Samsa accepts R3m salvage loss

The owner of the Japanese fishing vessel Eihatsu Maru, which recently ran aground in Cape Town, has offered to pay R4 million for salvage costs, the Cape Times reported on Monday.
SA Maritime Safety Authority regional manager Gustav Louw said it would accept the offer of US495 000 (about R4.16m), even though it cost R7m to pull the liner off Clifton beach last month.
"We would be lucky if we got US500 000 (about R4.21m) from a judicial sale, and it could be less. And then the court costs are high, and it takes time. Also, the vessel's 28 years old and it's damaged, it's been on the rocks and bounced off onto the sand, so you're looking at about US$1m (about R8.42m) to repair it."
The vessel ran aground in thick fog on May 12.
Rescuers had to drain the ship of diesel fuel to make it lighter, and had to wait for the tides to co-operate in salvage efforts.
The team also had to weld a bracket onto the ship, strong enough to withstand pull forces by a trawler.