14 August 2008
Cape Town — Huge logs lost overboard from a bulk carrier have washed ashore along the Cape coast, presenting a severe danger to water sports enthusiasts and small boats.
On Wednesday the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) added its voice to warnings that people should keep a sharp lookout for the logs, which weigh between eight and 20 tons.
The logs were lost overboard by the bulk carrier Lola on Saturday night.
The SA Maritime Safety Authority (Samsa) has estimated that between 200 and 300 of these tropical hardwood logs have ended up in the sea.
The salvage tug Smit Amandla was posted as a sentry to keep an eye on the logs, which measure between six and 10 metres in length.
A salvage company, Svitzer Salvage, has been appointed to hunt them down and collect them, but the logs have spread over a vast area at sea off Robben Island and are difficult to spot in the water, as most of them float very low in the water.
Samsa spokesperson Saleem Modak said earlier this week that navigation warnings were being issued on a regular basis to alert ships at sea.
Logs have been seen floating as far as Dassen Island and Yzerfontein to the north and Hout Bay and Kommetjie to the south, said NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon.
A log had washed ashore at Granger Bay on Wednesday afternoon, he said.
Lambinon said anyone spotting a log can contact Svitzer Salvage on 021 4086710 and they will deploy a recovery team to deal with the matter.
The company is using fixed wing aircraft and helicopters to spot the logs and alert recovery teams.
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