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TODAY’S BULLETIN OF MARITIME NEWS

These news reports are updated on an ongoing basis. Check back regularly for the latest news as it develops – where necessary refresh your page at www.africaports.co.za

Click on headline to go direct to story : use the BACK key to return  

FIRST VIEW:   ORIENTAL APOERA

• Berbera port ready to compete with Djibouti but what effect will the Ethiopian war have?
• WHARF TALK: Is she, or isnt she? – SAE IN LEADER
• Grindrod Shipping announces closing of IVS Bulk Acquisition; IVS Pinehurst charter extension & share repurchases
• NIMASA D-G says decline in piracy could end War Risk Insurance in Gulf of Guinea
• Fishermen threaten Onne seaport operations over insecurity in Bonny waterways
• Protests close Libyan ports of Es Sider and Ras Lanuf
• Transnet and SIU granted a Preservation Order against CRRC E-Loco Supply
• Nautical Institute Anniversary Webinar today, Friday and Saturday
• WHARF TALK: a ship from another age – TOKACHI FROST
• Whereabouts of Cape Town pilot launch
• Namport looks to the future via education
• East Africa: Truckers resume transporting cargo into South Sudan
• CMA CGM resumes Reunion call with MIDAS 2 service
• Nautical Institute Anniversary Webinar this week
• Cheryl Carolus appointed as chairperson-designate of the Grindrod Limited board
• WHARF TALK: chemical parcel tanker – BOCHEM OSLO
• Durban’s Prince Edward Graving dock fire system upgraded after 96 years 
• Italian frigate Antonio Marceglia heads out to West Africa on piracy patrol
• DP World banks on Northern Sea Route vision: cooperates with FESCO at Vladivostok
• WHARF TALK: Arriving from Northern Europe, MSC CHLOE
• PIRACY: Seafarer reported abducted from vessel off Libreville
• Ghana bringing new maritime bill to jail convicted pirates
• Aviation: SAA set for take-off
• Government announces Timeframes for Fishing Rights Allocation Process
• Hidden debts trial: Mozambique’s own corruption trial
• Tanzanian port upgrades paying off
• WHARF TALK: Maiden voyage for harbour tug BIO GUERRA
• Australian-first Covid vaccinations for international seafarers: Application in Queensland
• China opens first road-rail transport link to Indian Ocean
• What’s happening in the world of ships and shipping?
• USCG East Caribbean drugs bust
• New Egyptian railway to link Red Sea and Mediterranean

EARLIER NEWS CAN BE FOUND HERE AT NEWS CATEGORIES…….

The Monday masthead shows the Port of Tema (Ghana)
The Tuesday masthead shows the Port of Saldanha (futuristic)
The Wednesday masthead shows the Port of Saldanha Iron Ore Terminal
The Thursday masthead shows the Port of Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT)
The Friday masthead shows the Port Richards Bay
The Saturday masthead shows the Port Harcourt (Nigeria)
The Sunday masthead shows the Port Elizabeth Manganese Terminal

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FIRST VIEW:  ORIENTAL APOERA

The general cargo ship ORIENTAL APOERA (IMO 9008055) departs Durban in January this year following one of her few calls in South Africa. The Malaysian owned vessel was built in 1992, making her 29 years old and looking somewhat the part, though a coat of paint would create a different impression. Oriental Apoera has a deadweight of 6,261 tons, a gross tonnage of 4,897 tons and is 111.6 metres in length and 18.05 metres wide. She flies the flag of Sierra Leone.

The ship’s registered owner since 2017 is listed as Oriental Paragon Ltd, of Jalan Wong King Huo, Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia. The ISM manager is Hai Sheng Shipping of Hong Kong and the commercial and ship manager is the same as her registered owner, Oriental Paragon Ltd of Sarawak, Malaysia.

Oriental Apoera called in South Africa in December 2020 and January 2021, the latter was when the above photographs were taken. Prior to that the ship operated for several years in South American waters. She is currently off the coast of Indonesia and may be in some form of laybye.

The pictures above are by Keith Betts

Pictures:  Keith Betts

Added 5 September 2021

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Photographs of shipping and other maritime scenes involving any of the ports of South Africa or from the rest of the African continent, together with a short description, name of ship/s, ports etc are welome.

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Berbera port ready to compete with Djibouti but what effect will the Ethiopian war have?

The ongoing war in Ethiopia as it is shaping could become disastrous for two ports that look to Ethiopia for the bulk of their cargo throughput. Djibouti and the newly redeveloped Somaliland port of Berbera are competing for the same business, with Djibouti having a strong edge at present by virtue of a long relationship with the neighbouring landlocked country, a modern standard gauge railway connecting them both, and an equally well developed road network to its western neighbour.

Added to this is that Doraleh/Djibouti has recently been adjudged the top container port in Africa by the World Bank and IHS Markit in the latest global Container Port Performance Index.

Berbera by contrast, though possessed of a long, even ancient history of acting as a gateway into Ethiopia, has only recently undergone a thorough modernisation thanks to the involvement and investment of DP World – ironically it was DP World that also developed the modern Djibouti Doraleh container port and terminal, only to be forced out by what appears to have been Chinese pressure.

Berbera also has the disadvantage of no railway connection with Addis Ababa nor a modern road system, though that is currently under development.

With a US$422 million investment from DP World, Berbera is now beginning to offer a serious alternative for Ethiopian shippers. Berbera also provides an attractive transshipment facility in the strategic chokepoint area leading into (or out of) the Red Seas and Gulf of Aden. So too does Djibouti.

Berbera’s container capacity has increased from 150,000 TEU annually to 500,000 TEU, and DP World has plans of increasing this further to up to 2 million TEU annually, though that lies in the future. The new terminal opened for business in June this year.

Readers will recall how the Djibouti authorities forced DP World to abandon its operations at its Doraleh port, despite its large investment and development programme and in spite of a ruling by the London Court of International Arbitration which declared DP World’s eviction to be illegal.

That DP World now intends going after the Ethiopian trade from Berbera is evident from what chairman Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem said recently. “We believe that developing the Berbera corridor into one of the major trade and logistics corridors will unlock huge economic benefits for Ethiopia,” he was quoted in the London Financial Times.

But, warned Somaliland Ports Authority general manager Hassan Abdullahi, “If the war goes on [in Ethiopia] there will be no trade. We are building all this infrastructure for Ethiopia. It could be a problem for Somaliland and for Djibouti.” – trh

Added 9 September 2021

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WHARF TALK: Is she, or isnt she? – SAE IN LEADER

Story by Jay Gates
Pictures by ‘Dockrat’

When is a vessel’s name not a vessel’s name? International regulations state that a vessel’s name must be displayed on her bow and on her stern. In most cases this is exactly what happens. Sometimes the identity of a vessel is not so obvious, clear cut, or easy to confirm.

Cape Town continues to be the port of choice for most fishing vessels that ply their trade, and conduct their business, in the Southern Ocean, and in particular within the waters of the Antarctic Peninsula. The depths of winter, when fishing in Antarctic waters is a nigh on impossibility, brings stern trawlers, longliners and jiggers to the Mother City to conduct their overwinter maintenance programmes.

Due to the vast logistical requirements that are needed to keep these vessels operational in such an isolated and hostile environment, these vessels are normally limited to a few nationalities, with one of the more active nations in Antarctica being that of South Korea.

Back on 17th July at 07h00 the South Korean stern trawler SAE IN LEADER (IMO 8505977) arrived at the Table Bay anchorage, and after a short seven hour wait proceeded into the Ben Schoeman Dock in Cape Town harbour and went straight to berth 703, a regular lay-up and maintenance berth, located at the very edge of the seaward end of the container terminal. She is still there today, undergoing maintenance. She had arrived back from Antarctica after a four month fishing voyage, which had started in Cape Town when she had sailed for Antarctica on 8th March.

Built in 1986 by Hayashikane Shipbuilding at Shimonoseki in Japan, Sae In Leader is 94 metres in length and has a deadweight of 2,522 tons. She is powered by a single Mitsubishi Kobe 7UEC37L 7 cylinder 2 stroke main engine, producing 4,829 bhp (3,601 kW). Her freezer hold capacity of 2,845 m3, which is capable of holding a frozen fish cargo of 1,000 tons.

She has been licensed by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) to fish in Antarctic waters since 1998, and her license allows her to fish solely for Antarctic Krill (Euphausia Superba), which is the largest species of zooplankton in the ocean. Her current license limits her area of operation to the South Shetland Islands of the Antarctic Peninsula (FAO Area 48.1) and the South Orkney Islands (FAO Area 48.2).

The approved CCAMLR fishing method for Sae In Leader to catch Krill is for her to use a Midwater Otter Trawl net, with a Marine Mammal exclusion device fitted. The net is 168 metres in length, with a mouth opening of 72 metres in width, and a height of 30 metres. The net cod end, which holds the catch, is just 3 metres in length. The preferred fishing depth for catching Krill is set at 150 metres.

One of six nations with operational Krill trawlers operating in Antarctic waters, South Korea accounts for roughly 20% of the total catch of Krill worldwide. CCAMLR have licensed Sae In Leader for Antarctic Krill fishing until November 2024.

In order to ensure that Sae In Leader does not engage in Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing activities, and to ensure that any of her catch is able to be inspected, her license allows her to transship her Krill cargo into other vessels, normally reefers, that are allowed only to discharge the cargo in either Busan in South Korea, or Fukuoka in Japan.

Additionally, as further protection against IUU fishing activities, in accordance with both the CCAMLR requirement, and the South Korean government Fisheries (Satellite Monitoring) Regulation 1993, she is fitted with an ARGOS MAR-GE V3 Automatic Location Communicator (ALC), which is located in a sealed and tamper proof box, with the ARGOS transmitter Antenna, situated in a Satellite Dome, which is also sealed and tamper proof.

Owned by the Jeong Il Corporation of Seoul in South Korea, Sae In Leader has been in the ownership of this company only since 30th December 2020. Prior to this she was owned by the Il Sung Corporation, also of Seoul, who had operated her since 2006 as Kwang Ja Ho.

One of the obvious observations of Sae In Leader, as she lies alongside at berth 703, is that her current name on her bow has been almost obliterated. It is located on her bow gunwales, now barely visible, with her previous name being located in a more lower, traditional area above, and behind, the anchors and clearly visible. Confused?

Presumably due to a mixture of poor weather, intense cold and poor quality paint, both on application of her new name and to remove her previous name, the newly applied paintwork of December 2020 has been stripped off, and now presents the confusion of who she is. It is not helped by her current name being clearly visible on her stern, albeit applied without the use of a ruler to keep straight lines, and without professional lettering.

To the observing eye she is Kwang Ja Ho, or is she Sae In Leader? Her funnel markings clearly show she is one of the Jeong Il fleet, so Sae In Leader it must be!

In January 2020, whilst in Peruvian waters, Sae In Leader suffered propeller damage from an unknown source. It required her to proceed to the ASMAR drydock in Talcahuano in Chile, so that repairs could be carried out to her damaged propeller.

On 24th February, whilst entering Discovery Bay, located at Greenwich Island in the South Shetland Islands, Sae In Leader ran aground. She was entering the bay to rendezvous with the fish reefer Frio Athens, in order to transfer her catch of 817 tons of frozen Krill to the reefer. Although over 450 metres from the shoreline, she ran aground on an uncharted pinnacle and remained stuck there until the evening.

Any grounding in Antarctic waters could have a potentially catastrophic effect on local wildlife if fuel tanks are breached, and especially with no immediate access to anti-pollution measures being available. Thankfully, the only damage to Sae In Leader was to a potable water tank. She was eventually able to get off the pinnacle using her own power, and she proceeded to Punta Arenas in Southern Chile to effect repairs to her damaged hull.

Added 9 September 2021

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Grindrod Shipping announces closing of IVS Bulk Acquisition; IVS Pinehurst charter extension & share repurchases

Grindrod Shipping Holdings Ltd, a global provider of maritime transportation services predominantly in the drybulk sector, has announced the following transactions.

The previously announced acquisition of the remaining 31.14% equity stake in its IVS Bulk joint venture and concurrent redemption of the IVS Bulk preference shares were concluded on 1 September 2021. The Company elected to close on the acquisition utilising cash on hand but still intends to complete the $23 million upsizing of one of its exiting IVS Bulk credit facilities by 30 September 2021 to replace the working capital used to fund the transaction.

The Company has received credit committee approval from its lenders and is in the process of completing definitive documentation, although there is no assurance that the financing will be completed as contemplated.

The Company has exercised its option to extend the firm charter-in period of the 2015-built supramax drybulk vessel IVS Pinehurst for 11 to 13 months at a pre-agreed fixed rate, starting from approximately 3 January 3 2022. The Company retains the existing purchase option to acquire the vessel at a fixed price up to the end of the charter-in period.

Pursuant to the Company’s previously approved share repurchase authority granted by shareholders at the last Annual General Meeting on 20 May 2021, the Company has acquired a combined total of 91,871 ordinary shares in the open market on NASDAQ and the JSE over the period from 24 August 2021 to 30 August 2021.

The repurchased shares were acquired at an average price per share of $14.87, or ZAR 218.15 based on an assumed ZAR/USD exchange rate of 14.67, before costs. The timing and amount of any repurchases are in the sole discretion of the Company, and depend on legal requirements, market conditions, stock price, alternative uses of capital and other factors.

Repurchases of ordinary shares may take place in privately negotiated transactions and/or open market transactions. The repurchase authority expires at the next Annual General Meeting, unless renewed or varied or revoked by the shareholders in a general meeting, and may be suspended or terminated by the Company at any time without prior notice.

“We are very pleased to announce the completion of the acquisition of the remaining shares in IVS Bulk and 100% ownership of all the owned vessels in the Grindrod Shipping fleet,” said Martyn Wade, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer.

“We would like to thank the team at Bain Capital Credit for their strong partnership over the past eight years in IVS Bulk and wish them all the best in their future endeavours.”

Grindrod Shipping Holdings Ltd.

Grindrod Shipping operates a fleet of owned and long-term and short-term chartered-in drybulk vessels predominantly in the handysize and supramax/ultramax segments. The drybulk business, which operates under the brand ‘Island View Shipping’ (IVS), includes a Core Fleet of 31 vessels consisting of 15 handysize drybulk carriers and 16 supramax/ultramax drybulk carriers. The Company also owns one medium range product tanker on bareboat charter. The Company is based in Singapore, with offices in London, Durban, Tokyo, Cape Town and Rotterdam. source: Grindrod Shipping

Added 9 September 2021

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NIMASA D-G says decline in piracy could end War Risk Insurance in Gulf of Guinea

Dr Bashir Jamoh, director-general of the Nigerian Maritime and Safety Agency (NIMASA), says provided the reduction in acts of piracy and maritime crime in Nigerian waters continues, the imposition of War Risk Insurance on inbound cargo could be ended.

He was speaking during a courtesy visit to NIMASA by members of the Nigerian Shippers Council, headed by secretary-general Emmanuel Jime.

According to Jamoh, there was a recognition of progress made by Nigeria in ensuring maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea. This was reflected in recent reports by the International Maritime Bureau which he said provided valuable feedback on NIMASA’s campaign to have Nigeria delisted from those countries affected by the war risk insurance burden.

“Feedback on our campaign for Nigeria to be removed from countries paying war risk insurance premiums on inbound cargoes has confirmed that the international shipping community is watching developments in Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea with keen interest” he said.

Their desire is to see a sustainability of the positive developments in recent times leading to a drastic decline in piracy attacks in Nigerian waters and the Gulf of Guinea.”

Jamoh added that since the deployment of the Deep Blue Project assets in February, there had been a steady decline in piracy attacks in Nigerian waters on a monthly basis.

“With adequate sensitisation of the international shipping community, I am sure that our quest to be removed from nations considered to have dangerous waters will soon materialise for the benefit of Nigerian shippers.”

Added 9 September 2021

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Fishermen threaten Onne seaport operations over insecurity in Bonny waterways

Reports from Nigeria say that Onne seaport operations may suffer disruption from members of the Association of Fishermen and Sea Food Dealers in Rivers State who are threatening to disrupt operations across the Bonny waterways.

According to the association and the organisation Concerned Youths of Bonny, they intend taking action by way of protests.

Speaking to the media in Port Harcourt, Ralph Pepple, the group’s spokesman, complained of a lack of support in tackling the insecurity on the waterways which are in daily use by fishermen and other users.

Pepple pointed out the Onne sea port generates billions of naira in revenue through their operations on the Bonny waterways. He urged the operators of the port to assist in tackling the ongoing crime.

“We will carry out a peaceful demonstration, closing out the Bonny waterways that the Onne sea port is using until a positive response is given to the Bonny kingdom in terms of insecurity,” Pepple said.

When contacted by the Nigerian Punch, Onne Sea Port’s public relations manager said she was on leave and unable to respond.    source Punch.ng

Added 9 September 2021

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Protests close Libyan ports of Es Sider and Ras Lanuf

Protesters who are demanding the dismissal of the chairman of the state-owned oil company, NOC, have disrupted operations at the ports of Es Sider an Ras Lanuf on several days this week.

The two ports hold about half of Libya’s capacity to export oil and both have been in the middle of the civil conflict in the country, having swapped hands on several occasions.

When everything is quiet and normal Es Sider can export up to 340,000 barrels a day and Ras Lanuf 220,000 bpd.

There has also been a demonstration at the port of Tobruk whose gates provide access to the nearby oil terminal of Marsa el-Hariga.

In the case of Tobruk the protesters were mostly graduates requesting employment at NOC.

At Es Sider and Ras Lanuf crude oil tankers have been prevented from loading their cargo although at Es Sider the tanker Yannis P was finally able to berth on Wednesday this week after being delayed outside since 4 September 2021. Another two tankers were at anchor outside.

At the other port, Ras Lanuf, the tanker Kriti Bastion was waiting to load.

The protesters are understood to have taken possession of the control room of the As Sidr oil terminal.

Libyan has limited storage capacity facilities and port blockades, if prolonged, can result in output declines.

Negotiations with the protesters have commenced at each port.

Added 9 September 2021

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Transnet and SIU granted a Preservation Order against CRRC E-Loco Supply

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) and Transnet have been granted a Preservation Order a preservation order to freeze approximately R4.2 billion held in bank accounts linked to state capture corruption accused CRRC E-Loco Supply.

The SIU said via a statement that it believes that the funds were proceeds of unlawful activity and stand to be forfeited to the State.

The SIU, together with Transnet, approached the Tribunal to freeze the accounts following an intensive investigation, which were supported by interventions by the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) and the South African Revenue Service (SARS).

The SARB and SARS earlier raised suspicion that CRRC, a Chinese company, paid kickbacks, disguised as Business Development Services Agreements (BDSAs), to entities linked to allegations of State capture and/or allegations of maladministration and irregularities, ostensibly to influence the direction of tenders at Transnet.

“No evidence exists to suggest that the payments envisaged in the BDSAs were for services rendered, and the said payments are linked to the award of contracts and payments made by Transnet.

“It all started with blocking orders that were implemented by the SARB, where after SARS obtained a preservation order in the High Court, pending assessment of CRRC’s tax obligations and payments from the said amounts,” the SIU.

CRRC was awarded three contracts by Transnet to supply it with locomotives between 2011 and 2014 in respect of 95, 100 and 359 locomotives for a combined sum of approximately R25.4 billion.

Based on the findings in investigations conducted by Transnet and the SIU, the two entities have also instituted a review application in the High Court of South Africa, Gauteng Local Division in Johannesburg, under Case No. 21/11645, which is ongoing.

The preservation order, which was handed down on 31 August 2021, interdicts, restrains and prohibits CRRC from dealing in any manner with the funds (along with any and all interest that may be accruing to such funds) held by three banks in South Africa, and interdicts the said banks also from releasing the said funds, except for potential authorised releases, in respect of the funds to the SARB, SARS and SIU, based on the execution of their respective mandates.

The freezing order shall continue to operate in respect of any funds remaining in the accounts after the SARB Blocking Orders and/or the SARS tax assessments have been discharged and deducted.

Added 8 September 2021

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Nautical Institute Anniversary Webinar this week

Today, tomorrow and Saturday the South African Branch of the Nautical Institute is commemorating its 10th anniversary and in these difficult times, in lieu of a more formal ‘celebration’, is hosting several webinars covering the subject of “Seafarer Wellness”.

The various presentations will be hosted later today (9th), 10th & 11th September as per the programme shown below. There are several well-known presenters.

To view the presentation ‘live’ there is the normal Zoom registration procedure and ‘attendance’ is not limited to Nautical Institute members.

For Zoom registration details please contact Capt Chris Smith via email who will revert with the login information:

Contact Capt Chris Smith: email frisjsmith@gmail.com
or….
Chris.Smith@arbrink.com

Added 8 September 2021

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WHARF TALK: a ship from another age – TOKACHI FROST

Story by Jay Gates
Pictures by ‘Dockrat’

Winter is the time when the majority of the deepsea Southeast Asian fleets of tuna longliners return to South African ports. It is also the time that the flow of fish reefers into those same ports can be seen to increase.

The fish reefers are an important cog in the frozen fish supply chain, as the longliners rarely ever return home to market their catch, and the great majority of them are licensed only to discharge their catches in specific observable ports. It is the job of the reefers to get the catch back to the home market.

On 26th August at 10h00 the fish reefer TOKACHI FROST (IMO 8503242) arrived at the Table Bay anchorage from Walvis Bay in Namibia, and she remained at anchor for just over a day. At 16h00 on the 27th August she entered Cape Town harbour and proceeded to J berth in the Duncan Dock. On the berths to either side of her were waiting a motley collection of a dozen Taiwanese and South Korean tuna longliners.

Over the next week, the longliners all came alongside Tokachi Frost and, one by one, banked on the outside, and discharged their frozen catch into the reefer. All of the frozen cargoes were transferred from the fishing vessels into Tokachi Frost using her own union purchase rigged derricks.

Whilst all this activity was going on, the large South African demersal trawler DESERT DIAMOND arrived and went to E berth in the Duncan Dock. In an unusual move, it was Tokachi Frost that moved down the dock and double banked on the outside of Desert Diamond to receive her catch of frozen Horse Mackerel.

After completion of receiving the frozen fish cargo from Desert Diamond, she moved across to the Landing Wall, which indicates a minor engineering issue required to be sorted out, prior to sailing, and this is where she currently remains.

Built in 1985 by the Shin Shimoda Dockyard at Shizuoka in Japan, Tokachi Frost is 112 metres in length and has a deadweight of 3,621 tons. She is powered by a single Mitsubishi Kobe 6UEC45LA 6 cylinder 2 stroke main engine, producing 4,450 bhp (3,273 kW) to drive a fixed pitch propeller giving her a service speed of 13 knots.

A small reefer, Tokachi Frost has three holds, all served by six derricks, capable of operating in union purchase. Her three holds have 182,508 ft2 of refrigerated cargo space available, or the equivalent of 16,955 m2. Her age is given away by the fact that, in an age when enclosed lifeboats are ‘de rigueur’, Tokachi Frost has traditional ‘open’ lifeboats.

Owned by JSC Ship Services of Klaipeda in Lithuania, Tokachi Frost is operated by Alpha Reefer Transport GmbH of Hamburg, whose ART funnel colours she displays, and she is managed by Maritime Reefer Agency GmbH, also of Hamburg.

 

Throughout her long service, she has never strayed far from her name, despite several changes of ownership in her 36 year life. She started life as Tokachi Maru, became Tokachi, then Tokachi Star and finally Tokachi Frost in 2007. Tokachi is an area of the Japanese northern island of Hokkaido, where a town, river, mountain, forest, plain, political district and an ancient province all carry that name.

Despite her retention of her name, her flag has switched between many flags of convenience through the years, including Panama, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize, the Cook Islands and now, the small Western Pacific nation of Palau, where Tokachi Frost displays Malakal Harbor (sic), as her port of registration, on her stern. Malakal is one of the over 340 islands that make up the Palau archipelago, which is a former United States Pacific Trust Territory, hence the ‘Harbor’ spelling.

She is no stranger to Cape Town, and this is the fourth visit to the port by Tokachi Frost in the past year. Her trading pattern, almost solely in African waters, clearly shows that she goes where the fishing fleets operate. This can be seen with her other port visits over the last year being two visits to Cotonou (Benin), and one each to Socope (DRC), Maputo and Beira (Mozambique), Walvis Bay (Namibia) and Las Palmas (Canary Islands).

Between 2007 and 2015, Tokachi Frost has been detained on four occasions, after state port inspections. Of these four port detentions, three were in European states, with one being in Durban in April 2015. This was an initial inspection under the auspices of the Indian Ocean MoU, and the enforced detention in Durban lasted for 9 days, as a result of 22 deficiencies found, with six of these being serious, and the grounds for her detention.

Added 8 September 2021

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Whereabouts of Cape Town pilot launch

A while back the whereabouts of the Cape Town port pilot launch PLOVER was raised by a reader, as this appears to be ‘missing in action’. A few enquiries brought about no solution to the mystery, but now we have the following to report.

Just over a week ago (1 September) when the container ship MSC Julie was departing Cape Town’s container terminal, on her southbound SAX service, with calls to make at Ngqura and Durban, a private non Transnet vessel acted as a pilot boat as the ship left harbour.

That vessel is the Transporter, a small offshore supply vessel, and it appears this was not the first time that Transporter has been observed carrying out such a service.

Said the observer: “One interesting factor to note was the fact they were using an offshore supply company (OMS) to take the pilot off MSC Julie and take him to Desert Diamond at E berth. Recently the tugs have been taking the pilot off ships inside the breakwater if there are no follow-on jobs, but have not noticed Plover, the pilot launch, being used at all for a while now.

“Maybe OMS are delivering pilots to ships out in the bay which I have not noticed but I thought one of the smaller tugs Blue Jay or Kestrel would be more suitable for that.”

Added 8 September 2021

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Namport looks to the future via education

The Namibian Ports Authority (Namport) recently hosted 16 young Namibian people to an industrial tour of its Walvis Bay facilities. The Marine Engineering students from the Namibian University of Science and Technology are currently visiting other companies in Walvis Bay to gain much needed practical training as part of their experiential academic requirements.

The students were exposed to the engineering aspect of the maritime industry during their visit at the Port Authority.

As part of Namport’s quest to develop and nurture maritime skills from a young age, the ports authority initiated the ‘Catch-Them-Young’ Maritime Scheme in 2013. This aims to foster a strong interest among young Namibians to embark on a maritime career.

To realise this, Namport entered into an agreement with the Lawhill Maritime Centre, which is part of the Simon’s Town School in Cape Town. The Centre agreed to accommodate qualifying Namibian learners from high school level in the Centre’s curriculum.

Since the inception of the program, 12 learners have successfully completed their schooling at the cost of over one million Namibian Dollars (R1 million). These learners have subsequently progressed to tertiary level studies in the maritime field.

“The above commitment from Namport is cemented in the aim of contributing to the wellbeing and improvement of Namibian citizens and creating a pool of wealth in the maritime industry,” said Elias Mwenyo, Executive: Commercial Services.

Added 8 September 2021

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East Africa: Truckers resume transporting cargo into South Sudan

The boycott by truckers who transport cargo across the neighbouring borders into South Sudan has ended, with truck drivers resuming operations to South Sudan’s capital Juba and other destinations.

The boycott was a result of attacks made on trucks as they journeyed inside South Sudan, during which a number of drivers lost their lives and others assaulted, while their vehicles were set alight and burned.

Drivers have since either refused to make the journey from places in Uganda or from Mombasa in Kenya or they carried the cargo as far as the border where the trailers were unloaded or abandoned, leaving the cargo to be collected by the consignee. Instead it mounted while in Juba and other South Sudan towns, shops ran out of needed items.

This wasn’t the first time that lorry drivers refused to cross the border because of the banditry. On each occasion they received assurances of their safety but instead found themselves having to drive at the mercy of criminal gangs.

Two weeks ago bandits struck again, in which several trucks were stopped and looted before being set alight. Two drivers lost their lives after being assaulted at these illegal truck stops while othr drivers were assaulted and soe escaped by running away after abandoning their vehicles.

Following this recently spate of attacks, the drivers union declared a boycott of the border crossings and deliveries into South Sudan came to a halt.

On this occasion South Sudanese authorities have agreed to provide armed escorts, resulting in truckers agreeing to return to entering the country, which means some form of convoy system will become likely.

It is understood that escorting will be undertaken by national police or members of the South Sudan Peoples Defence Force.

The major crossing into South Sudan is at Elegu on the border with Uganda, where it is reported that trucks have begun crossing the border and into South Sudan.

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CMA CGM resumes Reunion call with MIDAS 2 service

In order to improve and maximise its coverage of the Indian Ocean, CMA CGM says it is resuming making regular calls at Pointe des Galets, Reunion on its MIDAS 2 service.

The resumption of calls at Reunion starts with the vessel EM ASTORIA (imo ) on voyage 0MT9TW1MA, which has an ETA at Pointe des Galets on 18 September 2021.

The service rotation becomes:

Jebel Ali ─ Mundra ─ Nhava Sheva ─ Durban ─ Port Elizabeth ─ Pointe Des Galets – Jebel Ali

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Nautical Institute Anniversary Webinar this week

This weekend the South African Branch of the Nautical Institute is commemorating its 10th anniversary and in these difficult times, in lieu of a more formal ‘celebration’, will be hosting several webinars covering the subject of “Seafarer Wellness”.

The various presentations will be hosted on 9th, 10th & 11th September as per the programme shown below. There are several well-known presenters.

To view the presentation ‘live’ there is the normal Zoom registration procedure and ‘attendance’ is not limited to Nautical Institute members.

For Zoom registration details please contact Capt Chris Smith via email who will revert with the login information:

Contact Capt Chris Smith: email frisjsmith@gmail.com
or….
Chris.Smith@arbrink.com

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Cheryl Carolus appointed as chairperson-designate of the Grindrod Limited board

Grindrod Limited announced in Durban on Tuesday (7 September), that Cheryl Carolus is to be appointed to the board as an independent non-executive director effective from 1 October 2021 and as chairperson of the board on the retirement of the current chairman, Mike Hankinson, effective 25 May 2022.

Grindrod Limited, listed on the JSE with operations in Freight logistics and a Bank, described Cheryl Carolus as an inspirational leader and a driver of South Africa’s transformation to democracy, pursuing equality at all levels.

She has served on the boards of numerous listed companies, including De Beers and Investec, and is currently chairperson of Gold Fields. Carolus previously served as chairperson of South African Airways, on the South African National Parks Board, and on the boards of public and private partnerships that focus on socio-economic and empowerment challenges.

She has a long history of serving on the boards of non-profit organisations such as the International Crisis Group, Soul City, World Wildlife Fund, the British Museum, and the SA Constitution Hill Education Trust.

She was South Africa’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom from 2001 to 2004.

Carolus was awarded an honorary doctorate in law from the University of Cape Town for her contribution to freedom and human rights and the French National Order of Merit by the Government of France.

“On behalf of the Grindrod board, I’d like to extend a warm welcome to Cheryl. We look forward to her invaluable contribution and leadership,” said Mike Hankinson, chairman of Grindrod Limited.

In its announcement the Grindrod board extended its sincere appreciation to Hankinson for his steady stewardship and unwavering contribution and service during his 12-year tenure as director and seven years as chairman of the Company.

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WHARF TALK: chemical parcel tanker – BOCHEM OSLO

Story by Jay Gates
Pictures by ‘Dockrat’

There is often mention, and chat, of the demise of those major shipping companies, of all sizes and persuasions, from Europe and the USA, who no longer exist, or who have morphed into something else, or occasionally even a company that does still exists, but folk have simply forgotten its name and would not recognise a vessel of that company if it passed them by.

On 4th September at 09h00 the chemical parcel tanker BOCHEM OSLO (IMO 9420710) arrived from the M’Bao Oil Terminal in Senegal, and proceeded directly to the Landing Wall in the Duncan Dock. Such a visit is a sign of a ‘temporary’ drop in to fix a minor problem, and not one to discharge a cargo as most chemical tankers have in recent months.

As expected, the stay of Bochem Oslo was not a long one, and whatever the issue was, it was resolved within eight hours, and at 17h00 that afternoon she sailed from Cape Town, bound for Haldia in India.

Built in 2010 by Kitanihon Shipbuilding at Hachinohe in Japan, Bochem Oslo is 170 metres in length and has a deadweight of 33,654 tons, which places her below that of the smallest MR1 tanker. Her bias towards that of a chemical tanker, rather than a products tanker, is not only in her name, but also the fact that for a ship of her size she has 16 tanks with a cargo carrying capacity of 37,165 m3, and her cargo manifold area is quite complex.

She is powered by a single Mitsubishi Akasaka 6UEC52LS 6 cylinder 2 stroke main engine producing 10,850 bhp (7,980 kW), to drive a fixed pitch propeller for a service speed of 14 knots. Her auxiliary machinery includes three generators providing 610 kW each, and an emergency generator providing 80 kW. She has a Miura CHR exhaust gas boiler and two Miura CHO oil fired boilers.

She is owned by CMB SA of Antwerp, a company better known as Compagnie Maritime Belge, and previously a company of vessels that were well known, regular, visitors to South African ports up to the 1980s, before the usual take-overs and amalgamations took place in the early 1990s, including a large shareholding being taken on by Safmarine. She is operated by Bochem of Antwerp, which is the Chemical tanker arm of CMB, and why it is not obvious who she is owned by. Her management is undertaken by Fleet Management of Hong Kong, and Bochem Oslo is on a time charter to Stolt Tankers BV of Rotterdam.

A clue as to what she might be carrying lies in her previous port, M’Bao Oil Terminal, which is actually an offshore port, located just south of Dakar. The port consists of three Conventional Buoy Moorings (CBM), which are linked to the nearby M’Bao Refinery, which itself is the only refinery in Senegal, and a small refinery capable of refining a modest 25,000 barrels per day.

Operated by the local Dakar port authority, Port Autonome de Dakar, the three CMBs are utilised for the discharge of imported crude oil, LPG and ammonia. However, the CMBs are used for the loading of both Sulphuric Acid and Phosphoric Acid, which are the kind of export chemical parcel cargoes that Bochem Oslo would be used to carrying.

In March 2015, Bochem Oslo was in the English Channel, on a voyage from Bristol in the UK to Hamburg, when she reported that three of her crewmembers had been injured in an onboard incident and were suffering from Nitric Acid burns. The vessel altered course and immediately headed towards Falmouth in Cornwall, where a UK Coastguard Sikorsky S-92A Search and Rescue helicopter flew out to rendezvous with the vessel. All three injured crew members were winched off Bochem Oslo and flown directly to the Burns Unit at the Royal Cornwall Hospital, located in nearby Truro, where they were treated for their injuries.

In October 2017 whilst the Bochem Oslo was anchored off Durban, awaiting a berth, she made a call for medical assistance due to a crewmember suffering from severe chest pains. The NSRI rescue boat Eikos Rescuer II was launched, from NSRI Station 5 in Durban, with two Netcare 911 paramedics onboard to head for the vessel.

Additionally, the Transnet Agusta A109 helicopter from Richards Bay was activated and flew down to Station 5 at Durban, where they embarked a further Netcare 911 paramedic and an NSRI rescue swimmer.

On arrival at Bochem Oslo, both the paramedic and the rescue swimmer were winched down to the vessel, and began stabilising the patient. The sick crewman was transferred into a rescue stretcher, and winched back into the A109 helicopter, accompanied by the paramedic, where they flew direct to a cardiac unit at a Durban hospital, where the crewman was treated for his suspected heart attack. The rescue swimmer transferred to the Eikos Rescuer II by the ships pilot ladder, and returned to NSRI Station 5 with the other two paramedics.

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Durban’s Prince Edward Graving dock fire system upgraded after 96 years

The fire system at the Port of Durban’s Prince Edward Graving Dock (dry dock) fire system has been upgraded in a just over R100 million operation, Transnet National Ports Authority has announced.

The upgrade was carried out within the allocated budget and amid Covid-19 restrictions.

The upgrade followed a technical condition assessment of the Fire Protection System conducted by an external professional service provider in which the inspection report revealed that the fire system was non-compliant with the municipal by-laws.

This led to the decision to upgrade the fire system and to ensure legal compliance with local authority by-laws, National Building Regulations, fire safety regulation and Transnet Insurance requirements for safe and reliable fire protection and addressable early warning detection installation.

TNPA said the system has been procured to ensure the protection of the multi-million rands worth of the company assets, building and human resources from hazards as well as mitigation of potential present or future litigation (or even third party claimants) due to fire damages and non-compliant fire protection.

“With the water crisis in the country, one of the advantages is that the fire system upgrade uses sea water to put out fire breakouts in the port instead of potable water and we are proud as the leadership of the Port of Durban for taking this step and successfully executing this project,” said Malefetsane Setaka, Port Engineer.

The project had two contractors, a Managing Contractor responsible for the management and supervision of the Dry Dock fire system upgrade, to offer technical support, construction design reviews and approvals, quality management and assurance, SHE management, and cost and schedule monitoring.

The main contractors were responsible for executing the overall scope of the project.

The fire system installed at the graving dock has been in service for over 90 years and the existing firefighting water ring main is used to supply portable water to all the buildings and vessels on site. This water is also used to supply all the firefighting hydrants, sprinkler system (oil store only) and hose reels on site.

The Prince Edward Graving Dock was constructed departmentally by the South African Railways & Harbours (SAR&H), commencing in 1919 and completed in 1925.

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Italian frigate Antonio Marceglia heads out to West Africa on piracy patrol

On Friday 3 September the Italian Navy’s frigate ITS ANTONIO MARCEGLIA F597 departed from La Spezia for the Gulf of Guinea, where the FREMM type naval ship has been deployed to participate in Operation Gabinia, which is tasked with preventing and if necessary combatting piracy.

Once in the gulf the frigate will cooperate with the regional naval forces in order to increase mutual knowledge and trust, while conducting capacity-building activities and counter-piracy operations to ensure the safety of maritime routes.

ITS Antonio Marceglia is carrying a SH-90 Helicopter, fast boats, and SOF units in order to react promptly to a piracy event.

The ship, one of the Carlo Bergamini-class frigates, was built by Fincantieri and commissioned in April 2019. She is the eighth in a series of ten vessels of the Italian Fremm programme.

Main Specifications:

The FREMM type frigates, of which ten were ordered for Italy and 17 for France, have a length of 142m, a beam of 20m, a draught of 7.6m and displacement of 6,700 tons. Propulsion comes from a CODLAG 1 × 32 MW gas turbine General Electric/Avio LM2500+G42 × 2.5 MW Jeumont Electric motors; 4 × diesel generators VL 1716 (HPCR series by 2,8 MW), a single 1MW bow thruster; and 2 × shafts, driving controllable pitch propellers.

The frigates have a speed of 27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph); maximum cruise speed 15.6 knots and a range of 6,800 nautical miles (12,600 km) at 15 knots using cruise speed. Each ship carries a complement of 199.

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DP World banks on Northern Sea Route vision: cooperates with FESCO at Vladivostok

“One of the last great trading routes in the world to be developed” – Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem

Russia’s FESCO Transportation Group * and DP World Russia have agreed on cooperating with the implementation of joint projects aimed at the development of the Commercial Port of Vladivostok (CPV).

The agreement was signed within the framework of the Eastern Economic Forum by Andrey Severilov, Chairman of the Board of Directors of FESCO and Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO of DP World.

As stage one, the parties will create a working group to prepare proposals for the effective development and utilisation of the CPV.

Severilov said that DP World is one of the largest port operators in the world and with its cooperation it will be possible to integrate best practices of stevedoring asset management in the CPV. He added that this is especially important against the background of growing cargo traffic and the leading role of the CPV in Russia’s Far East.

“We expect that joint efforts will not only help develop the existing business, but will also contribute to implementation of strategic transport projects in which FESCO participates,” Severilov said.

Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem said that DP World supports President Vladimir Putin’s vision for the Northern Sea Route. “This is one of the last great trading routes in the world to be developed,” he said.

“Opening up an alternative route to the Suez Canal between East and West will increase the resilience of world trade. It has great potential to develop economic activity and prosperity in Russia’s far north. It must be done sustainably to protect the pristine waters of the Arctic.”

The Commercial Port of Vladivostok is used for coastal and international shipments. The port, which has 15 berths with a total length of 3,200 metres and depths alongside of between 10 and 15 metres, handles an annual cargo exceeding 11.5 million tons. The port is the largest international port in the Russian Far East.

Vladivostok’s railway station is located within the territory of the CPV and receives and despatches up to 10 trains of container and general cargo daily. The port’s geographic and climatic location allows all year round navigation.

* FESCO Transportation Group, headquartered in Moscow, is the largest intermodal transport operator in Russia, providing services, including marine shipping, Roll-on/roll-off, rail transportation and port handling via more than 70 sales offices located around the world.

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WHARF TALK: Arriving from Northern Europe, MSC CHLOE

Story by Jay Gates
Pictures by ‘Dockrat’

Gearless container ships over the years have changed, and grown, to encompass all shades and sizes. To those who hark back to the days of general cargo ships, and a vessel awash with masts and derricks, the container ship is anathema. Yet to some observers, the largest of the modern era Mega-carriers are a sight to behold. Mega in South African terms is probably from 10,000 to 14,000 TEU.

On 2nd September at 01h00 the large container vessel MSC CHLOE (IMO 9720483) arrived at the Table Bay anchorage from Las Palmas, and as all container ships seem to do at the present time, she went to anchor and remained there for over three days, until 5th September at 09h00 when she entered Cape Town harbour and went alongside berth 602 in the Ben Schoeman dock, to begin her offload of inbound containers.

Built in 2016 by Jiangnan Changxing Shipbuilding at Shanghai in China, MSC Chloe is 300 metres in length and has a deadweight of 110,442 tons. She has a single HHI MAN-B&W 9S90ME-C9.2 9 cylinder 2 stroke main engine producing 71,114 bhp (53,030 kW), driving a fixed pitch propeller for a service speed of 22 knots.

Her auxiliary machinery includes two MAN-B&W 9L32/40 generators providing 4,435 kW each, and two MAN-B&W 8L32/40 generators providing 3,860 kW each. She has a MAN D2842LE201 emergency generator providing 529 kW. She has a Kangrim EB201ZZ exhaust gas boiler, and a Kangrim PA0601R20 oil fired boiler. As with many container ships, she also has been retrofitted with a scrubber unit on the starboard side of her funnel.

The container carrying capacity of MSC Chloe is 9,411 TEU, with the provision of 1,000 reefer plugs. This large reefer capacity points to why she has such large auxiliary power provision of 16.6 MW.

Owned by Xinnian International Ship Lease of Shanghai in China, MSC is operated by MSC of Geneva, and managed by MSC Ship Management of Limassol in Cyprus. She is operating on the weekly NWC-SA service for MSC.

Interestingly, a glance at her port rotation schedule shows that all calls at European ports are ‘fixed’, but with all calls at South African ports listed only as ‘expected’. This is a further indictment of poor operating efficiency at Transnet. She is currently running one day behind schedule on her southbound Cape Town call, due to her enforced wait in the Table Bay anchorage.

On 7th August 2018, whilst MSC Chloe was awaiting a berth and drifting some 22 nautical miles ESE of Durban harbour, she was struck by a large swell. The swell caused her to roll in excess of 30 degrees on both sides, and the result was a total 13 FEU containers falling from their respective stacks, and being lost overboard.

She had just arrived off Durban from Ngqura, and the thirteen, 40 foot, containers lost overboard had contents that included general cargo, cardboard and plastics, machinery parts and agricultural products. Most relevant, based on the current time of year, one lost container was full of export citrus fruit, which had just been loaded at Ngqura. Another 25 containers were damaged as a result of the rolling action.

The vessel was drifting in a water depth greater than 500 metres at the time, and thankfully no lost container contained either dangerous goods, or marine pollutants.

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PIRACY: Seafarer reported abducted from vessel off Libreville

Dryad Global reports an unconfirmed but suspected abduction of a seafarer on board an offshore service vessel at the anchorage outside Libreville.

The boarding to the OSV TAMPEN (IMO 9276896) occurred on Sunday at 01h00 UTC in position 00° 18.12N 009° 24.4E which is in the Libreville anchorage, Gabon.

Two other crew members received injuries that required hospitalisation after resisting the boarding by three men. One of those injured received a gunshot wound.

The OSV Tampen has a length of 88.6 metres and a width of 18.83 metres, was built in 2002 and is registered in St Kitts and Nevis.

The vessel is owned and managed by Prince Marine Transport Serv of Mumbai in India, having been acquired as recently as February this year. Prior to February Tampen was named Bourbon Tampen.

Dryad reports that if confirmed this incident would be the second within Gabonese waters this year and the first reported kidnapping within this timeframe. “Indeed, region wide this latest incident would be the first offshore kidnapping incident reported throughout the wider region since 31 May 2021. Kidnapping incidents region wide have undergone a significant downturn within 2021,” said Dryad.

Kidnappings within Gabonese waters remain irregular, Dryad says, adding that historically there is an established cadence of events that has seen a number of kidnappings offshore of both Libreville and Port-Gentil. “Between March and May 2020 there were three vessels boarded within Gabonese waters resulting in the kidnap of 16 personnel.”

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Ghana bringing new maritime bill to jail convicted pirates

15-Years In Jail For Pirates Convicted In Ghana

Ghana’s Attorney–General, and Minister for Justice’s office and the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA), are jointly working on a new maritime bill, which, once passed into law by parliament, will see pirates who are arrested in the country’s waters being sentenced up to a maximum of 15 years in jail.

That’s according to a report in Ghana Web, which points out that the move has become necessary due to the increasing number of pirate attacks taking place in the Gulf of Guinea, while Ghana’s laws remain inadequate to deal with the menace.

Since 2020 Ghana has recorded nine pirate attacks in its territorial waters, six in that year and three between January and June this year.

The GMA reported that these acts of piracy began in other country’s territorial seas and penetrated Ghana’s exclusive economic zone.

“The proposal we have made to be factored into the law is that, when you are arrested on Ghana’s waters, you should be sentenced to a maximum of 15 years imprisonment,” said Director-General of the Ghana Maritime Authority, Thomas KofiAlonsi.

Under the existing laws, pirates arrested on charges of piracy in Ghana’s waters are often sent to Nigeria for prosecution as it is, with existing sections of the Ghana’s Criminal Offences Act, very difficult to deal with pirates in Ghana.

“It is very difficult if a law is not provided that deals with a particular crime, you cannot be persecuting somebody when you do not have the law to do so,” said KofiAlonsi, adding that he is worried the nation’s blue economy might face some setbacks in terms of vessels being attracted to the country if expedient measures are not taken quickly to address the challenge.

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Aviation: SAA set for take-off

South African Airways (SAA), which has been grounded since 27 March and came out of business rescue at the end of April this year, is expected to resume operations on the Johannesburg-Cape Town route and African destinations, Accra, Kinshasa, Harare, Lusaka and Maputo later this month (23 September).

“When we decided on our restart, we did not thumb suck this and we are not flying for the sake of flying. It is not an ego restart. It is something that we’ve thought about carefully within the constraints that we have and within what we see happening in the market,” said interim CEO Thomas Kgokolo.

He said that bringing back the old SAA is not the intention. “The intention is to bring a refreshed SAA, a new SAA. We are focused on customer excellence, we are focused on some of the low hanging fruit…that we can utilise to get back to the market. While, in the background, we are looking at the bigger redesign of SAA,” Kgokolo said.

The interim CEO was updating Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprises on the expected restart of the airline and on other matters concerning the airline’s subsidiaries.

Fleet planning

He said the airline has embarked on careful fleet planning which bears in mind the uncertainty of the market brought on by the impact of COVID-19.

“In the short term we have brought the aircraft that will be operated on power by the hour…it means that as long as we are not flying, we are not paying for them. This is good in a period of uncertainty when we don’t know whether lockdowns will persist or not. It allows us to contain costs. In the long term, we want to get into a sustained fleet planning…so we’ll be looking at aircraft reconfiguration going forward.”

Kgokolo told the committee that the chosen routes to restart SAA were thoroughly researched to determine viability.

“When we looked at our data…we found that the load factors in the regional routes is good and also the yields, meaning that the prices we get out of those particular routes [are] promising as well. Of course this is not 100% risk free but it gives us an opportunity to test that particular market and also to protect our routes as well. In the medium to long term, we are going to redesign this particular route network,” he said.

Cost containment

Kgokolo said cost containment is high on the list of priorities for the airline.

“We are monitoring that quite closely where we are renegotiating some of the agreements especially in the I.T space [and] with some of our suppliers as well because we need to continuously keep that cost base low in order to sustain what will be happening in the market.”

He announced that they have considered SAA customers who had tickets before the airline was grounded and were not able to use them.

“When we were grounded, there were customers that still had tickets to fly with us and we believe that this is a good opportunity to partner with those customers as we start flying so that they can start redeeming their vouchers and start flying with us again so that we can then render that service to them again,” he said.

He added that the airline is determined to rebuild customer trust with “a lot of work” still to be done in order to regain it.

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Government announces Timeframes for Fishing Rights Allocation Process

South Africa’s Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment has announced the timeframes for the Fishing Rights Allocation Process (FRAP).

In a statement on Sunday (5 September), the department said the FRAP and the management of commercial fishing rights are an important site for industry transformation. Twelve sectors are due for re-allocation of fishing rights this year.

As part of the FRAP 2020/21 process, the department is reviewing the General Policy on the Allocation of Commercial Fishing rights; the 12 sector-specific policies; the Policy on the Transfer of Commercial Fishing Rights, and the Policy on Fish Processing Establishments (FPEs).

The department will also be reviewing all fees for applications, licences and permits.

The timeframes include conducting socio-economic impact assessment studies which are being taken into account when reviewing policies and allocations to promote profitability, whilst optimising transformation and job creation.

“It also includes the review of the General Policy on the Allocation and Management of Commercial Fishing Rights, the policy on the Allocation and Management of Rights to Operate Fish Processing Establishments and various sector-specific policies for the allocation and management of commercial fishing rights.”

The department had earlier revised the FRAP2020/21 project plan to meet the new deliverables and timeframes.

The progress made to date in the roll-out of the FRAP project has placed the department in a position to allocate fishing rights and meet the set deadline of 31 December 2021, with appeals to be finalised in early 2022.

The timeframes from the rollout of FRAP as endorsed by Cabinet are as follows:

-Public consultations on policies, application forms and fees: September 2021
-Gazetting final policies, application forms and fees : October/November 2021
-Opening of application process : 1 November 2021
-Closure of application process : 30 November 2021
-Assessment of applications : December 2021
-Announcement of final lists, together with the Addendum to the General Published Reasons (GPR) : December 2021
-Opening of the appeals process: January 2022

“The FRAP 2021 process is committed to allocating resources in a sustainable manner for future generations while also attempting to balance the competing requirements of broadening access, particularly by marginalised groups and small medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs), balancing government’s priorities of transforming the sector but also ensuring the global competitiveness of South Africa’s fishing sector.”

The department says it also remains committed to ensuring the process is transparent and legally defensible.

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Hidden debts trial: Mozambique’s own corruption trial

7,427 bottles of wine plus 3 Rolls, 3 Ferraris, 2 Maclarens, but only one Maseratti

Report by Joseph Hanlon
Mozambique News Reports and Clippings

In 2013 and 2014, three Mozambican state-owned corporations, ProIndicus, Ematum and Mam, took out €1.76 billion ($2.08 billion) in loans. This colossal loan came from Credit score Suisse and the Russian financial institution VTB, amongst others and was supposed to finance maritime surveillance, fishing and shipyard tasks. Between 20 and 30 trawlers and surveillance vessels were built and delivered to Maputo but have remained out of use (some of the surveillance vessels may have been used in the battle for Mocimboa da Praia, where such a vessel was incapacitated by rocket grenade fire.

Charges have now been brought on the allegedly inflated loans. The case, known as the Hidden Debt trial, has since been extended by one month into November.

Week Two of the trial

Joseph Hanlon reports:

Privinvest’s Boustani on 31 March 2013 said he had chartered a plane that would leave France for Maputo, carrying 7,427 bottles of wine for the Presidency of Armando Guebuza, it was revealed Monday (30 Aug, Day 6 of the trial, which heard Ndambi Guebuza). The list of luxury cars bought by Ndambi with money from Boustani included three Rolls-Royces (two at $700,000 and $220,000), three Ferraris ($410,000, $610,00), three BMWs, three Land Rover Discoveries, two MacLarens ($500,000 and $490,000); an Aston Martin ($410,000) and Maserati ($160,000).

Former President Armando Guebuza was present in court all day on Monday to witness the hearing of his son, Armando Ndambi Guebuza, noted O Pais (30 Aug). Also present was Ndambi’s doctor, because the President’s son said he felt ill. In e-mails between Boustani and Nhangumele, the code name for Ndambi was “Cinderella”.

The session opened Monday with Ndambi going on the offensive, in ways that were not appreciated by the court. At one point when the Public Prosecution, Ana Sheila Marrengula, asked him a question, he said “I don’t trust you. You are liars. You are liars.” He continued,

“The attorney general is the vehicle used to persecute not only my family, but also the fighters of the national liberation struggle of this country. … It was not by chance that there was an attempt to poison my family. What has the PGR done so far? It has done nothing. My whole family was in danger of dying. The poison was put in the pudding.” But when Ana Sheila Marrengula inquired about the wine, Ndambi said “Would the lady like some wine?”

At another point, Ndambi told judge Efigénio Baptista “I have no memory like an elephant.” The judge responded, “But we want memory of an ordinary person. Mutota, who is over 60, remembered things from 2008. Mr Teófilo too, who is much older than Mr Ndambi… But you are just over 40 years old and you remember nothing.”

At one point, the judge reprimanded Ndambi: “Mr. Armando, it is not necessary, to assert your rights, to be rude. Every father, when a son is born and grows up, educates him. So, the father wants to be proud of that son. And one of the things that makes a father ashamed is to see his son being rude,” said Baptista, in the presence of Armando Emilio Guebuza, father of the accused. (Carta de Mocambique 1 Sep)

The omnipresent absence of Filipe Nyusi is noted by Marcelo Mosse, editor of Carta de Mocambique. Former President Armando Guebuza and former Finance Minster Manuel Chang are often mentioned by name, but the name of President Filipe Nyusi is never spoken. There is a tacit understanding that in the frequent references he is always the “former Defence Minister”.

In English

Last week’s report on this case, the first week, can be seen HERE

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Tanzanian port upgrades paying off

Upgrades to Tanzanian ports and rail services are showing dividends, particularly those undertaken at the ports of Dar es Salaam and Mtwara.

That’s according to the Tanzanian embassy in Tel Aviv in Israel, which said last week in a statement that the modernisation of the ports and rail networks were largely thanks to the Chinese contractors involved with various projects.

The statement revealed that revenue at the ports improved between February and July this year from US$227 million for the same period in 2020, to $229 million in 2021. This could be credited to the improvements completed so far at Dar es Salaam and Mtwara.

At the port of Dar es Salaam, seven of the port’s terminal berths have been strengthened and deepened, with construction work carried out by China Harbour Engineering.

On completion large vessels of up to 70,000 tonnes will be able to dock at the port while the capacity of the port to approximately 17.7 million tonnes per year.

The same company combined with China Railway Major Bridge Engineering Group to build a 300-metre berth at Mtwara Port, and to renovate its cargo yard.

Cargo increases

With these modernisation projects, cargo handled at the country’s ports increased from 7.83 million tonnes between February and July in 2020 to 8.87 million tons for the same period this year.

The number of ships calling at the ports increased from 1,388 to 2,206 over the same period.

Gerson Msigwa, the government’s spokesperson and the director of information services, revealed that the number of ships docking at the country’s ports surged from 1,388 to 2,206.

“We cannot underestimate the increase in revenue taking into account that some countries are experiencing a significant drop due to the effects of COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.

Total revenue

Total revenues came from the Indian Ocean ports of Dar es Salaam, Tanga and Mtwara as well as those of Tanzania’s Great Lakes ports.

Msigwa said the port of Dar es Salaam had recently welcomed the 58,939-gt car carrier Tranquil Ace. Built in 2009 at the Minaminippon Shipbuilding yard in Usuki, Japan, she is one of the larger car carriers to call at a Tanzanian port, he indicated.

The number of vehicles handled at the port of Dar es Salaam Port improved from 64,209 to 81,016.

Despite these recorded gains, there is still some remaining work to be done at Dar es Salaam, including the widening and dredging of the ship entrance channel, dredging and widening the turning circle and harbour basin as well continuing with the strengthening and deepening of the remaining berths.

Tanga Port

At the port of Tanga major upgrades are also underway in order that the north-eastern port may handle larger ships. This project is expected to be completed by October next year.

The intention is to transform Tanga port into a highly competitive terminal for serving not just the regional customers but to include those in the Great Lakes and wider East African region.

The contractor involved with the port of Tanga is China Harbour Engineering.

On Lake Tanganyika, ongoing construction of the Karema Port Terminal stands at 50 per cent and is expected to be completed by March 2022. This contract is in the hands of the Xiamen Ongoing Construction Group

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WHARF TALK: Maiden voyage for harbour tug BIO GUERRA

Story by Jay Gates
Pictures by ‘Dockrat’

The arrival of a vessel on its maiden voyage from the shipyard to its new owner, or on its first port of call for its charterers, usually gets it a water cannon welcome, lots of flags, fizzy drinks and hoo-hah! Usually.

On 3rd September at 19h00 the harbour tug BIO GUERRA (IMO 9889837) arrived at Cape Town harbour and went straight to the Eastern Mole in the Duncan Dock, the usual short term berth for bunkers and stores only. A wee harbour tug arrival doesn’t normally get much attention, not even one on its maiden delivery voyage from the shipyard to its new owner.

Built in 2021 by Damen Song Cam Shipyard at Haiphong in Vietnam, Bio Guerra is a standard Damen Azimuth Stern Drive (ASD) 2813 harbour tug. As an ASD harbour tug she is 28 metres in length, with a beam of 13 metres, and a draft of 6 metres.

She is powered by two Caterpillar 3516CTA HD/D V16 engines, producing 6,772 bhp (5,050 kW), which drive two Rolls-Royce US 255 fixed pitch rudder propellers, capable of 360 degree rotation, and able to provide a maximum sea speed of 13 knots.

 

Her auxiliary engines are two Caterpillar C4.4 TA 4 cylinder 4 stroke generators providing 107 kVA. She has a FiFi firefighting capability, and she has a bollard pull of 85 tons ahead, and 80 tons astern. Accommodation is provided for up to 10 crewmembers.

One of two Damen ASD 2813 tugs, ordered by the Port Autonome de Cotonou in Benin back in August 2020, the first of the tugs was delivered to the West African port on 22nd July this year. Departing Haiphong in early July, Bio Guerra had a convoluted and indirect route to bring her to Cape Town.

Avoiding a direct crossing of the Indian Ocean, she departed Singapore on 28 July, arriving at Victoria in the Seychelles on 13 August for a 24 hour bunkering stop. She then departed Victoria on 14 August bound for Port Elizabeth, where she arrived in Algoa Bay on 27 August. After a four day stopover, she departed Algoa Bay on 1 September for Cape Town.

With a port of registry of Cotonou, which is her soon to be home port, her delivery voyage actually had her home port on her stern covered by a simple metal plate. The plate displayed her port of registry to be that of Kingstown, and she was flying the flag of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, located in the southern end of the Caribbean Sea, and a flag of convenience.

The Damen Song Cam shipyard, located on a 43 hectare site, was designed and outfitted by Damen, as a joint venture with the Vietnamese Shipbuilding Industry Corporation on a 70%/30% shareholding split. It was completed in 2014 and it specialises in building all Damen tug and workboat designs up to 60 metres in length. All newbuilds at the yard are constructed undercover, in a purpose built shipbuilding hall.

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Australian-first Covid vaccinations for international seafarers: Application in Queensland

Queensland will become the first Australian jurisdiction to administer Covid vaccines to all international seafarers arriving in local ports, with a trial programme commencing in the coming weeks aimed at reducing the risk of serious illness and community transmission.

Maritime Safety Queensland, working with QLD Health, has developed a vaccination programme that will commence with high risk vessels, ships that visit Australian ports on a regular schedule, those that carry liquid fuels, and finally all other vessels arriving at QLD ports.

The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), along with employer organisations Maritime Industry Australia Ltd and Shipping Australia, have welcomed the initiative that will not only protect the health of seafarers, but strengthen Australia’s supply chains. This was reported on 2 September.

ITF Australia Coordinator Ian Bray said ten per cent of the world’s sea trade passes through Australian ports, with maritime supply chains responsible for delivering essential goods and taking Australia’s exports to the world.

Seafarers are the backbone of the economy

International seafarers are the backbone of the economy, but a growing number of Covid outbreaks on vessels arriving in Australian ports highlights the need for urgent action to protect the health of these workers, reduce the risk of community transmission, and strengthen supply chain resilience.

Bray said: “Many of the vessels that travel through Australian ports visit regularly — often on the same routes — making it easy to administer both doses of vaccine to seafarers over a period of months.

ITF President and Maritime Union of Australia

“Even for crews that only visit an Australian port once, the health advice is that a single dose of vaccine significantly reduces the risk of them requiring hospitalisation.”

ITF President and Maritime Union of Australia National Secretary Paddy Crumlin said the Australian Government should immediately take the model to the National Cabinet so that it can be rolled out around the country.

He commented: “This Australian-first model developed by Maritime Safety Queensland and QLD Health has the potential to save countless lives and should be taken to National Cabinet as a matter of urgency so it can be implemented around the country.

“Without ships, Australia’s economy would grind to a halt, which is why COVID testing of all international seafarers arriving in Australian ports, the provision of healthcare to sick workers, and a national plan to vaccinate the entire workforce is so important.

“This approach would also be consistent with Australia’s legal obligations as a signatory to the Maritime Labour Convention, which make it responsible for the health and welfare of the seafarers that arrive in our ports.”

 

 

 

Reported by Paul Ridgway
London

Comment: 

South Africa should follow in these footsteps by introducing a similar policy of vaccinating visiting seafarers, perhaps with the initiative, support and leadership of SAMSA.   There is evidence that the then new and deadly strain of the delta variant of Covid-19 entered South Africa via the ports; it makes sense to  help prevent the spread of this disease with a drive to provide protection to all visiting seafarers. – editor

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China opens first road-rail transport link to Indian Ocean

China’s first road and rail service between the city of Chengdu in Western China and the Indian Ocean in the Andaman Sea has been opened via a ‘test cargo’ that has successfully completed the journey.

It is reported that the new service, which is called the China-Myanmar New Passage, can save between 20 and 22 days when compared with shipping freight to a Chinese seaport and from there to Singapore at the end of the Malaysian peninsular.

The China News Service reports that the transport corridor involves a sea-road-rail link in which goods from Singapore arrive by ship at Yangon Port, after sailing through the Strait of Malacca and the Andaman Sea in the northeastern Indian Ocean.

The goods are then transported across Myanmar by road to Lincang in southwest Yunnan province on the Chinese side near the Myanmar border.

The railway line currently ends in Lincang on the Chinese side opposite the Myanmar border trade town of Chin Shwe Haw. Plans are underway to develop Chin Shwe Haw as a ‘border economic cooperation zone’ under the Belt and Road Initiative.

From Lincang the new Chinese railway line runs to Chengdu, a key trade hub in western China, completing the corridor.

“This passage connects the logistics lines of Singapore, Myanmar and China, and is currently the most convenient land and sea channel linking the Indian Ocean with southwest China,” said the China News Service.

Plans to build new port in Kyaukphyu

China has plans to develop another port in Kyaukphyu in the Rakhine state, including a proposed railway line from Yunnan directly to the port, but the progress there has been stalled by unrest in Myanmar.

The report said that Chinese planners have also looked at the Gwadar port in Pakistan as another key outlet to the Indian Ocean that will bypass the Malacca Straits.

Gwadar is being developed as part of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to the far western Xinjiang region, but has been slow to take off amid concerns over security.

The costs and logistics through CPEC are also less favourable than the Myanmar route with the opening of the rail transport channel from the Myanmar border right to western China’s biggest commercial hub, Chengdu. Transportation time on the railway line from the Myanmar border to Chengdu takes three days.

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What’s happening in the world of ships and shipping?

Canada’s Fednav signs for ten newbuilding Lakers

Fednav Limited, Canada’s largest dry bulk shipping group, has signed an agreement with Sumisho Marine Co, Ltd (Sumitomo Corporation Group) and Oshima Shipbuilding to build ten new ocean-going Lakers*. The ships will be built at Oshima shipyard in Japan, with the first vessel expected to be delivered in mid-2023.

The new Fednav-Oshima designed super-eco Lakers represent the most efficient vessels to date for Fednav. Their carbon emissions will be 33% less than the vessels they will replace, including a Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) footprint at least 87% smaller. They will be delivered equipped with the latest technology, including Tier III engines and the capability of burning biofuels.

“We are delighted to include these new vessels to our fleet to support the shipping industry and reinforce our commitment to the Great Lakes St Lawrence Seaway,” said Paul Pathy, President and CEO of Fednav. “These new vessels are aligned with our long-term strategy to invest in our future and support our transition toward more sustainable shipping.”

Fednav is a privately owned shipping company and is the largest international dry bulk shipping group in Canada. It operates a modern fleet of about 120 bulk carriers trading worldwide, of which 60 are owned. The company is headquartered in Montreal and maintains commercial offices in Antwerp, Charlotte, Hamburg, Rio de Janeiro, Singapore and Tokyo.

* The word ‘Lakers’ generally refers to bulk carriers or freighters that operate on the Great Lakes or waterways of North America, including the St Lawrence River.

Orient Overseas Places $1.6 Billion Order for 10 New Boxships

The demand for containerships has reached unprecedented measures, both for large mega ships of between 20,000 and 24,000 TEU capacity, and much smaller ships that are achieving previously unheard of rates for short term charter.

One of the latest order book involves the Hong Kong-based Orient Overseas International, part of the COSCO Shipping Group, which announced a new investment of $1.6 billion as the company’s container fleet continues to expand.

OOIL is reported to have placed an order for 10 new 16,000 TEU container ships that will be built at two Chinese shipyards – Dalian Cosco KHI Ship Engineering (DACKS) and Nantong Cosco KHI Ship Engineering (NACKS), split evenly.

The vessels will be equipped with energy-saving and emission reduction technologies, providing cost advantages for Orient Overseas Container Lines (OOCL) which will operate the vessels. The vessels will be delivered between the fourth quarter of 2024 and the fourth quarter of 2025.

OOCL already has orders placed with the same shipyards for 12 other containerships each of 23,000 TEU capacity and for delivery in 2023 and 2024. OOCL operates a current fleet of 61 containerships with a total capacity of 542,000 TEU.

In the first six months of this year OOIL reported a slightly less than 20% increase in containers carried compared with the same period of a year ago. The operating profit of over US$2.8 billion compares with $155 million in 2020.

MSC continues “insatiable appetite” for more tonnage

Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) continues with the largest orderbook of any container carrier, totalling more than 800,000 TEU capacity and fast approaching the capacity of long-time leader of the pack, Maersk, with the latter company seemingly content with what it already has.

Since August 2020 MSC has placed orders or purchased over 70 ships with the equivalent of approximately 300,000 TEU capacity. And yet its appetite for additional secondhand tonnage appears as strong as ever. That’s apart from a long list of newbuildings including vessels of 24,000 TEU capacity.

Loadstar recently reported that MSC paid $50 million for the 19-year old Mexico (IMO 9231779), capacity 4,939 TEU, which, it reported, would have been lucky to achieve $6 million for scrap just one year earlier. London shipbroker Braemar ACM was reported as referring to the purchase as ‘eye-catching’, particularly so as the vessel remains on charter to Maersk, and was sold on the basis of a forward delivery next April, following dry-docking for special survey.

Braemar said this is testament to MSC’s belief that the market will continue to run well into 2022.

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USCG East Caribbean drugs bust

Coast Guard offloads $51 million cocaine shipment in San Juan, Puerto Rico, following a drug bust near the British Virgin Islands

On 3 September the ship’s company of US Coast Guard Cutter Richard Etheridge offloaded approximately 1,700 kg of seized cocaine at Coast Guard Base San Juan, Puerto Rico following the disruption of a go-fast vessel smuggling attempt near Anegada, British Virgin Islands.

This disruption and seizure was the result of multi-agency efforts involving the Caribbean Border Interagency Group (CBIG) and the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force (CCSF). The seized cocaine has an estimated wholesale value of approximately $51 million dollars. That represents many more millions of dollars at street value and its lifting undoubtedly saves lives far away from the Caribbean.

During a routine patrol on the night of 27 August, the Coast Guard Cutter Richard Etheridge responded to the sighting of a suspect go-fast vessel, in waters NE of the British Virgin Islands.

Coast Guard watchstanders in Sector San Juan directed the launch of a Coast Guard MH-60T aircraft from Air Station Borinquen to vector cutter Richard Etheridge to the go-fast vessel’s position. Additionally, Coast Guard and British Virgin Islands authorities maintained communication to interdict the suspect go-fast vessel.

As the cutter Richard Etheridge closed in on the go-fast vessel, the smugglers proceeded to jettison their cargo and flee the area at high speed. Afterwards, the Coast Guard helicopter crew proceeded to assist Richard Etheridge in locating the jettisoned cargo. In total, the crew of cutter recovered 57 bales, which tested positive for cocaine.

Close collaboration

Captain Gregory H Magee, Sector San Juan commander commented: “Despite the challenging sea state conditions and thanks to the close collaboration and coordination with our Royal Virgin Islands Police partners, our crews did an outstanding job in disrupting a major shipment of cocaine and keeping it from ever reaching the streets.

“Our strong partnerships, as in the case of the British Virgin Islands and island nations throughout our area of responsibility, are key to achieving safe and secure maritime borders from drug trafficking and other smuggling threats in the Eastern Caribbean.”

Royal Virgin Islands Police

Detective Inspector Mike Jones, Head of Intelligence for the Royal Virgin Islands Police added: “This is a great example of the close working relationship between the U.S. and the UK overseas territories.

“The excellent work of the U.S. Coast Guard forced the crew of the go-fast vessel to jettison their cargo. We will continue to work closely with all agencies and partners in order to disrupt and detect the movement of narcotics, illegal money and people trafficking.”

USCGC Richard Etheridge is a 154-foot fast response cutter homeported in Miami.

About the agencies involved

CBIG

This group was formally created to unify efforts of the US Customs and Border Protection, the US Coast Guard, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico, and Puerto Rico Police Joint Forces of Rapid Action (FURA, for its Spanish acronym), in their common goal of securing the maritime borders of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands against illegal migrant and drug smuggling threats. The Drug Enforcement Administration and Federal Bureau of Investigations are also integral partners of the CBIG.

CCSF / OCDTEF and others

This is an initiative of the US Attorney’s Office created to disrupt and dismantle major drug trafficking organisations operating in the Caribbean. CCSF is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) that investigates South American-based drug trafficking organisations responsible for the movement of multi-kilogramme quantities of narcotics using the Caribbean as a trans-shipment point for further distribution to the United States. The initiative is composed of HSI, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Coast Guard, the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico and Puerto Rico Police Department’s (PRPD) Joint Forces for Rapid Action.

 

 

 

Reported by Paul Ridgway
London

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New Egyptian railway to link Red Sea and Mediterranean

A new rail network linking the Mediterranean with the Red Sea in Egypt has been announced, with the the first 660km of a total length of 1,800km connecting the port cities of Ain Sokhna on the Red Sea to Alexandria and Marsa Matrouh on the Mediterranean.

The new railway aims at ensuring a reliable and sustainable rail system that can provide efficient and safe transportation for people and freight between Egypt’s economic and developmental centres. The contract with the consortium covers design, installation and maintenance of the new rail link over 15 years, said a cabinet statement last week.

While also making available safe, fast and clean affordable rail services to over 30 million passengers annually, the network will ensure fast and reliable delivery of freight to positively impact the country’s economy. The rail between Ain Sokhna and Alexandria will become a Suez Canal type link utilising Egypt’s first ever high-speed, electrified rail transport.

According to Siemens Mobility, which will deliver its Velaro high speed trains, Desiro high-capacity regional train sets and Vectron freight locomotives, the electrified line will cut carbon emissions by 70%, in comparison to the current car and bus transportation.

For the first phase of the new rail network, the consortium of Siemens Mobility, Orascom Construction and Arab Contractors will directly create more than 15,000 jobs, with an additional 3,800 being initiated by Egyptian suppliers and indirectly through the wider Egyptian economy.

The signaling system is to be based on the latest computer-based interlocking technology and European Train Control System (ETCS) Level 2, and Siemens will provide and integrate not only the latest communications, safety and security systems, but also the power supply system to deliver efficient and continuous energy.

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GENERAL NEWS REPORTS – UPDATED THROUGH THE DAY

in partnership with – APO

More News at https://africaports.co.za/category/News/

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THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

“Our culture made a virtue of living only as extroverts. We discouraged the inner journey, the quest for a centre. So we lost our centre and have to find it again.”  – Anais Nin

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EXPECTED SHIP ARRIVALS and SHIPS IN PORT

Port Louis – Indian Ocean gateway port

Ports & Ships publishes regularly updated SHIP MOVEMENT reports including ETAs for ports extending from West Africa to South Africa to East Africa and including Port Louis in Mauritius.

In the case of South Africa’s container ports of Durban, Ngqura, Ports Elizabeth and Cape Town links to container Stack Dates are also available.

You can access this information, including the list of ports covered, by  CLICKING HERE remember to use your BACKSPACE to return to this page.

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CRUISE NEWS AND NAVAL ACTIVITIES

QM2 in Cape Town. Picture by Ian Shiffman

We publish news about the cruise industry here in the general news section.

Naval News

Similarly you can read our regular Naval News reports and stories here in the general news section.

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