CAPE TOWN: The first of case of mishandling ships reported the MV Pacific Quartz touched the north breakwater and the second vessel MV ER Elsfleth touched bottom in early December. The port authorities are investigating the incidents, but the second incident is alarming as reports may indicate that there appears to be a sand bar forming across the harbour entrance.
Questions have been raised at various local forums regarding these incidents and various theories have been put forward. The most pertinent one regards proper dredging of the entrance channel and the removal of silt from the South breakwater.
The harbour master is expected to publish a report shortly on the issue of dredging as there may have already been a number of previous groundings in the port. As a result of these groundings, the port reduced the under keel clearance in Durban by 30 cm as reported in a previous loss prevention notice dated 30 September 2014.
