RAY SMUTS
MISFORTUNE has once again struck the 32 629gt container ship Sea-Land Express, a mere four months after running aground off Cape Town and in so doing, incurring a hefty salvage bill in addition to becoming a major tourist attraction.
The vessel is reported to have hit a gantry crane at Newport News in the American state of Virginia, causing damage some sources estimate at around $1 million.
Owned by US Ship Management Inc, the Sea-Land Express was on charter to Maersk Sealand at the time of the Cape Town beaching.
It emerged at a disaster management conference in the Mother City last week that the vessel had been so firmly stuck even the highly experienced Dutch salvors trying to refloat it had given up.
The US Coast Guard has yet to release its independent enquiry into the mishap but the final report of the South African Maritime Safety Authority (Samsa) points a finger at both the crew of the vessel and National Port Authority traffic control staff (FTW January 9/16, 2004).
