Missed window slot adds up to 124-hour delay

RAY SMUTS LESSER PUBLICISED than wind or congestion delays but equally frustrating are missed window slots, the Lars Maersk falling victim to a berth delay of 124 hours at the end of April – more than ten times the current average for the Cape Town container terminal. The explanation, says business unit manager Oscar Borchards, is simple. “She was out of her slot, about three days late, and we could not dock her on April 27 as the terminal had to contend with two other large arrivals by MOL and Maersk Line between mid-week and the weekend. “As Lars Maersk was too late for her schedule, we agreed with Maersk Line to dock her on May 2 to allow for all of her 900-odd reefers (mainly fruit) to arrive at the terminal. “It was certainly a big delay but had Lars Maersk come in on April 27 all her reefers would not have been at the terminal.” The terminal was also affected by one of the six gantry cranes out of commission to replace spreader cables and undergo urgent maintenance.