Wharf Rat Diary

11 Feb 2000 - By Staff reporter

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An item of hot gossip doing the rounds (at least it was hot in Dbn; to us sophisticates in Jhb it was old news) was the Polaris/Kien Hung divorce nisi, becoming absolute in 30 days. Those involved are grim-faced and tight-lipped, but my sources tell me that one of the reasons was the impending move by the Taiwanese to their own little nest, allegedly already set up in Bruma; Polaris were I think also miffed that a planned trade expansion involving India might conflict with Gold Star. What might not be general knowledge at the time of writing is the rumour that Kien Hung were caught on the back foot by our Phil's decisive action and, worried about getting a reputation as a bit of a take-away (geddit?) have begged to be taken back into the Polaris fold. Again rumour has it that an arrangement has been struck, but Phil was heard to be muttering darkly Not for long, not for long...

We are barely a month into the year, and already contestants are lining up for the millennium Dof of the Year competition. First off the starting block (and this I could've guessed) is my old friend Simon Avis at Nomad Freight. Simon has many excellent qualities, but sometimes common sense isn't one of them and so it came as no surprise to hear that whilst driving recently he placed his very fancy cell phone on the dash board of his Land Rover only to see it slide along and disappear out of the open window. Goodbye to R7500. Someone else who is also coincidentally down the same amount is Glynis (Spanner Eyes) Bailey from Metmar. Whilst on holiday in Colorado (she likes stallions) La Bailey went skiing; misreading 'on the piste' for 'on the piss', she departed from the beaten track and wrapped herself around the only tree in Colorado. In her case the money was spent in ER getting a broken wrist and a torn leg tendon sorted. Information about other contenders will be gratefully received...

I for one believe Cosren is the poorer for the departure of Diann Crous who has left to commence a new venture. Back from a well-earned break in the US, I tell her that my lasting impression of her previous job will be the Xmas breakfast held at Wanderers. Breakfast was a slightly elastic term in that some of us finished up at 6pm; Crous did a runner during the course of the festivities and left me holding a large bill for champagne, all of which was drunk by Carl Durrant and Don Strachan, not me. She tells me that, with the collapse of Nantai, a consortium of Asian businessmen have identified a niche and have formed South Bay Line, for whom the SA agents will be Pegasus and Diann the sales & marketing manager. Initially the operation will be run as an NVOCC with all types of goodies in store for later on; alas I have been sworn to secrecy for the time being, but all will be revealed in due course...

As I said last week, I try to give credit where due and the announcement by the bulk/ breakbulk carriers regarding the possible implementation of detention, load terms and deadfreight is in my opinion not only justified but long overdue. Whilst Portnet will always come under attack, they are not by any means the sole cause of the interminable delays suffered by the operators - delays which, let me remind you, no container carrier would ever tolerate. I hear that some of the bulk mineral shippers, for example, adopt a blasŽ attitude to the accuracy of their bookings and tend to rely on the knowledge that their business is big enough to protect them from the enforcement of claims. I know rail transport and wagon availability isn't the easiest logistical operation to control, but the main problem seems to be that shippers show little or no interest in keeping the lines up to speed as to cargo movement, possible delays etc and tend to work on the principle that it's best to get the ship in first and worry about the cargo later. Not all shippers are to blame, but a bad couple of apples spoils the barrel for the rest of us...