Beira fishing port: Three boats still sunk – Noticias

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Beira fishing port: Three boats still sunk – Noticias

4:19 CAT | 02 Feb 2021

Photo: Noticias

Low tides are making it difficult to re-float the three vessels which sank in the Beira Fisheries Port during the passage of Tropical Cyclone Eloise on January 23. The director of the fishing port, António Remédio, yesterday told Noticias that the tides are giving divers great difficulty in mooring the vessels in question.

“The divers do not even want to hear about any movement in that space, even if the instructions come from port management. But everything indicates that, starting today (yesterday), the tides will improve and make operations much easier,” Remédio said.

One 60-metre and two 42-metre vessels docked in the port on January 23, without the knowledge of the local authorities. As a result of Eloise’s 120 km/h winds, gusting up to 150 km/h, the boats took on water, even damaging parts of the port infrastructure.

To re-float the boats, two cranes and a fire-fighting vehicle have been positioned in the complex, for an operation described by the maritime authorities as quite delicate, and with no declared deadline.

There is an unusual amount of activity in the port on the part of various entities, including the National Public Salvation Service [SENSAP], technicians from the Maritime Administration, the National Institute of Hydrography and Navigation [INAHINA] and the Lacustrine and River Police.

The vessels, which went to Beira to obtain fishing licenses, were moved by their pilots to the Fishing Port, supposedly for safety reasons.

Although the incident did not cause any injury, material damage to the port infrastructure has affected the docking of other vessels.

Nonetheless, the port, which has docking capacity for 16 vessels, continues to operate normally, according to director António Remédio.

Source: Noticias