Smit Amandla responds to maritime emergency and averts grounding!

Jul 31, 2007
Author: Clare Gomes

The National Department of Transport’s proactive protection of the marine environment through their long term investment in the Standby Tug Contract – held by SMIT – again ‘paid dividends’ last night (30 July) whilst most of Cape Town was totally unaware of the drama that was unfolding a few miles off the coast between Camps Bay and Llandudno.

Car carrier Tigris Leader, built in 1983 and flagged in Singapore, suffered engine failure off the coast last night and the powerful salvage tug Smit Amandla was called in to assist. As the car carrier drifted closer and closer to the rocky coastline, the Smit Amandla left Port (Cape Town) within 20 minutes of the callout and was sailing at full power to reach the casualty and avert disaster.

Boasting a team of professional mariners, the Master, Officers and Crew aboard the SMIT Amandla Marine owned tug have years of experience along the South African coast and have assisted in providing emergency response on countless occasions. Last night, this expertise was tested and the team managed to connect up to the stricken Tigris Leader (DWT 11,440) when she was just a ˝ a nautical mile off the rocky coast, thereby preventing the vessel from running aground on this pristine part of our coastline. Master of the Smit Amandla, Captain Kevin Tate, and his team towed the car carrier away from the coast during the night: a swift response to a dire emergency ensured that both the National Department of Transport and the South African Maritime Safety Authority have another ‘averted disaster’ to add to their records.

Congratulations to the team aboard the Smit Amandla and to all others who bring life to the National Department of Transport’s desire to protect our coastline.