Rocks cause of repeated damage to ferry

AN UNDERWATER survey of the harbour at Robben Island has revealed an outcrop of rocks which has been the cause of repeated damage to the R26 million Sikhululekile tourist ferry.

It appears the previous Robben Island Museum management did not know about the rocky outcrops in Robben Island’s Murray’s Bay harbour, and so failed to specify that the ferry it commissioned should have a shallow draught.

The Sikhululekile ferry, which has been out of operation for nearly a year, is to be sold. Because of its deeper draught, it is likely to continue being damaged on the harbour rocks if it is kept in service.

The tender for a new vessel stipulated that it would need to be able to operate in Murray Bay, so will have to have a shallower draught than the Sikhululekile vessel.

Robben Island Museum spokesman Quinton Mtyala said yesterday the current museum management had been worried about the possibility of rocks in the harbour for some time because of the repeated damage to the ferry’s hull, which appeared to coincide with low tides.

The museum initially asked the SA Navy and police divers to survey the harbour in February and in May last year. These surveys showed submerged “obstacles”, but lacked detail.

In June and July, the Council for Geoscience was commissioned to survey the harbour and found two rocky outcrops, one in the middle of the harbour and another near the entrance.

“It is not something that can be blasted because they are outcrops of rocks and, also, it is in a sensitive environment,” Mtyala said. He said the rocks posed no

It is not a thing that can be blasted as they are outcrops of rocks

problems to the Dias and the Susan Kruger, the two other ferries used by the museum management. These both have shallower draughts.

Asked why the previous management had not considered doing a survey before commissioning the expensive ferry, Mtyala said he was not in a position to comment.

Mtyala said the three boats together were valued at R31.6m. The market would determine the selling price of the Sikhululekile ferry. The sale would take time because of legal requirements under the Public Finance Management Act.

The tender for a replacement was published in October. “The tender was to build or to acquire a new ferry.”

Tourists to Robben Island on board the Susan Kruger were held up this week when the vessel stopped halfway through the trip because of a malfunctioning radar.

The ferry was delayed for two hours, with the result that some tourists with tight time schedules had been unable to tour the island.