Vizhinjam port in Kerala, south India, has done its first crew change since the Covid-19 pandemic. The Times of India reported this on 25 October 2026.
On Saturday, 24 October, three seafarers signed on and three signed off the ship Nexor. The ship did not come into the port. It stayed at the outer anchorage, the area at sea where ships wait at anchor. A boat took the crew between the ship and the shore.
Nine other crew members of the Nexor got 24 hours of shore leave. They went ashore by boat, met their families and visited Thiruvananthapuram. Then they went back to the ship. All the crew in the report are Indian.
Why this matters for crews
Ships passing close to the south tip of India can now change crew at Vizhinjam without coming alongside. An official told the Times of India that a recent procedure from India's maritime authority allows this. Crew can sign on and off at the outer anchorage inside port limits. The port and the immigration office must give permission.
The maritime authority was earlier called DG Shipping. It is now the Directorate General of Maritime Administration (DGMA). Crewboard could not find the text of the new procedure, so we cannot give its number or date yet.
The work was done by a local company, Waterline Shipping. It also brought spare parts, food and lubricating oil to the ship. The Nexor has waited at sea for new sailing orders for a long time. Earlier this month, the Indian Coast Guard took an ill engineer off the same ship. Crewboard reported that medical evacuation on 19 October.
This Vizhinjam port is the old harbour run by the Kerala Maritime Board. It is next to the big new Vizhinjam International Seaport, which is a different port. During the Covid years, about 12,500 seafarers changed on nearly 1,000 ships at the old port, the newspaper said. Those crew changes stopped after the pandemic ended.
If you join or leave a ship at anchor
Ask your agent early whether the port and the immigration office have given permission for the crew change.
Carry your passport, CDC (Continuous Discharge Certificate, the Indian seaman's book) and contract in original. Keep copies too.
Wear a lifejacket in the boat. Climb the ladder one person at a time, and only when the boat is steady.
Do not climb in bad weather or poor light. Tell the officer on deck if the ladder or boat looks unsafe.
Send heavy bags up by line, not on your back.
Cover photo: Fishing boats in Vizhinjam harbour, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, in March 2024. Illustrative photo, not the Nexor. Photo: Ganesh Mohan T/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sources: Times of India: Kerala Maritime Board's Vizhinjam port handles first crew change since pandemic (25 Oct 2026), Express Kerala: Another crew change at Vizhinjam, ship personnel replaced and essential supplies delivered (Oct 2026, in Malayalam).
