Protecting and Indemnity Kenya Limited

local advice

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The Port of Mombasa

Working Conditions and Matters to Observe.

･Berthing Delays

Of late, there have been a number of cargo operation delays, mostly for bulk carriers and tankers, although not so much for container ships. This causes a number of vessels to stay outside the port limits (OPL), drifting in the outer roads, because there is no safe anchorage near the port entrance – otherwise, the port is operational 24/7/365.

Berthing delays are due mainly to low labour productivity for bulk cargo discharge and general cargo discharge, although steel products in heavy coils and project cargoes are handled very fast.

Dry Bulk cargoes - Cement Clinker, Coal, Fertilizers, Grain, Sugar and others, are delayed due to reasons other than the weather. Warehouse space or cargo documentation delays are sometimes given as reasons for berthing delays.

There are Berths No. 3 and 4 which are considered as dedicated Bulk Grain Handling Terminals, with capacity of discharging upto 10,000 tonnes per 24 hours using two or three Marine Legs at a time.

However, the alternative is to discharge grain into portable Bagging Plants standing on the quayside, using ship’s cranes and grabs, from which the bags are loaded onto road transport trucks for direct delivery to the consignee’s warehouse. This system has a capacity of discharging up to 3000 tonnes per 24 hours, weather permitting.

The last alternative for discharging bulk grain cargoes is to use grabs and discharge directly into tipper trucks which are then delivered to the consignee’s warehouse through weigh-bridges.

Tankers are delayed due to lack of “ullage” in the shore tanks, therefore, after each tanker cargo discharge, the following tanker has to wait for the shore tanks to be emptied to create “ullage”.

Cargo discharge outturn for dry bulk cargoes is by Draft Survey, in addition to the Shore Scale figures given at the Bulk Grain terminal.

･Maximum Draft at bulk cargo berths.

Between 2012 and 2013, the navigation channel of the port of Mombasa was dredge down to 14m depth at low water (Chart Datum), but draft limitation is still to be observed alongside bulk cargo berths No. 1 to 10, for vessels arriving with a maximum draft of over 10.00m, which must berth with the rising tide, according to the Harbour Master’s instructions. We have seen cases of vessels arriving with drafts of 10.50m, 11.00m and 11.50m which sit on the ground at low water, spring tides, making it dangerous for the loaded vessel damaging herself. The common belief, according to many local agents, that the vessel will be able to discharge enough cargo in six hours to be able to remain afloat at the next low tide is totally unfounded. The vessel normally sits on soft mud, and divers’ inspections have not shown any serious damages to ship’s bottoms.

･Port Security

Although there is so much media hype and reports on the Somali related terrorism, like Al Shabaab attacks and police response to such attacks - these attacks mostly occur in the outskirts of the town of Mombasa. The port area is very secure, since Mombasa is ISPS Code compliant and strict security is maintained all the time. We would, therefore, advise that ship’s crew should refrain from roaming around aimlessly when ashore. The local ship’s agents will be able to advise the areas presently under police surveillance.

･Pirates.

It is common knowledge now that Somali pirate activities have quietened down, since 2012, with very few reported cases, but this should not discourage shipowners from maintaining vigilance at sea, in the Western Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden, and complying with the BMP4 guidelines. Most vessels still arrive here with Armed Guards on board.

The recent events off the coast of Puntland where a small oil tanker was captured by Somali pirates in March 2017 confirms piracy is still active in Gulf of Aden, after a lull.

･Stowaways.

In general, we would advise Masters and their crews to keep a keen watch on possible stowaways, and carry out thorough search before sailing from the port. We have found that those ships which do not have tight security on board end up reporting stowaways after they have sailed from Mombasa, which will result in waste of time and money trying to land them from outer roads (outside port limits). Local ship’s agents very often recommend the employment of shore security guards while in port, but some Master refuse to heed their advice, which invariably results in stowaway incidents. The “dog search services” for stowaways, particularly in Car Carriers, have not been successful in Mombasa, unlike South African ports. We have seen cases of stowaway being found on board ships at sea after the vessel has sailed, having carried out “dog search” before sailing.

･Other matters to look out for while at the port.

We often advise ship’s crew to keep a strict watch on the cargo operations, particularly when handling containers and steel products, pipes and project cargoes where a very high rate of accidents normally occur, some are fatal, involving stevedores as well as crew members. Some shipowners/charterers are known to enforce their own stevedore working practices in order to avoid accidents resulting in cargo damages, damages to the vessels and to the crew and stevedore personnel.

There have also been cases where ships cranes have collapsed, partly because of the careless handling or lack of experience or drunkenness, by the stevedore’s crane drivers, but mainly due to the failure of topping lift winch brakes or horizontal limit switches, failing to cut off power when the crane is lowered below the horizontal limit. We have seen crane jibs collapsing forcing vessels to hire shore cranes.

Loss of use of ship’s cranes will always cause loss of time and money in hiring shore cranes and/or shifting vessel to other berths where cargo can be handled using shore gantry cranes (for containers) or crawler cranes (for general cargoes).

･Liability for damages to port equipment by vessels.

The Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) always deny liability for the damage of ship’s cranes and equipment, but they always hold the vessel fully responsible for the damages to their equipment, if caused by the failure of ship’s crane, even if driven by their own shore crane drivers, namely; when shore forklift trucks fall down when put on board for cargo work. There have been cases of vessels being detained from sailing until some security is put in place for repair or replacement of such equipment, the cost of which is always exaggerated. P & I Club Letters of Undertaking (LOUs) are not accepted sometimes, in favour of Bank guarantees, which takes time to put in place.

Damages to quay walls are also common, because of carelessness of Tug Masters who force ships against the quaywall when not listening to Pilot’s instructions. Again the KPA are of the opinion that their Pilots are not responsible for any damages since they are there to advise the Master only, and it is up to the Master to take action to avoid accidents. We have had long arguments with the Harbour Master about this but they maintain their stand.