Delays
to vessels entering the port of durban due to weather
conditions
23/11/2005
The
Port of Durban has not escaped the extraordinary weather
conditions that are currently being experienced globally.
The
sustained wind and swell conditions that have been
experienced in the Port over the last few weeks are
conditions that have only rarely been experienced
in the past and then only for short periods of time.
The
occurrence of these unique weather conditions has
forced the temporary closure of the port on a number
of occasions over the last few weeks, resulting in
a negative impact on the operations of the port.
The
decision to close the Port is a carefully considered
operational decision taken by senior marine personnel
in the interests of safe port working and in the interests
of all the valuable clients of the port. The risks
that are faced in continuing to handle marine vessels
in such weather conditions are many and the potential
for catastrophe is great as one of the outcomes could
result in the grounding of a vessel in the entrance
channel, which would have a negative impact on the
entire economy of the country.
It
is against this background that those charged with
the weighty responsibility of bringing vessels safely
into the Port make the decision to close the port.
The
procedure that is in place in closing/opening the
port is as follows :
When
negative weather conditions are experienced, the Senior
Pilot on duty, in consultation with the Harbour Master,
makes an assessment of the situation after which the
decision is then made to close the port or not.
In
the event that the decision is made to close the port,
the conditions are re-assessed every two hours thereafter
with the Senior Pilot travelling on the pilot boat
into the entrance channel to make the assessment.
Once
the weather conditions begin to improve, the re-assessment
is reduced to every 30 minutes.
When
sufficiently satisfied with the improvements in the
weather conditions, smaller vessels are brought into
the port first, to afford the marine pilots a further
opportunity to assess the situation first hand.
Once
conditions are such that all vessels can be safely
handled, shipping returns to normal.
One
of the factors contributing to the need to close the
Port in adverse weather conditions is the width of
the entrance channel. However, the Harbour Entrance
Channel Widening Project, which is currently receiving
urgent attention by the National Ports Authority of
South Africa, will alleviate similar situations in
the future, allowing vessels to enter the port under
adverse weather conditions.
We
would like to assure our valued clients that we will
do everything in our power to minimise the impact
of the delays, on your business.
