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Port Call Management

A port call tracks one vessel's visit to one port, from planning through departure. It holds the schedule, the current status, and every request and job connected to that visit.

FOR BUYERS & PROVIDERS

Port calls are created for you when a request names a vessel and a port from the catalogue. Both organizations working the visit see the same record and can record updates on it.

Key takeaways

  • Port calls are created for you when a request names a vessel and a port from the catalogue. ETA and ETD are optional.
  • Thirty-four statuses, grouped into four phases, cover a visit from planning to departure.
  • ETA and ETD are held in port local time, so nobody converts time zones by hand.
  • Every request and job for the visit is linked to the port call, with a single activity feed across them.

Where port calls come from

Publish a request naming a vessel and a port from the catalogue, and PortzApp creates the port call for you, or attaches the request to an existing one for the same vessel and port. ETA and ETD simply fill in the schedule when you provide them.

A request without a vessel does not create one, and neither does a request using a port you typed in yourself, since that needs a catalogue port.

You can also start a new request from an existing port call, which keeps repeat services at the same visit under one record.

PortzApp port call page showing the vessel name with its current status and phase, alongside vessel, port and schedule details
A port call holds the vessel, the port, the schedule, and where the visit has reached.

Phases and statuses

Update the status as the visit progresses. You do not have to record every step, only the ones that matter to your operation. Each change is logged with who made it and when.

The four phases

Thirty-four statuses, grouped by where the vessel is in its visit.

Phase
What it covers
Planning
Before the vessel is due. Port call created, berth pending, documents under review, agent nominated, services scoped, pre-arrival checklist, arrival window confirmed.
Arrival
Getting the vessel in. ETA submitted and updated, pilot requested and confirmed, inward clearance, arrival at anchorage, berthed, free pratique granted.
Operations
Work alongside. Cargo operations started, paused, resumed, and completed, crew change, stores delivery, husbandry in progress.
Departure
Getting the vessel out. Departure documents, pilot out requested and confirmed, vessel departed berth and port, port call completed.
PortzApp change status menu showing port call statuses grouped under planning, arrival, operations and departure
Statuses are grouped by phase, so you pick the ones that match how your team works.

Linked requests and jobs

Everything for the visit gathers here. Linked Items lists the requests and the jobs, and the activity feed merges their updates with the port call's own status history, so a visit involving three providers reads as one story. Filter the feed to a single request or job when a busy call gets noisy.

This is not the same as the Timeline tab inside a job. That one records approvals and changes to the disbursement account. This one records what happened to the vessel.

PortzApp port call linked items showing requests and jobs tabs with counts, and request rows with their status badges
Requests and jobs for the visit, each showing who raised it and where it stands.

The port call timeline

Alongside the linked items, the port call keeps its own timeline. Entries read as status transitions, one status to the next, each naming the organization that made the change and marked as a shared update so everyone working the visit sees it.

This is not the same as the Timeline tab inside a job. That one records approvals and changes to the disbursement account. This one records what happened to the vessel.

PortzApp port call activity timeline showing status updates alongside entries from linked requests and jobs, with a filter for narrowing the feed
Activity from every request and job attached to the visit, in one feed.

Completing and archiving

When the vessel has sailed and the work is done, choose Mark Complete. Completed calls stay in your history.

Archive moves one out of the active list without deleting anything, and archived calls can be brought back at any time. Both sit in the port call's menu, alongside Change Status.

PortzApp port call actions menu showing change status, mark complete and archive
Mark Complete and Archive both sit in the port call's menu.

Common issues

No port call was created for my request

A port call needs both a vessel and a port chosen from the catalogue. Requests without a vessel, or using a port you typed in by name, do not create one.

The times look wrong

ETA and ETD are shown in port local time, not your own time zone.

I cannot find a port call I finished

Check the Completed and Archived tabs. Completing keeps it in history; archiving moves it out of the active list.

FAQ

Can one port call have several jobs?
Yes. A single visit often involves several providers, each with their own job. The port call brings their activity together.
Do we have to record every status?
No. The list is a catalogue to draw from, not a checklist. Use the statuses that reflect how your team works.
Is this the same as the Timeline tab on a job?
No. A job's Timeline records approvals and changes to the account. A port call's activity records what happened to the vessel.
Will a second request for the same vessel and port create another port call?
No. It attaches to the existing one, so repeat services at the same visit stay under a single record.
What is the difference between completing and archiving?
Completing marks the visit finished. Archiving tidies it out of your active list. Complete first, archive when you no longer need it day to day.