- Flag bonded stores and spare parts in the first message. The customs paperwork takes longer than the goods.
How we supply ships at Santana and Macapá
Our warehouse and refrigerated fleet are in São Luís, and we have a branch in Belém. At Santana we deliver through a local partner. You deal with one supplier: the quotation, the order and the invoice come from us.
What we put on board:
- Provisions: fresh, frozen and dry stores, with the cold chain planned for the river leg
- Bonded stores, under customs seal
- Deck and engine stores: ropes, paints, tools, lubricants and chemicals
- Cabin stores, safety and hygiene supplies, charts and spare parts
Across the Amazon delta, our branch works the Port of Belém. We answer 24/7, in Portuguese and English. Tropical Ship Supply is IMPA member #2000113.
Calling at Santana? Send the vessel, the IMO number, the ETA and the requisition to quotation@tropicalshipsupply.com and we will come back with a quotation.
