Competitive price wins biggest ship repair job for SA

ONE OF the biggest ships to have entered Richards Bay arrived late last month for permanent repairs to her hull, which was damaged in a collision with a tug in an undisclosed overseas port, ironically as the-ship was leaving the dry dock.
The 276 068 gt Harrier is 340 m long and 54.4 m wide. Coupled to her draught of 21.4 m this makes her one of the largest ships ever to have entered a South African port for repairs. The vessel is owned by the American Mobil Shipping & Transportation Co.
A KwaZulu Natal-based ship repair company International Marine and Construction (IMAC) was awarded the contract, which is being undertaken within the port of Richards Bay. To facilitate the work a mini dry dock has been manufactured by IMAC, and this acts as a sort of coffer dam which has been attached to the side of the vessel by a team of underwater divers, permitting workmen dry access to the area requiring repairs.
It is understood the contract was awarded to a South African company based on the cost-effectiveness of the job being done here. The repairs were scheduled to take about a week to complete.
BY TERRY HUTSON