Bobby Jordan
5 December 2004
Johannesburg — Safety and immigration authorities resist millionaire's plan to ferry luxury liner's passengers ashore for a party in Plettenberg Bay
'It could have great spin-offs. Obviously the people on board are people who would most probably spend some dollars in our area'
A WEALTHY retired businessman has sailed into choppy waters over a plan to moor one of the world's most exclusive ships close to his holiday home in Plettenberg Bay.
Ronnie Lubner, former chairman of the PG Group, the glass company that earns R2-billion a year in revenue, is one of an elite group of people from around the world who own designer vacation apartments - priced at $1.3-million to $7.5-million - aboard The World.
The ship, which has visited 54 countries this year and is advertised as a "private community at sea" offering "a lifestyle of adventure and discriminating luxury", will be docking at major harbours in South Africa within the next three weeks.
But the Sunday Times established this week that immigration and maritime officials are resisting its plans to drop anchor off Plettenberg Bay because the town is not an official port of entry into South Africa.
Lubner and invited guests plan to go ashore in a fleet of inflatable Zodiac boats to have a party at his holiday mansion at Keurboomstrand. Other guests - whose identities are closely guarded by the ship's agents - have also made plans to disembark and catch flights or take "overland safaris" at game reserves.
The stopover plans have prompted frantic last-minute negotiations between the ship's two clearance officers, immigration officials, the Department of Home Affairs and the South African Maritime Safety Authority.
The head of communications at Home Affairs, Nkosana Sibuyi, confirmed that the department had received a request for an "exemption" for the vessel to stop at Plettenberg Bay and Mossel Bay.
"Our national immigration branch in Pretoria is looking into the request and this will be dealt with on its own merits. We should be in a position to communicate to the Lubner family as soon as that decision is taken," Sibuyi said.
Pressure in support of the stopover is mounting from influential residents of Plettenberg Bay who say the ship's visit would be a major boost for local tourism.
Lubner's nephew, Tony Lubner, this week confirmed his family's efforts to secure the Plett stopover. He said he had been asked to provide boats to transfer passengers.
"The only problem that they were having, which I don't think is major, is that of immigration. They are saying that Plett and Mossel Bay are not official ports," he said.
"It's important that these boats do come in. I don't think the vessels that have come in here [in the past] have been this fancy. This is about as fancy as it gets," Lubner said, adding that he had taken the matter up with heavyweights in South African tourism.
Ronnie Lubner, he said, wanted his visit to remain a private affair.
Plettenberg Bay's National Sea Rescue Institute station commander, Ray Farnham, said: "There is an inquiry at the moment. They are trying to get all the legalities sorted out. These guys don't want to miss Plett."
Lubner is a popular figure in Plettenberg Bay, where he and his family regularly meet for Christmas.
E-mail correspondence, seen by the Sunday Times, between the ship's onboard clearing officer, Karla Kujat, the Maritime Safety Authority and the Plettenberg Bay town council reveal details of an elaborate plan to disembark passengers, with special provision for the safety of tipsy guests.
A fleet of Zodiacs was already on standby for the Lubner party, the correspondence said, as well as standby boat crews on the beach.
An e-mail from the regional safety authority chief, Dave Manley, to the ship's agent, Shirley Schmidt, said: "It is foreseeable that one or more of the passengers may not be able to look after themselves after the party. The ship is to ensure that crew are available to escort these passengers back to the ship."
Bitou (Plettenberg Bay) council's head of corporate services, Carl Mattheus, said the ship's visit would be a welcome bonus for the local economy.
"In principle we're quite excited. It could have great spin-offs. Obviously the people on board are people who would most probably spend some dollars in our area," he said. Plettenberg Bay had welcomed other liners in the past, he added.
The World can accommodate 657 people. It has 12 decks and 106 luxury apartments with two or three bedrooms with kitchen, living room, dining area, veranda and optional jet pool. There are also 19 studio apartments and 40 studios. Facilities include a casino, a golf driving range, a library, an art gallery, a full-size tennis court, a retractable marina and four restaurants.
Four South African families are reported to own or rent apartments but the ship's agents will not name them.
The Maritime Safety Authority's national chief, Captain Bill Dernier, said tough new international rules might explain the hold-up over Lubner's landing.
"It's a whole new ball game now with a whole new security regime. [Other vessels] have done [impromptu stopovers] once or twice and not asked permission and we've come down on them like a ton of bricks," he said.
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