Crowley Cargo tests out dispatch of containers to quake-hit Haiti's Port-au-Prince

CROWLEY Maritime Corporation, working under contract with the US Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM), has successfully transported 12 x 20-foot containers of relief supplies across a beach in Port-au-Prince, Haiti in an experimental "lightering" operation.

The success of this operation, which involved lifting the containers from a Crowley container ship anchored in the harbour to a smaller, shallow-draft landing vessel for transport and discharge over the beach, has paved the way for more container shipments to be transported directly into Port-au-Prince.

"Today's operation was an important milestone in reestablishing direct container shipments into the heavily damaged port," said John Hourihan, Crowley's senior vice president and general manager of Latin America services in a company statement.

"USTRANSCOM values the innovative solutions that our contractors are implementing to rapidly facilitate humanitarian assistance in support of the Haitian people," said Army Brigadier General Michael Lally, director of operations for the command.

Future cargo operations at Port-au-Prince are expected to improve substantially in the coming weeks. As a result, Crowley is also mobilizing two 400-foot long, 100-foot wide flat deck barges, along with two Manitowoc 230-ton crawler cranes in the US for USTRANSCOM that will be brought into Port-au-Prince to serve as a makeshift dock for future cargo operations.

The first barge and crane in Orange, Texas is scheduled to arrive in Haiti on February 4. The second deck barge is being outfitted in Lake Charles, Louisiana and will arrive by mid-February.

"The diverse resources of the Crowley organisation are being brought to the table in response to this emergency," said Mr Hourihan. "We are working closely with USTRANSCOM, USAID, FEMA and other organisations to provide the assets, services and technical expertise they need to accomplish their missions."

Relief cargoes are being consolidated and stuffed into containers at Crowley's Miami warehouse and distribution centre. The containers delivered by Crowley in Rio Haina, Dominican Republic are then being trucked over the border into Haiti, including 179 x 20-foot containers and 11 x 40-foot containers for USTRANSCOM.

"We believe our two methods of delivery into Port-au-Prince (lightering containers offshore and over-the-road trucking via Rio Haina) will soon allow Crowley to start accepting relief cargoes from non-government parties," said Tucker Gilliam, Crowley's general manager for Haiti and the Dominican Republic. "We continue to offer twice weekly service to and from the Dominican Republic for regular commercial cargoes.

(Source: www.schednet.com)