Ray Smuts
THREE LARGE ships with thousands of passengers and crew eager to dispose of their lowly Rands in Cape Town later this month are eagerly anticipated by all tourism players, but the sentiment is not shared by the city's cargo owners.
They have made their disquiet clear to Portnet at being denied valuable berthing space during this period, and port operations manager Malcolm Green has in turn responded in writing.
Green told FTW:We cannot stop the QE 2 from coming to Cape Town and we do not decide whether or not to allow a foreign aircraft carrier; that is up to diplomats and the Defence ministry. What's more, it is important for tourism in the Western Cape.
Green says the port has only one deepwater berth which has to be occupied by one of the visiting vessels and unhappy cargo owners unfortunately have little choice but to have their vessels lie off or, alternatively, re-organise their schedules. They received adequate notice, he told me.
First to arrive at 08:00 on March 21, sailing again at midnight the same day, is the P&O cruise liner Oriana, followed on March 22 by the French aircraft carrier Foch, the first aircraft carrier to visit the Mother City in two decades.
She will be in port for a week, sailing on March 29, followed by Cunard's QE2 arriving at 08:00 on March 30, and departing at midnight the following day.
Of particular interest - and more than a touch of nostaligia - is the Clemenceau class Foch of around
27 000 tons dwt, built at St Nazaire in 1957 and on her very last voyage before being de-commissioned. She carries a crew of 1 100 officers and ratings.
It's quite a prestige voyage, this being her last, terrific for tourism and we are going to berth the Foch at the bottom of Adderley Street so everyone can see her, says port captain John Woodend.
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