Both cranes break as port battles with aging equipment
(CNS): Both cranes at the Port Authority of the Cayman Islands on Grand Cayman failed last week, but one has now been repaired, allowing cargo operations to resume, PACI said in a release. The authority apologised to customers who experienced delays over the weekend but said that one crane was back in working order by Saturday afternoon, and the second is expected to be repaired this week. However, Port Director Paul Hurlston said in response to a CNS inquiry that PACI is battling with aging equipment.
Hurlston said it was “a very unusual occurrence of simultaneously having both cranes experience mechanical failure”, but port staff, with help from Thompson Shipping, were able to source parts quickly and get one of the cranes working on Saturday afternoon, 13 January, and resume operations. But the two cranes on Grand Cayman are 29 and 41 years old, and the one on Cayman Brac is 46 years old, and they need to be replaced.
He said the PACI board was aware of the problems, and the recent increase in fees will go towards replacing these aged cranes, which are critical to the port’s work, but it will take some time for the new container handling cranes to be acquired and phased in. Meanwhile, he said that everything was being done to keep the existing equipment operational.
PACI also confirmed that one of the port mechanics was injured over the weekend in a fall, but his injuries were not life-threatening. No other details were confirmed, but CNS understands the injury involved broken bones.
According to PACI statistics, the ports dealt with 288,340 tonnes of containerised cargo, a drop of more than 100,000 tonnes from 2022 figures. Cargo in containers accounts for almost half of the cargo tonnage that lands on the dock, with aggregate making up the rest. Last year, staff unloaded more than 21,000 twenty-foot containers, down from more than 22,700 containers in 2022.
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Category: Government Administration, Local News, Politics
Is this the same Port Authority which the Auditor General revealed spent over $50,000 on a Christmas Party?? Yet can’t afford new cranes?
They should take a cue from DEH and replace their expensive equipment “very regularly”. Hmmmm…..
Or the fire department with fire engines. Just operate them improperly, face no consequences and get shiny new toys.
Cranes cracking under relentless pressure. Just like the roads, water, sewer, electric and overall quality of life.
Too many people. Too many cars.
lack of investment and no proper planning….
remember this government wastes $1bn a year on literally nothing….
Ask the question. Where is the person/ maintenance man? Is he on the job working or absent as usual? Hired to work or spend time having fun.
So called ‘My Governnent’ too busy sniffing their own pockets than invest in their beloved ‘nation’ and ‘my’ ‘poeple’.
Why maintain, repair and replace critical equipment when you can spend it on fireworks instead. After all, if you run out of cash just increase freight charges
Can’t understand why those cranes are still on use. Don’t really know what type of cranes are being used at the port, but for heavy lifting cranes for the type of lifting done art the port the life span is normally icy shorter than what the age of PACÍ cranes are. Some additional info from he Firector may be useful in determining whether they are fit for purpose such as maintenance and part replacement schedule as well as inspections frequency, type and model of cranes and year of purchase,
https://www.dgcrane.com/posts/how-long-can-a-overhead-crane-last-what-affects-it/
If we’re being told that PACI aren’t bothering to track the age and state of our economy’s essential equipment, and following best practice maintenance schedules, just hoping someone will believe their obsolescence will result in automatic replacements, then grant them their wish: it proves that they can’t manage their own operation and those people in charge need to be replaced, before any equipment. Too much incompetence.
another glorious day for the civil service!!!!
The OLD AND HOLD board need to GO first. Let the now Port Director run the Port how it needs to be done instead of the board forever dipping and dipping into it he ran it good before under stress of that SAME OLD BOARD so in my opinion it’s the board that needs to wipe clean 🧽
Tell Kenny Mac and Saunders who have the board stacked with their hand picked members.
3rd world…
this tiny rock somehow wastes a $1bn+ per year…but can’t take care of the basics like port equipment?????
welcome to wonderland
Mate, we don’t even have a license plate printer at the moment. LMAO. This place is a clown show.
Licence plates were made in Canada.
Eh?
It’s much worst than even that mate. Have you noticed that Cayman Islands can not sell any magazines? It is too third world to Qualify for that. Too much corruption.
…what?
Is the driving licence Id printer was also broken down at all locations a few weeks ago
But our CIG official shindigs are world class though🤪🎶🍾🎇🎆
Privatize the port and let business people run an efficient business. This is from the same folks that gave you The Turtle Farm, CINICO, Cayman Air and the latest $100M dollar Brac HS. Total clown show.🤡🤡🤡
Let Dart run it, he practically runs Cayman anyway.
Yeah, privatize the main means of bringing survival essentials into the island. Makes perfect sense. 🙄 The clown emoji has never been more appropriate.
Board members on any government board who bully the HR manager of the entity they are involved with into hiring the ministers consituents no matter how unqualified they are should be charged criminally.
Remember this is the UDP in charge , with Mac’s business methods in full play .
There will be no consequences, as none of them have any shame or even understand duty and integrity.
5.33.. Please understand that these board members are personally appointed by Saunders, Mac and Kenny, and as such have their blessing to do their bidding.
A job at the country’s feeding trough ensures repeated votes from the family in their voting district, or that of the board member intending to run for office.
Those who have much to gain, will look the other way.
A national disgrace!! A laughing stock of the Caribbean.
I guess we will have to wipe our tears away with our laughing-stock currency worth multitudes more than that of the rest of the Caribbean (and literally most of the world).
Move the port. Now is the time.
They can and should have fixed the cranes. Fire the inept mgmt team and replace with competent transparent and accountable professionals. It’s not like we aren’t already paying twice as it is .
16 @ 6:25pm – Move to port to where???? We’ve been through this over and over!
Where else is a suitable port without massive dredging and destruction of the environment??
Oh, High Rock??? LOL!!
A 2 Billion dollar budget, and the most important revenue source for Government is using ageing equipment. You cannot make this up. Some heads need to be chopped.
Well, yea, the people running this show for the last three decades been ageing too.
But they have great Christmas parties!
and handbags and Football teams in England
But yet we spend 42 million dollars on a private airport and 5 million on a restaurant.
How about upgrading/expanding or build a new GT Hospital.
All you can we are short on Staff, out of Beds?
For those voting thumbs down….letbus pray you have no medical emergency. Health City has no ER room…so for all rich folks you too have no other option. The health minister has no clue…otherwise she would have fought for a new hospital instead of a new 50M school or private airport.
7 on the restaurant, so far.
Aging equipment? Or poorly maintained? I find it odd that both would break simultaneously and with little warning. Me thinks they should have taken better care of them. Typical port authority.
This is clearly a National Security Issue.
We have been failed by do nothing governments. Governments more interested in building vanity projects.
Still recovery from the Christmas party………..
Guess we will have to wait for money AFTER the $100million “school” in the Brac is completed.
Time to spend another CI$56,000 on a party!
Stop voting for the same ones over and over every four years.
“because previous management made sure equipment was upgraded and maintained to avoid this kind of thing” — how do you square that with the equipment being 29, 41, and 46 years old? Maintenance can’t keep things going forever but it sure does help. I don’t know the characters involved and you are likely right but please keep to facts.
Please also note the word “Upgraded” which is also a fact , relevant to responsibility to keep equipment in working order.
How much spent on parties…?
They got rid of the best port director they ever had, because he dared to run the port as a business.
They got rid of his No.2 because he made people show up for work on time, and was on top of maintenance and repairs.
The current director is right, this is “A very unusual” ..situation, because previous management made sure equipment was upgraded and maintained to avoid this kind of thing.
Pay raises all round.
This is not the only board getting rid of high performers who like to run things like a business. They are more comfortable with “yes” men and women who keep the party going and don’t question anything.
Maybe a little forward planning and capital budget reserve funds too replace old equipment vs having parties and be forced to increase port fees by up to 400% to cover for poor business practices? Just sayin
Well said 1.31 the Minister responsible would not dare suggest his supporters at the Port Authority could engage in ‘poor business practice’…or do anything about it.
They just all scratch each others backs and pad their pockets along the way.
1:31, Just stop sayin. 😡 We can see what you said as we can read.