Duncan dock traffic

Fishing vessel Kao Feng no 101 in Duncan dock

In the beginning of 2023 I was several weeks in Cape Town doing some remedial guarantee works as well as waiting for spares to get all gensets running properly (they had been buggered by bad quality fuel from Singapore) I had a lot of time on my hands to watch the world go by. Below are some visitors around the Duncan dock where we were alongside as well as from couple of other places I visited in the area.

IMO number: 8749420
Name: Kao Feng no 101
Ship Type: Fishing Vessel
Flag: Taiwan
Year of Build: 1990
Length Overall: 54.85 m
Beam: 8.90 m
Gross Tonnage 704

Kao Feng no 101 in Walvis Bay

Credit: David Silva (marinetraffic)

She was reported for illegal fishing to which the Taiwan Gov't issued a statement that she is indeed endorsed by both theirs and the Namibian Gov't as licensed to fish.

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Fishing vessel Yong Qing Fa no 666 (Kaohsiung, Taiwan)

As per vesselfinder and balticshipping there are some discrepancies regarding her name and flag changes. In pictures she's still Yong Qing Fa no.666 but according to vesselfinder she's New World 168.

IMO number: 8653061
Name of the ship: New World 168 (2019), ex Yong Qing Fa no.666 (?), Kuang Li (2018)
Flag and home port: Taiwan, Kaohsiung/ Mongolia
Ship Type: Fishing Vessel
Year of Build: 1989
Length Overall: 49.50 m
Gross tonnage: 462 tons

Year of build: 1989
Builder: Sen Koh Shipbuilding, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Owner: Kuang Li Fishery, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

In January 2020 acc. to this Stellamaris article, Yong Qing Fa no 666 had run out of water, food and fuel enroute from Senegal to Mauritius and took into Cape Town and was then subsequently detained there.

This fishing vessel (incl. others) seems to have gone over the media threshold with the Taiwanese fisheries officials issuing statements regarding her condition and circumstances. See the redacted excerpt (concerning her only)  from the Fisheries in response to an article by the Daily Maverick:

"The reports regarding the accusations towards Taiwan-Flagged fishing vessels released by the South African online news publisher, Daily Maverick. Fisheries Agency, Ministry of Agriculture, published on 20th December 2023.

Consequently, this reports is aiming to respond and explain the circumstances of these vessels, in addition to refute the false accusations made by the publisher. The detailed information regarding the mentioned vessels are as follows:

Allegation

Yong Qing Fa no 666:

After being penalized and revoked its fishing license by Fisheries Agency, the vessel was detained at the port in Cape Town with 2 Taiwan’s nationals and 4 Myanmar’s nationals onboard. The 4 Myanmar’s nationals had been repatriated on 20ᵗʰ March 2020 with the assistance of Taiwan’s government, which the relevant fee had been paid by the government.

Conclusion and Suggestion

In conclusion, regarding the 4 detained Myanmar’s nationals onboard Yong Qing Fa no.666 at the port in Cape Town, Fishery Agency had assisted the crew members in returning to their home country and paid for the relevant fee on the basis of humanitarian principles."

When I was passing her at several occasions I still saw there was Asian crew onboard, so I am not sure what has transpired except she had already sat a long time in port, personally I would not have taken her out to sea in the condition she was in. The number in her name does not bode well either...

Fishing vessel Yong Qing Fa no 666 (Kaohsiung, Taiwan)

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This one is interesting, a relatively new vessel with derricks, it seems that derricks are still the method of choice when unloading fish from fishing vessels into the mothership. They are probably very flexible to a small ship possibly heaving in a prevalent swell or rough seas alongside. The lifts are pretty small too so the derricks are fast and agile for that kind of operation.

Fishing vessel discharging into reefer vessel Yachiyo

IMO number: 9851581
Vessel Name: Yachiyo
Ship Type: Refrigerated Cargo Ship
Flag: Panama
Year of Build: 2019, Japan
Length Overall: 134.16 m
Beam: 20.20 m
Draught: 6.2m
Depth moulded: 10.3 m

Propulsion: 4550 kW

Hold capacity: 8027.2 cu.m. (8 holds)
Gross Tonnage: 6607

Summer DWT: 7275 t

Yachiyo in Kaohshiung, Taiwan, 2021

Credit: Ya Ray Yang (vesselfinder)

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m/y Blue Shadow

There was even a real yacht visiting Duncan dock for bunkers, I think. She has an interesting owner as per the investigative website Bellingcat. There are also many other articles popping up about the alleged owners when one queries the IMO number.

m/y Blue Shadow

IMO number: 1005136
Vessel Name: Blue Shadow, ex Golden Shadow
Ship Type: Yacht
Flag: Cayman Islands
Year of Build: 1995

Builder: Campbell Industries, San Diego CA, U.S.A.
Length Overall: 66.75 m
Beam: 12.21 m
Draught: 4.5m
Depth
Gross Tonnage: 1293

Summer DWT: 1016 t

m/y Blue Shadow in Valletta, 2019

Credit: Emmanuel L (shipspotting)

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Then at the end of the jetty there was this old hulk, she appeared to have been made out of wood so she could possibly be an old minesweeper. There was no name to be seen so the leads are scarce. In her current condition I think she's more of a project than a tool.

Unnamed vessel, looks more like a project

Unnamed vessel, looks more like a project

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As I saw her she was still floating, but by the time of writing this she has already been cut up at Alang shipbreakers. The tooth of time grinds on relentlessly.

S.A. Amandla deep sea tug

IMO number: 7385215
Vessel Name: Iconic 09, St Kitts & Nevis flag

Ex names: SA Amandla (2023), Smit Amandla (2017), John Ross (2003), SA John Ross (1977)
Ship Type: Offshore Tug/Supply Ship
Flag: Saint Kitts & Nevis
Keel laid/ launch: 25th Mar 1975, 8th Nov 1976
Scrapped: 25th Dec 2023 at Gohilvaad ship breaking premises, Alang, India

Builder: Elgin Brown & Hamer Ltd, Durban South Africa
Classification society: Bureau Veritas, later Lloyd's Register

Length Overall: 94.65 m

LBP: 85.00 m
Beam: 15.21 m
Depth: 8.60 m
Draft: 7.2 m
Gross tonnage: 2918 tons

Gross Tonnage: 2899
Deadweight: 2146 tons
Propulsion: Mirrlees x 2, KVMR16, 14118kW

Bollardpull: 185 t

John Ross ex S.A.John Ross 1976 James Brown Co Ltd-SAFMARINE

Credit: shipvault

Her eulogy in Shipbreaking bulletin no 71, July 2024

Credit: Robin des Bois

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Then here follows the regular cargo ships, they carry our daily necessities in containers and tanks. Big behemoths of the oceans, serving the nations and running the trade. Remember: no shipping - no shopping!

MSC Positano (Monrovia)

IMO number: 9154191
Vessel Name: MSC Positano
Ship Type: Container Ship
Flag: Liberia
Year of Build: 1997
Length Overall: 208.00 m
Beam: 29.80
Gross Tonnage 25996

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m/v Seadrive

IMO number: 9934137
Vessel Name: Seadrive
Ship Type: Chemical/Oil Products Tanker
Flag: Malta
Year of Build: 2022
Length Overall: 183.00m
Beam: 32.00 m
Gross Tonnage 29547

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m/v Raysut

IMO number: 9402225
Vessel Name: Raysut
Ship Type: Crude Oil Tanker
Flag: Panama
Year of Build: 2009
Length Overall: 243.80 m
Beam: 42.00 m
Gross Tonnage: 59262

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m/v Aegea (Valletta)

IMO number: 9326500
Vessel Name: Aegea
Ship Type: Chemical/Oil Products Tanker
Flag: Malta
Year of Build: 2008
Length Overall: 182.98 m
Beam: 32.20 m
Gross Tonnage 29683

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This one is so small and I think a converted fishing vessel, I am not able to find anything about her history or details.

m/v Guard

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Fishing fleet off Waterfront

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Finally, FPV Lilibet where I was onboard