🏗️ Cayman Islands port struggles with broken cranes

The Port Authority of the Cayman Islands (PACI) experienced a significant setback last week when both its cranes at the Grand Cayman port failed. However, one of the cranes has since been repaired, allowing cargo operations to resume. The second crane is expected to be operational again this week. PACI apologized for the delays and acknowledged the challenges posed by its aging equipment. The two cranes at Grand Cayman are 29 and 41 years old, respectively, and the one at Cayman Brac is 46 years old. 🏗️

Port Director Paul Hurlston described the simultaneous failure of both cranes as an unusual occurrence. Despite the challenges, port staff, in collaboration with Thompson Shipping, managed to source parts quickly and repair one of the cranes. Hurlston also confirmed that the PACI board is aware of the equipment issues and that the recent increase in fees will be used to replace the old cranes. However, it will take time to acquire and phase in new container handling cranes. In the meantime, efforts are being made to keep the existing equipment operational. 🚢

In addition to the equipment failure, a port mechanic suffered non-life-threatening injuries in a fall over the weekend. The incident reportedly involved broken bones. PACI's 2023 statistics show a drop in the tonnage of containerised cargo handled, from over 100,000 tonnes in 2022 to 288,340 tonnes. Container cargo accounts for nearly half of the total cargo tonnage that lands on the dock. 🚑