Americas News
Savannah Bunkering Resumes as USCG Reopens Port
The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) cleared the port of Savannah, Georgia to Wednesday, but with some restrictions, Platts reports.
As Ship & Bunker has reported, market sources Tuesday said operations at the port, including bunkering, had yet to resume following Hurricane Matthew's visit to the U.S. Atlantic coast late last week.
The port is now reported to be open to one-way traffic during daylight hours.
"The Coast Guard opened the port but they're still working on the navigation aids that got damaged or blown off station in the storm," said a source involved in bunkering operations at Savannah, adding: "we've got eight ships waiting to come in, about a five-day backlog, but if we can get to Saturday, we should be OK."
Petty Officer First Class Luke Clayton, Public Affairs Office Supervisor at the USCG station in Jacksonville, commingting on the situation, said: "Right now it's like construction on the highway -- if there are more ships waiting to come in, pilots will bring ships in, and when demand reverses, the pilots will switch to bringing vessels out."
"Today, the focus is of course on bringing ships in, and if a ship has a fuel issue, they would get priority so as to not cause a safety hazard. Safety is always our priority."
