Cargo Ship Grounds, Boxships Stopped Due to South Africa’s Bad Weather – The Maritime Executive

Published by The Maritime Executive
Published by The Maritime Executive
Published by The Maritime Executive
Published by The Maritime Executive
Published Jul 10, 2024 4:16 PM by The Maritime Executive
 
Bad weather and high seas off South Africa are continuing to disrupt most shipping in the region with forecasters warning of more storms to come. Several of South Africa’s primary ports remain closed due to the high winds while an analysis shows the weather has brought container traffic to a standstill in the region. SAMSA (South African Maritime Safety Authority) also reports an urgent salvage operation is underway after an abandoned cargo ship washed ashore Tuesday night.
“We have a complete stop at the Cape of Good Hope for containerships – east and west,” said Fabrice Maille, Global Head of Shipping & Agriculture at LSEG Shipping Research. Their data shows that since Monday, July 8, no containerships have been passing the Cape which they note is adding to congestion and delays due to the diversions away from the routes through the Red Sea.
Senior Weather Analyst at LSEG Isaac Hankes noted that the waves off the South Africa coast coincided with a strong cyclone that impacted the region last Sunday, July 7, along with well below normal temperatures. Large parts of the coastal region experienced strong winds and heavy rain, with Hankes noting it was similar to conditions in June. 
“There is another cyclone likely to impact South Africa later this week,” warns Hankes before weather patterns could begin to moderate next week. Local forecasters are also warning that damaging waves will now also be reaching the east coast around Durban.
The Panama-flagged bulker Ultra Galaxy which was abandoned early on Monday continued to be tossed about in the heavy seas after it took on a severe list. SAMSA reports one salvage tug reached the vessel on Tuesday and was monitoring the situation when the vessel went aground late last night in a remote area on the coast known as Brand se Baal north of Cape Town. A second salvage tug departed Cape Town Tuesday night heading to the area with additional crew and equipment.
SAMSA is taking steps to prevent a large oil spill reporting the vessel is loaded with low-sulfur bunker fuel as well as hydraulic and other oils. They also determined that the vessel was carrying a cargo of bagged fertilizer. 
South African port operator Transnet also provided an update saying that three vessels are windbound at the Cape Town Container Terminal with the port experiencing high waves since Saturday. Another four ships were scheduled to arrive on Thursday while Transnet continues to monitor the port. One vessel is also windbound at the Port Elizabeth Container Terminal. The Ngqura Container Terminal at Gqeberha has been closed with its gates locked since Sunday.
Maersk had previously warned that it was anticipating delays for its vessels. It, like most major carriers, is diverting vessels around the Cape due to the security problems for the Red Sea routes.
SUBSCRIPTIONS
SUBSCRIBE
Business
Published Jul 12, 2024 7:33 PM by The Maritime Executive
  Container import volumes remain strong at U.S. ports and significantly ahead of 2023 levels despite the first signs of softening in the spot market prices. Yet the outlook remains strong spurred on by the resiliency of the U.S. economy and consumers' willingness despite inflation concerns to continue spending. Descartes Systems Global which provides systems for logistics-intensive businesses issued its monthly Global Shipping Report showing what they termed “robust growth,” as volumes were up more than 10 percent over 2023….
Ports
Published Jul 12, 2024 6:22 PM by The Maritime Executive
  U.S. Customs and Border Protection is reporting a strong increase in the recovery of stolen vehicles being smuggled out of U.S. ports often hidden in containers. Just over 1,300 stolen cars were recovered, a 6.5 percent increase, nationwide before they could be smuggled out of the country.  The agency highlights that its officers are discovering stolen vehicles packed in shipping containers being exported from the United States. The agency says it has increased its rigorous import and export inspections…
Shipping
Published Jul 12, 2024 5:30 PM by The Maritime Executive
  The safety of crews on merchant ships is increasingly becoming a major concern owing to the rise in violent attacks despite a notable decrease in maritime piracy incidents, according to the latest update from the International Maritime Bureau’s Piracy Reporting Center. Much of the increase stems from Somalia while in other parts of the world, the overall decline continues. The reports show that during the first half of this year, 60 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships…
Ports
Published Jul 12, 2024 4:36 PM by The Maritime Executive
  India’s first new deep-water port designed to facilitate the transshipment of containers celebrated its opening today as the first vessel, operated by Maersk, was being worked alongside. Nearly a decade in the make, the Vizhinjam Port is being hailed as a landmark moment for India as it works to expand port capabilities and participate in the global transshipment market. The Neopanamax vessel San Fernando (115,500 dwt) owned by SFL and operated by Maersk, arrived at the Vizhinjam Port on…
SUBSCRIPTIONS
SUBSCRIBE

© Copyright 2024 The Maritime Executive, LLC. All rights reserved.

source

About The Author

admin

See author's posts