The harsh weather hitting the southern African coastline has slashed the number of vessels arriving at the Cape of Good Hope by up to 80% on at least one day last week.
Clarksons reports that just 20 vessels were recorded arriving at the cape on 8 July, the fewest for any single day since at least October.
Only 40 ships were reported to have arrived at the tip of southern Africa on 9 July, before arrivals returned to more normal levels, data from the broker shows.
Shipowners tried to restore the flow of shipping at the cape nearer the weekend with 228 and 150 vessels arrivals reported for Thursday and Friday, respectively.
Late last week, AP Moller-Maersk said several ships had been affected by the rough weather, forcing it to rejig some vessel schedules in the region.
“The 6,014-teu CMA CGM Masai Mara (built 2023) has experienced delays into Cape Town due to the unfavourable sailing conditions from 7 July until 12 July caused by severe weather during this period,” Maersk said in customer advisory.
The Danish operator said it had also opted to change the schedules of the 5,466-teu CMA CGM Kribi (built 2014) and 4,250-teu CMA CGM Lebu (built 2010) in an attempt to “offer maximum coverage in South Africa and ensure weekly arrivals into Jebel Ali”.
“The CMA CGM Lebu will omit Cape Town and proceed to Port Elizabeth for the position of the CMA CGM Masai Mara, 16 July, the vessel will advance into Jebel Ali for the window in Jebel Ali for the 28 July. The CMA CGM Masai Mara will be delayed a week into Jebel Ali and arrive for the position on the 4 August,” Maersk said.
“The CMA CGM Kribi will take the berthing window of the 20 July in Cape Town, seven days later than the original position and Coega Port berthing is expected for the 25 July. The CMA CGM Kribi will be delayed by a week into Jebel Ali and arrive on 11 August,” the shipowner added.
The bout of harsh weather has already seen one vessel run aground and another lose more than 40 containers overboard.
CMA CGM said on Thursday that the 17,859-teu CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin (built 2015) had lost 44 containers, with another 30 damaged as a result of “unexpectedly strong weather conditions off the South African coast”.
The CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin is operated by CMA CGM as part of the Ocean Alliance’s Asia North Europe service (NEU 4), together with partners Cosco Shipping Lines, Orient Overseas Container Line and Evergreen Marine.
Vessel tracking data showed that some of the affected vessels paused their journeys to wait for the harsh weather to pass, while other ships appear to have taken wider routes around the African coast, Bloomberg reported.
Clarksons said traffic through the region has since picked up, but further adverse weather is expected this week.
