Durban - It was all hands on deck for the Port of Durban’s tug crews, as raging winds and torrential rain saw ships being torn from their moorings and crashing into each other, when the storm smashed its way through the harbour on Tuesday.
The extraordinary picture of the massive container vessel MSC Ines lodged at the port mouth, with the tugs in a monumental battle to free the stricken vessel, tells the story of the sheer force of the storm which caught the city unawares.
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Speaking yesterday about the storm, the likes of which has never been experienced in the port, the marine pilots who led the rescue tug crews out to vessels, described the event as “surreal” and “our worst nightmare”.
Nine tugs, two from a private marine operation, and their pilots sprang into action as the desperate calls came in from captains with ships in port.
At the peak of the storm, the wind gusts measured 91 knots (168km/h).
Veteran pilot of more than 30 years, Fanie van Rooyen, received the first call about the plight of the MSC Ines which had broken from her moorings and had been blown into the main entrance of the port, and wedged between the two piers.
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As the vessel’s precarious position had closed the port, it became the number one priority, but the crews could not risk the ship breaking or floundering.
Van Rooyen said: “It was a whiteout, no visibility and it was extremely difficult to navigate any vessel, with any accuracy.
“At one point we had six tugs trying to help. The tugs were pulling and pushing and at at one stage we had combined power of 350 tons of thrust. A normal maximum thrust would be 150 tons. But we had to get her off, we had to get the channel open, but we also had to delay until the tide brought in some more water and we had a lull in the wind.”
The moment to free the giant vessel suddenly came and as she was swung around, Van Rooyen said a second squall came through the channel which was measured at about 60 knots (111km/h).
“It was a little bit daunting, it was surreal, it was our worst nightmare. The only storm I've ever seen like it was around Cape Horn seas. I have never seen anything like it in the enclosed environment of a port,” he said. But the massive vessel had been dislodged and was safely berthed.
Meanwhile, colleague and another veteran pilot with more than 30 years at the helm, Don McGhee, said: “The storm just erupted. All of a sudden there were ships in trouble, asking for assistance. The weather conditions in that confined space were a ‘force majeure’. They were extraordinary conditions and we had to react ship by ship. It was very challenging.”
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While the MSC Ines rescue operation was taking place, McGhee was trying to secure MSC Susanna which had also broken free from her moorings.
“She had broken loose and was making contact with other vessels.
“Once on board, we were trying to avoid hitting other ships. I don't think the city or the port has ever experienced winds like that. At its peak, the gust was 91 knots and one of the car carriers recorded the winds as being between 85 to 90 knots during the storm. The ships were like battering rams and it was extremely cold and wet.”
Another marine pilot, Kwazi Magubane, was on the MS New York, which was grounded on a sandbank.
“The channel of the harbour was crowded as the rain came down and there was very poor visibility. We had to wait for the other vessels,” said Magubane, while marine pilot Sandile Madonsela was rescuing the vessel Maritime Newanda.
“When she broke loose, she swung around and double-banked. The channel buoy was caught under the props and we had to remove it and clear the ropes. When the vessel broke loose, there was a wind of 80 knots (148km/h),” said Madonsela.
Also leading her team into action was deputy harbour master (nautical) Pinky Zungu, who was aboard a tanker that had run aground on Island View.
“I had to put my boots on and leave the office. The vessel was on the shallow side of the channel and we were relieved that the hull was intact.
“This storm was a first for Durban. We have never seen conditions like this, ships were colliding and we had to jump into action. We had to go into the middle of this storm and take charge of the situation. I have the best team – they went out there and did their jobs.
“I think we were lucky that no gantries blew over, no fires broke out and there were no oil spills,” said Zungu.
The cost of the storm for the port and the shipping industry has yet to be calculated but is “estimated to run into millions”, said Zungu.
Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) Durban port manager, Moshe Moloi, said a crisis management process had been put in place and the challenge to port operations remained on the landside, where terminal operators and port tenants had been affected in terms of their cargo handling capabilities, operations and equipment.
Last night TNPA issued a statement which said all navigable areas of the port had “now been declared safe for navigation”.
This follows the completion of sounding surveys after the dredging services division, divers and drones “found no further obstructions or obstacles in the seabed”.
“TNPA’s focus still remains on continuing with the implementation of the recovery operations and supporting terminal operators to restore normality.”