EXTREME WEATHER along South Africa’s coastline last week proved extremely disruptive and in at least one case catastrophic for vessel traffic.

Panama-flagged general cargo vessel Ultra Galaxy beached itself on its side on 10 July, following the evacuation of 18 Filipino seafarers after its emergency beacon was activated.

None of the crew was reported injured after abandoning the 13,800 DWT Ultra Galaxy, which was listing excessively after being hammered by swells up to six metres and subsequently designated as “not under command”.

Led by the South African Maritime Safety Authority, salvage operations are currently ongoing to extract the ship’s contents, comprising mainly low sulphur fuel, hydraulic oils, and a shipment of fertilizer.

As of the latest update, SAMSA says salvage workers are confronted by cold, wet, and windy conditions, in a coastal area characterised by a rocky landscape with stretches of soft sandy beaches. 

Earlier the 17,859 TEU CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin was reported to have suffered a loss of 44 containers while transiting along South Africa’s coast. 30 containers were also reported to have been damaged onboard.

Positively, no injury to the crew has been reported, along with no pollution, and no strong damage to the vessel which remains fully seaworthy.

CMA CGM said that after inspection, it was assessed that all containers lost at sea contained harmless goods and did not contain any dangerous cargo.

CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin is now anchored off Port Elizabeth, after which it will continue its voyage to Cape Town.

The recent extreme weather caused a halt to all vessels intending to round the Cape of Good Hope.

According to research from the London Stock Exchange, ships traversing the Cape were halted for several days, adding to congestion experienced as a result of the Red Sea diversions.

Fabrice Maille, global head of shipping & agriculture LSEG said on 10 July, “We have a complete stop at the Cape of Good Hope for containerships – east and west”.

“There is no significant change in Red Sea traffic so far, but several containerships have made turnarounds and/or are waiting off the coast of Durban.”

South Africa’s coast has seen an increase in traffic, as a number of major shipping lines choose to divert ships transiting between Europe and Asia away from the Red Sea, where attacks from the Houthis continue to plague vessels transiting the crucial maritime passage. Now, vessel operators face a stark dilemma; sail through the Red Sea, a shorter route for Europe-Asia transits, and face potential destruction from the Houthis, or sail through South Africa, a longer route, and risk the potential of extreme weather to cause delays, loss of cargo, or critical vessel damage.