MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Growing doubts about Punta Arenas port

There's growing concern among Punta Arenas cruise operators and local tourist authorities that current port facilities are not sufficiently appropriate to cope efficiently with the growing number of vessels that visit the area in summer months.

The issue was brought up again a few days ago when the "Arcadia" with several hundred visitors on board and moored in the Santos Mardones jetty, lost a gangway and had to be "rescued" by two tugs from strong winds.

The unexpected incident according to Prensa Austral not only means a risk and hinders normal passenger activity wishing to visit Punta Arenas but a greater cost for the cruise company whose vessel had to be kept next to the jetty with the help of the tugs.

"Arcadia's" ship agent Leonardo Castex described the situation as "complex", since "many of our clients are increasingly refusing to accept the Santos Mardones as an alternative jetty, when the main Pratt jetty is fully occupied".

"Unfortunately at this time of the year when prevailing winds blow perpendicularly to the Mardones jetty, it's not a completely safe jetty for cruise vessels with passengers", admitted Mr. Castex.

"When a cruise vessel is scheduled, the company requests a "cost estimate" under "normal conditions", and we simply can't add a contingency cost for "tugs assistance". We're having similar problems with scientific vessels, containers and normal cargo ships", stressed Mr. Castex. "It's understandable that the captains refuse to accept responsibility for a situation that doesn't seem to have a foreseeable solution".

However Mr. Eduardo Manzanares, Operations Manager for the local Port Authority indicated that "what happened with the "Arcadia" is no surprise to local maritime agents who are well aware of climatic conditions in Punta Arenas". Mr. Manzanares added that it's hard to see how the situation can be remedied in the short term since "huge, costly investments are needed, and besides the law bans us from doing them".

Punta Arenas port is managed by the government owned Austral Port Authority, EPA, and the policy of the current Chilean administration, supported by a recent legal framework, is to have all sea terminals under the private sector.

Mr. Manzanares said the best that can be done is to extreme security measures particularly when mooring, but also underlined that the "Arcadia" incident was something special since "it's the largest ship ever to have moored in Punta Arenas".

Punta Arenas has two main jetties, Arturo Pratt dating back to 1930 and the most recent Mardones from the mid nineties. However Mardones sits perpendicular to prevailing summer winds.

Prensa Austral reported that in the coming weeks an important Spanish business delegation from the Port of Valencia will be visiting the area and apparently they have shown interest for some years now, in taking over Punta Arenas sea terminal.