Cape catches up after 40-hour wind delays

The Cape basked in idyllic weekend
weather after savage south-easterly
winds had pounded the Mother City
for much of the week. Cape Town
Container Terminal was wind-bound on
three occasions for a total operational
stoppage of some 40 hours.
As an unblemished Saturday
dawned, with not a speck of wind,
terminal personnel were intent on
catching up on the backlog which had
set back by some 12 hours the 8 100
TEU MSC Lucy (now on the North
Europe-South Africa service) and the
Dal Kalahari, awaiting cargo earlier in
the week.
The wind was at its most severe on
Friday (January 14), halting quayside
operations for 18 hours, while Maersk
Denver and Alexander Bridge were
at berths 601 and 603 and the vessels
San Alessio and MSC Anahita awaited
berths. (Alexander Bridge was delayed
for a total of 36.17 hours in the end).
Fresh produce exporter Peter Newton
says the Northern Cape floods forced
closure of bridges and byways, forcing
Cape Town-bound truckers to make
detours, thereby adding another ten or
12 hours to their round trip.