Cheyenne opens up difficult ports

Cranes able to lift cargo up to 400mts RAY SMUTS UNPRECEDENTED growth in the Southern Africa region – Mozambique, Angola and the Indian Ocean Islands in particular – have not been lost on 27-year-old shipping veteran, Maritime Carrier Shipping (MACS), explaining its prompt response to the need for specialised project tonnage. Through the purchase last year of the MV Cheyenne, MACS has not only extended its presence in Southern Africa but simultaneously opened previously ‘difficult ports’ in the subregion, while providing a stimulus for increased intra-Africa trade. The new acquisition is a so-called ultra-heavy lift, providing cranes able to lift cargo up to 400mts, a stern ramp with more than 1 000mt capacity and the ability to submerge and lift float on cargoes up to 2 500mts, with a maximum draught of 4.8m. In addition, the Cheyenne has pontoon covers and a single 85m hold to cater with ease for a huge variety of ultra-heavy or extra long cargo. MACS’ plans for the Cheyenne are threefold: firstly to serve in ports without sufficient floating crane capacity, thereby discharging very heavy cargoes for the German carrier and GAL (Gulf Africa Line), an offering also available to other carriers experiencing similar problems. Secondly, the shallow-draught vessel will be used as a cargo feeder into ‘hard-to-catch’ ports endemic in the region, enabling her to call at many ports where others cannot. She is even able to carry barges into anchorages and then allow them to float off and land on beaches. The implication of this, says Lars Greiner, MACS’ breakbulk manager, is that cargoes can now be carried from the US and Europe all the way to previously problematic ports such as Beira, Nacala, Mombasa, Tamatave and Tulear. Finally, the Cheyenne will be used as a regular feeder vessel on several large mining projects under way in Mozambique, Tanzania and Madagascar – still in line with MACS' East African Service but with the flexibility to also handle such demanding projects. The Cheyenne is back in Durban from Mombasa after a three-month deployment on a Far East project but will return to her original schedule of serving East Africa between Durban and Mombasa, Durban and Tamatave and regular way-port calls in the Mozambique channel. This, in MACS’ estimation, heralds the beginning of a ‘new era’ in African shipping.