Anchors Away For Ships In A Twist

Newcastle Herald

Tuesday November 4, 2003

By JUSTIN VALLEJO

TWO 225-metre-long Panamax bulk carriers needing repairs remained in emergency berthings at West Basin 4 yesterday after losing their eight-tonne anchors on their way into Newcastle.

The World Romance docked yesterday where a $100,000 replacement anchor shipped in from Singapore was waiting to be attached.

It joined the Singaporean Cemtex Orient, after losing two anchors and cables about four days ago.

The Cemtex Orient has been docked since October 22.

A replacement anchor for the vessel was given by the Cemtex Century last week.

The crew is awaiting a replacement cable to arrive on Thursday before leaving for Taiwan on Friday.

An industry source said that because of the 12-wagon coal train derailment north of Singleton on October 24, coal movement into the Port of Newcastle had been slowed, causing congestion among ships waiting to berth.

That has forced them to anchor as far south as Catherine Hill Bay and further out to sea in about 80 or 90 metres of water, when they would usually drop anchor in about 30 metres.

Though the Cemtex Orient's crew would say nothing other than ``it was an accident" and that the weather was not involved in losing the anchors, Newcastle Port Marine foreman David McAllister put it down to crew inexperience.

``It may happen several times a year but not two boats at the same time with two lost anchors," Mr McAllister said.

``It is just one of those freak things that happens.

``But I heard the Cemtex Orient lost her anchors when she was dropping them, which could be due to a little inexperience in the crew.

``When dropping the anchors you can't stop them once all that chain gets going but every ship will have its own answers, because they will have to get it back in insurance."

It is not known whether the two carriers will try to retrieve the anchors.

The usual practice is to record the exact position where the anchor dropped so divers can return with satellite navigation to check the anchor's condition and, if they can afford it, send a salvage team to retrieve it.