Row over R18m damage to ship in Cape dry dock

A 2 400-TON ship is at the centre of a row over R18-million damage it sustained in an embarrassing dry dock blunder at the Cape Town harbour.

The Malaysian-owned Go Regulus suffered damage to her bow and stern when a caisson gate in the Sturrock dry dock prematurely opened while part of the dock was filling up.

Water flooding into the dock resulted in a knock-on effect as the Go Regulus collided with the ships docked behind and in front of her.

Ironically‚ just two weeks earlier, the vessel’s hull was damaged in the same dry dock after staff mixed up the docking blocks‚ causing a series of hull indentations.

Following the December incident, the vessel was marooned in the nearby Robinson dry dock for several weeks while the Transnet National Port Authority and ship repairers tussled over the repair bill.

The ship has since been moved‚ but TNPA has refused to accept liability for the incident.

TNPA Cape Town port manager of continuous improvement Tolane Kotsi would not be drawn on the issue of a payment dispute with ship repairer Elgin‚ Brown and Hamer South Africa (EBH SA).

He confirmed only that the Go Regulus had been served notice to vacate the dry dock and that the owners had requested a further 14 days.

Sources said TNPA appeared to be hiding behind a disclaimer signed by the shipyard rather than owning up to apparent negligence. – TMG Digital/TimesLIVE