Port Elizabeth ABYC scars healing slowly
Dec 04
On Monday night 26 October 2009 Mother Nature through her toys out the cot and for lack of better words completely wrecked the marina. The moorings were bent and broken, a total of 5 yachts sank and just about every other boat and yacht suffered some form of damage.
Yesturday 03 December 2009 I was invited down to the Algoa bay Yacht club to have a look at how things have progressed since the windy tantrum. The marina is looking allot better then it did thanks to some good old fashion hard work and planning. The first step was to clear the water of floating debris and establishing which yachts sank and where. Then came the retrieval of broken marine sections and divers sweeping the marine floor, marking equipment and sunken Yachts with buoys.
Twenty three yachts were identified to be taken out of the water, by the ABYC Disaster Management Committee under the guidance of Vice Commodore, Sean Wiseman. Protec made their 100 ton crane and staff available for the lifting of the yachts and Stu Davidson’s Load Bed assisted in taking the Yachts to land provided by the NPA.
The cost to repair the marine… R4.2 million, coupled with yacht owners now also having to contend with repairs, insurance excesses and increased insurance premiums.
The scars of this incident will still take a long time to heal, but, they will heal.
It is sad seeing all those craft battered and brused. And this with summer on our doorstep.
It is very sad indeed. I was looking forward to sailing very much