Shipping

Dockyard readies vessels to send cargo to NE

General cargo vessels MV. Maga and MV. City of Dublin, both local registered vessels deployed in carrying essential cargo to the North were damaged when they were caught to cyclonic weather during the last week of November 2008.

Due to this emergency situation the cargo transfer to the North was halted as both the vessels that were operational had been damaged, resulting in a crisis situation which was further aggravated by the New Year Seasonal cargo also needed to be transferred without delays. To address this crisis situation Colombo Dockyard prioritized these drydocking as a national requirement to serve the masses.

An emergency drydock slot was allocated for MV. City of Dublin after re-scheduling planned vessels with the concurrence of other owners.

MV. City of Dublin owned locally had sustained bottom damages, resulting in owners to place the vessel in Colombo for bottom inspection and temporary repairs. Due to adverse sea conditions, the vessel has contact damage to her hull. Initial underwater survey reports indicating that with temporary repairs in drydock the vessel could be placed back in operation.

The vessel was accommodated in Drydock No. 03 for 4 days to carry out temporary bottom repairs on a priority status.

The repairs were completed successfully allowing the vessel to go for loading essential cargo needed during the New Year season.

MV. Maga also owned locally had also sustained bottom damages, specifically to her rudder. The damages sustained by the vessel were complicated and needed attention from our specialist repair teams. The rudder repairs to MV. Maga were completed and she has also proceeded to loading berth recently.

Since the inception in 1974 this marine engineering outfit has managed to grow from its humble beginnings to a versatile player serving the nation as she spearheads the frontiers of Sri Lankan Industrialisation. As always Colombo Dockyard PLC joins in serving the nation in her own small way - "the odyssey of excellence continues."

APL France visits Colombo

"APL France" of the American President Line and now owned by APL Company Ltd., a mega vessel of 9000 containers arrived at the Jaya Container Terminal (JCT) of Colombo Harbour recently. The vessel built in 2007, having a length of 320 meters, operates for the SCX (South China Europe Express) service.

Since the signing of the Exclusive Terminal Service agreement recently, "APL France" is the 5th vessel for 2009 calling at JCT - Colombo. The previous vessel "APL Los Angeles" berthed at JCT on 16th January completed with a pleasing productivity level of 34 crane moves per hour, having reached over 140 vessel moves per hour at times utilizing 03 quay cranes.

APL Company (Pte) Ltd., having APL Lanka (Pvt) Ltd., as it's local agent is one of the several mega carriers who have signed exclusive TSAs with JCT - Sri Lanka, Ports Authority for 2009. To mark the inaugural call of APL France under this new service at JCT a plaque exchange was also held on board the vessel between Chairman of SLPA Dr. Priyath Bandu Wickrama and the Ship's Master Capt. Vladimir Krivets.

Managing Director of SLPA Capt. Nihal Keppetipola, Director (Operations) U. Bopitiya, Snr. Deputy Harbour Master Capt. A. Hewavitharana, Managing Director of the local agents of APL Lanka (Private) Limited Elias Y Abraham, Manager Operations Rohan Jaseph, a number of higher officers of SLPA and representatives of APL Lanka (Private) Limited were also present at the occasion.

CDL patronises dry docking for damaged vessels

General cargo vessels MV. Maga and MV. City of Dublin, both local registered vessels deployed in carrying essential cargo to the North were damaged when they were caught to cyclonic weather during the last week of November 2008.

The damaged vessel

Due to this emergency situation the cargo transfer to the North was halted as both the vessels that were operational had been damaged, resulting in a crisis situation which needed to be transferred without delays.

To address this crisis situation Colombo Dockyard (CDL) prioritised these drydocking as a national requirement to serve the masses. An emergency drydock slot was allocated for MV. City of Dublin after re-scheduling planned vessels with the concurrence of other owners.

MV. City of Dublin owned locally had sustained bottom damages, resulting in owners to place the vessel in Colombo for bottom inspection and temporary repairs. Due to adverse sea conditions, the vessel has contact damage to her hull. Initial underwater survey reports indicating that with temporary repairs in drydock the vessel could be placed back in operation.

The vessel was accommodated in Drydock No. 03 for four days to carry out temporary bottom repairs on a priority status. The repairs were completed successfully allowing the vessel to go for loading essential cargo needed during the New Year season. MV. Maga also owned locally had also sustained bottom damages, specifically to her rudder. The damages sustained by the vessel were complicated and needed attention from our specialist repair teams. The rudder repairs to MV. Maga were completed and she has also proceeded to loading berth on the 14th of January 2009.

Since the inception in 1974 this marine engineering outfit has managed to grow from its humble beginnings to a versatile player serving the nation as she spearheads the frontiers of Sri Lankan Industrialisation. As always Colombo Dockyard PLC joins in serving the nation in her own small way - "the odyssey of excellence continues."

Regional ports-loss making

All Sri Lankan regional ports are loss-making and supported by earnings from Colombo harbour, Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) sources said.

The dock workers to set aside political and other differences and work to make ports profitable, saying they too would ultimately benefit, the sources said.

"What is required is a change in attitude. If this can be done then we're confident of being able to turn Galle into a profitable port." said a top SLPA official.

The Government had raised the salaries of port workers and ensured them a decent living standard. If you can make the port profitable, then I assure you, we will make sure that you too will get your fair share of the benefits, an official said.

Sri Lankan ports are hugely overstaffed after successive Governments stuffed them with supporters in order to win votes under the system of patronage politics practised in the island, he said. Ports customers also complain that productivity at the island's ports are not as good as that in competing ports.

Total container traffic falls

Container throughput at US ports fell by 4.7 per cent in 2008 against 2007, with last year's sharpest decline recorded in the fourth quarter at 7.3 per cent compared to the same quarter a year earlier, according to US Customs data.

The results showed that container traffic decreased in 11 out of 12 months during 2008 when compared to 2007, reports NBC news.

It said that total shipments for 2008 are the lowest since 2005, according to Zepol's US Customs database, which also shows that the nation's box traffic was down in 2006.

Plans afoot for new container terminal

The government will call for proposals from the private sector to build a container terminal planned to build next to Colombo Port before the end of January, a senior port official said.

According to the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) sources the Chairman Priyath Bandu Wickrema had requested for proposals (RFP) for the first terminal in the new south port project has been drawn up.

The port project has been delayed for several years and the shipping community in the island had repeatedly expressed concern about further delays in announcing the terminal tender.

The SLPA has finalised the RFP and we will call for tenders before the end of the month, to finalise the tender and award the contract before November 2009.

The terminal contract was cancelled more than a year ago when the government could not decide between the two main contenders, Port of Singapore Authority (PSA) and Hutchison Port Holdings of Hong Kong.