News of Tristan da Cunha's Calshot Harbour Refurbishment

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News of Calshot Harbour

Harbour Update
Progress Report from David Morley on 27th April 2009
We've had some good weather during the last few days and the Baltic Trader unloading has been going well. All the dolosse are off, and are being placed directly onto the Eastern Breakwater from the raft as it enters the harbour. The Western Breakwater is finished. Various other remedial works have been carried out on other areas of the harbour. So I think we can declare the latest harbour phase a success.

The main challenge will be to back load all the contractor's equipment, as well as to find space aboard the MV Baltic Trader for all the contractors returning to Cape Town. The Trader is due to leave in early May, but has a window of a few extra days here in case backloading is delayed.

Further Calshot Harbour Works
	Photos from David Morley taken on 14th April 2009 show the latest work by contractors to further strengthen Calshot Harbour, following Operation Zest a year ago. Right ~ New white dolosse strengthen the western harbour wall Left: New formwork on the western quay into which has been pumped much new cement
The work on the western breakwater has been most important. Contractors had to remove part of the wave wall so they could dig out a great deal of dredging detritus, which had inadvertently been dumped over the wall. They then added some armoured rock to the breakwater before topping it off with new dolosse.
	Left ~ The Nib showing formwork which fell off in early April. Much grout and cement has now been added to strengthen the structure.
	Right ~ A couple of grouting holes which have been drilled into the south quay to enable grout to be pumped in to secure those loose slabs (which are still moving).
	Left ~ The shorter eastern breakwater in the foreground with the impressive temporary crane erected by contractors to facilitate the work, including lifting new dolosse into place Right ~ View across the south quay through the infrastructure of the new permanent heavy duty crane to the west harbour breakwater, showing the western quay, nib and the western breakwater.

New Crane Commissioned
Tristan's new heavy duty crane was commissioned on 3rd January 2009
Photos. from David Morley show:

Left ~ the impressive crane and the new factory infrastructure (above)

Right ~ The Government barge Atlantic Isle being lifted into the water

Left: David addressing three of the contractors, including PM Charl Moolman, with Father Chris Brown, former Chief Islander and Island Councillor Harold Green, and (partly obscured) former Chief Islander and Island Councillor James Glass during the commissioning ceremony on 3rd January 2009.

Right: A group of the contractors

Administrator David Morley made a short speech during the commissioning ceremony on 3rd January thanking Charl Moolman and his team of contractors for their work, and also the British Government and the EU for funding the project. Father Chris Brown and James Glass, jointly on behalf of both the Anglican and Catholic communities, then blessed the crane before David smashed a bottle of champagne over one of the stanchions (too quickly for the photographers, unfortunately). By way of a quick demonstration the crane then speedily and neatly deposited the Atlantic Isle into the harbour before just as quickly landing it again.

	New Crane takes shape Tristan's new heavy duty crane took shape as the team worked round the clock as shown by these two images from David Morley : Left: at night on 23rd December Right: Late evening on Christmas Day!
It is expected that the new crane will be commissioned in a ceremony on 3rd January 2009.

New Heavy Duty Crane
erection starts

Sunday 21st December
saw unusual activity
at Calshot Harbour
as a new heavy duty crane
started to take shape,
replacing the old crane
which collapsed in April 2008.

Photographs from Project Manager
Charl Moolman
show the steel infrastructure
being erected

Shots also show the new mobile crane
in action.

New crane gantry tested in Cape Town

Further progress was made towards securing a new heavy duty crane for Tristan's Calshot Harbour when the crane's gantry superstructure was erected and tested in Cape Town's Petrel Yard.

It is hoped the crane will be shipped aboard MV Baltic Trader on its first Tristan voyage scheduled for November.

Photograph from David Morley.

Baltic Trader's possible role in harbour refurbishment
The availability of MV Baltic Trader (see full report on the Shipping News Page) could be crucial if further planned work to refurbish Calshot Harbour is to go ahead soon. Baltic Trader will carry the new crane (see report below of the old crane's demise), which has now passed its final tests and will be shipped out on the first journey of Baltic Trader to Tristan da Cunha, probably in November. The new crane will have a lifting capacity of 34 tonnes.

Harbour closed by heavy seas
Calshot Harbour was closed for a crucial period in May so that MV Edinburgh, arriving on 1st May, couldn't unload passengers until 6th May. Conditions remained poor so that, by the time passengers were loaded for departure on 21st May, over 50 crates of freight remained on board. These are now destined for a round trip to Cape Town hoping for better landing weather in mid-winter June. On the few days when loading was possible, progress was hampered by the loss of the heavy duty crane.
See also Shipping News Page for details.
Photo from Robin Repetto shows typical high sea conditions on 15th May 2008.

New Crane Planned
It has been confirmed that a new fixed dockside crane will be constructed alongside the factory re-building project. The Apple Group, project managers of the factory rebuild, will also manage this project under the direct responsibility of the Tristan Government. The provision of the new crane, with heavy lifting capacity is crucial to ensure progress of the factory re-build as well as to re-instate full cargo loading facility.
An engineer will be travelling out on the June 2008 MV Edinburgh trip to carry out an on site inspection required for the finalisation of the design for a new crane. This is the next stage of the factory re-building project, which started immediately after the devastating fire of 13th February 2008. See also Factory Fire Page.

Loss of heavy duty crane poses major problems for Tristan

MV Edinburgh arrived at Tristan da Cunha on Thursday 1^st May, but unloading was delayed (see Shipping News Page) This is the first incoming ship following the collapse of the main boon on Calshot Harbour s heavy duty crane on 11^th April (See story below). Some bulk cargo, due to be transported to Tristan aboard MV Edinburgh has been left in Cape Town as it will be too heavy to unload.
The island’s 20 tonne barge Atlantic Isle can’t be lifted into the water by the remaining crane, and the two smaller barges have a capacity of only 4 tonnes. The logistics of importing parts for a replacement crane (for which funding has been secured), to provide the lift required to launch Atlantic Isle and also ensure building work can proceed to begin re-building the fish processing factory, has yet to be confirmed.

At least the old crane managed to lift a replacement electricity generator in March to restore 24/7 electricity to the village, and Operation Zest managed to shore up the damaged Calshot Harbour . Nevertheless the loss of the crane is giving the island Government another unwanted challenge as autumn turns to winter and with the fishing season due to start on 1^st July without a shore-based factory for the first time since the 1961 volcanic eruption.

Tristan faces another setback
as harbour crane's boom collapses

Soon after the euphoria of the successful Operation Zest to repair Calshot Harbour, Islanders were aghast to learn that their heavy duty crane's boom had collapsed on Friday 11th April as graphically shown in the two photographs left from Administrator David Morley. Fortunately no-one was injured.

The Tristan Government are now taking advice about how equipment and materials for the construction of the new fish processing factory will come ashore.

Plans had already been made to replace the ageing crane, and an EDF Grant for a replacement is secured. But how will the new crane be brought ashore?

This is the third major infrastructure crisis for the world's most isolated community in the last year following the near-collapse of Calshot Harbour (now thankfully rectified) and the destruction of the fish processing factory by fire on 13th February.

It also comes on the day (Friday 11th April) when unprecedented austerity measures were announced to Islanders by Administrator David Morley
~see Budget News 2008.

The importance of this crane in shown in the picture left, taken on Friday 7th March as it was able to transfer the new electricity generator from a RFA Lyme Bay barge onto an awaiting trailer.

We have separate pages showing details of Operation Zest which carried out important repairs to Calshot Harbour early in 2008 :
~ News of Operation Zest Part 1 ~ Operation Zest Part 2 and news of Zest Personnel Ashore ~ News of Zest Invasion
See also : Calshot Harbour Page in the Settlement Section and of the Lyme Bay's journey south on the Shipping News Page.

Harbour Repair Work Starting Soon:
Kelso bringing survey team; Royal Engineers to arrive in February
On Sunday 13th January Administrator David Morley took the opportunity to brief the community about plans for the harbour repair project, which looks set to begin with a visit next week by 10 Royal Engineers on a specially chartered MV Kelso to conduct a reconnaissance study.
If all goes well, this will be soon followed by the main event - a visit by the RFA Lyme Bay from UK carrying a party of 50 Royal Engineers as well as all the plant and materials necessary to repair the harbour and begin its refurbishment. David followed this excellent news by playing "Rule Britannia" in honour of the impending visit!

The Lyme Bay should arrive at Tristan towards the end of February .

Question in the House of Lords on 29th October 2007

Lord Jones of Cheltenham asked Her Majesty's Government: "What assessment they have made of the erosion of and consequent damage to the landing area in the harbour on Tristan da Cunha and whether they have any plans to carry out urgent repairs and improvements to the landing area."

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for International Development (Baroness Vadera) replied that "Halcrow Group has recently carried out a site survey and physical modelling of Calshot Harbour, Tristan da Cunha, on behalf of the Department for International Development (DfID). Halcrow Group is due to submit designs and cost estimates for the rehabilitation of the harbour by the end of October 2007. DfID will then seek expressions of interest from construction firms to carry out the work.

In addition to the rehabilitation work, Halcrow Group has recommended urgent repairs to the wave wall, dolos slope, fishing quay davit and west breakwater, which cannot wait until the rehabilitation work has been tendered. DfID has instructed Halcrow Group to seek contractors to carry out the emergency repairs as soon as possible."

Tristan Administrator David Morley is awaiting firm news of the emergency work being carried out.

Report on the current state of Calshot Harbour

from Administrator Mike Hentley received 19th July 2007

The harbour continues to take a battering from the austral winter storms which are still preventing the 07/08 fishing season from getting under way.

The Governor announced in February last year a rehabilitation project to be supported by British and EU funding. As well as the much needed repairs to the existing structure, it is planned that the project will also deepen the harbour basin, install a working slipway, and realign, support and extend the breakwaters to create a safe access channel.

Halcrow Group Ltd are the project consultants and, after arranging specialist survey visits to Tristan last September followed by detailed wave modeling studies, they are producing a design for the proposed rehabilitation and upgrading to enable the work to be tendered by qualified contractors.

This means that they are currently still involved in the pre-construction Phase 1 of the harbour rehabilitation and the phasing of work leading to the beginning of the contract award and construction are awaited.

See the original projected plans below announced in February 2006.

The three photos left and above from Factory Manager Erik Mac Kenzie show an area of subsidence under the west wall which flags up the message that repairs are needed sooner rather than later.

	£2 million Harbour Improvement Announced HE Governor Michael Clancy announced on February 9th that the Department for International Development in London has agreed to provide the balance of funds necessary for a rehabilitation of Calshot Harbour. Preparatory work will be carried out in two phases and consultants to undertake this work will be appointed shortly. Once the preparatory phases are complete, rehabilitation work can get underway. It is hoped the preparatory work can be completed as soon as possible in 2006 with the aim of a final completion date in 2008. A plan to build a new harbour alongside the 1961 lava flow ( see Harbour Page ) which would have cost an estimated £21 million has not been ruled out, but in the meantime the rehabilitation of the existing harbour is a priority.
Harbour Rehabilitation Programme Pre-construction Phase 1 : March - June 2006 To agree the scale of rehabilitation (essentially increasing harbour depth, improved use of the East Quay and slipway & re-designing and extending breakwaters), hydrographic surveys, inshore wave climate modeling for breakwater stability, survey & risk assessment of existing breakwaters, identifying environmental considerations, preparing requirements for 'design and build' contract bids. Pre-Construction Phase 2 : July -September 2006 To produce contract documents & co-ordinate tendering process; prepare and agree environmental management plan; check designs, evaluate bids & make recommendations. Contract Award and Realisation : October 2006 - August 2008 October 2006 - Project details and funding approved November 2006 - Contractors appointed December 2006 - Construction starts August 2008 - Calshot Harbour rehabilitation complete

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