Cape Dreams News from in and around the Cape
Picture and story by Herman R Gibbs
The attempt to salvage the stranded Japanese fishing vessel, the Eihatsu Maru, will continue into Friday.
The vessel ran aground on Clifton Beach in heavy fog early Saturday morning.
The salvage team on Wednesday welded a bracket onto the vessel that can withstand the needed pull force, as well as transferring 90 – 110 tonnes of diesel fuel from the vessel, to the bladder on the beach, to a fuel tanker which will remove it to the harbour.
Traffic Services has been requested to assist in securing permanent access on the road for the fuel tanker to park at the most efficient point for fuel loading.
Disaster Risk Management Centre officials, Environmental Officers, Law Enforcement Officers and Fire staff are on-site and will remain there until a successful salvage attempt has been effected.
The salvage team will attempt to tow the vessel off the beach on Friday, once the fuel has been removed and the bracket secured.
The City wishes to advise motorists that delays will be experienced along Victoria Road in the vicinity of the stricken vessel as a result of the positioning of three tankers that will be used for decanting. Traffic Officers and Law Enforcement Officers have been deployed to regulate traffic in an attempt to minimise the impact on normal traffic flow in the area.
