BUSY START TO 2019 FOR ETV ‘S.A. AMANDLA’

In partnership with the South African Department of Transport (DOT) and the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA), AMSOL provides an essential service to the maritime sector with the availability of the tug ‘S.A. Amandla’, stationed to respond to marine emergencies along the Southern African coastline.

Recent operations undertaken by the highly experienced Master, Officers and Crew onboard the ‘S.A. Amandla’ include:

 

January: 2019 began with the ‘S.A. Amandla’ sailing at full speed from her salvage station in Durban to a position off the South African West Coast to attend to the disabled chemical vessel ‘Atlantic Voyager’ which had anchored close inshore. The tug reached the casualty on the 3rd of January and immediately connected and commenced towing to Durban where the convoy arrived on the 11th of January.

The tug then proceeded south down the coast to Algoa Bay to assist the bulk carrier ‘Simge Aksoy’ which was at anchor with a damaged rudder. AMSOL assisted in facilitating the provision of a Transnet National Port Authority (TNPA) harbour tug out of Port Elizabeth to tow the ‘Simge Aksoy’ into the safe anchorage of Algoa Bay until the

‘S.A. Amandla’ arrived on the 12th of January. The tug then connected to the ‘Simge Aksoy’ and delivered the vessel to Durban on 23rd of January. This operation was a wonderful example of the collaboration and partnership between TNPA, DOT, SAMSA, AMSOL and other relevant parties.

March: In the first week of March, the ‘S.A. Amandla’ sailed from Cape Town to attend to the fully laden bulk carrier ‘Pacific Queen’ which was immobilized in harsh weather conditions 1200 nautical miles west of Cape Town. The tug reached the ‘Pacific Queen’ on the 8th of March, connected the disabled vessel and commenced towing to Saldanha Bay where Port entry was secured on the 29th March with the support of TNPA; the tug provided standby services during April.