Tern class named Tristan Tern, which has a 19t bollard pull and which entered service in July 1998, plus a harbour launch. Pilotage and tug assistance is compulsory.

Dredging of the port and approaches is performed by the Piper or Crane sent from Durban as required.

Marine services are available between the hours of 06:00 and 22:00. The NSRI maintains a station base at the port and has a rescue craft named ACSA Rescue One available for emergencies at sea.

Port Volumes:

East London handled a total of 306 ships during the fiscal year 2011/12, with a gross tonnage of 7,024,979.

Cargo handled in 2011 amounted to 2,667,122 tonnes, including containers.  Bulk cargo totalled 1,321,724t and breakbulk cargo 618,841t. Containers by weight amounted to 726,557t.

Imports amounted to 1,234,274t and exports were 687,808t, with 18,483t recorded as transhipped (bulk and breakbulk excluding containers). 

The port handled 53,819 TEUs during 2011/12, of which 26,217 were imports and 27,602 exports. A majority of containers were for the local motor industry.

The car terminal, opened in September 2000, has an annual capacity of 50,000 vehicles a year at present and is highly mechanised and computerised, being staffed by a total of 12 people. 

The grain elevator has a storage capacity in its silos of 76,000 tonnes and has been converted for imports.

Port Facilities:

Like other ports of South Africa, East London is a common user port, meaning that it usually operates on a first-come-first-served basis. The port consists of a Multi-Purpose Terminal (including the container terminal) on the East Bank, and a Bulk Terminal (Grain Elevator) and Car Terminal both on the West Bank.

The Grain Elevator, with a storage capacity of 76,000 tonnes is the largest in South Africa. In the 1970s the elevator handled 3.8 million tonnes of exports and in 1994 a total of 2.1mt, during a time when the Durban facility was out of commission. In recent years the elevator has been converted to handle discharged cargo (imports) and has handled World Food Aid imports on behalf of the United Nations.

Nowadays the Multi Purpose Terminal handles mainly containers - 53,819 TEUs during 2011/12 using ships own gear as the port lacks gantry or mobile cranes or other sophisticated container-handling equipment. The Car Terminal on the West Bank has been responsible for a turnabout in the port's fortunes and is geared to handle 50,000 units annually, which it has already exceeded, and has space for expansion when required.

Bunkering with fuel oil and marine gas oil is available at the port from pipelines at S and T berths on the West Bank of the harbour. Cruise ships use any available berth, usually on the East Bank. Ship repair facilities are extensive with a well equipped dry dock able to handle ships up to 200m length.

The outer anchorage one n.mile east of the south breakwater offers anchorage for vessels outside the port, but lies in an exposed position.