Good news for Cape

An old sea route is likely to become popular again as missiles and mines threaten the Gulf and Red Sea routes

2 min read
Troubled waters: Oil from the Persian Gulf and surrounding regions may have to be shipped around the Cape of Good Hope.
An Iranian flag flies alongside an oil production platform in the Soroush oil fields in the Persian Gulf. Picture: REUTERS Troubled waters: Oil from the Persian Gulf and surrounding regions may have to be shipped around the Cape of Good Hope.

Capetonians of a certain generation will likely remember the spectacle of orange-and-yellow helicopters heading out over Table Bay, loads slung in cargo nets beneath their bellies, thudding away over the horizon.

The choppers, all US-built Sikorsky S61s, were operated by Court Helicopters. Its business model was built on flying supplies, spare parts, crews, doctors and engineers out to ships too big to berth in Cape Town. These, naturally, were mostly supertankers and other large bulkers unable to squeeze through the Suez Canal on their voyages to and from the Persian Gulf.

It was a good business for Court. Business was especially brisk whenever war broke out in the Gulf region, which invariably saw ship captains taking the hint from their owners, in turn acting on prodding from their insurers, and taking the long way round the Cape of Good Hope.

Port in the storm: While the war in the Middle East rages on, Cape Town could offer a safe harbour for shipping.
Aerial view of Cape Town, South Africa with Table Mountain, Lion's Head and Harbour Port in the storm: While the war in the Middle East rages on, Cape Town could offer a safe harbour for shipping.Picture: Hoberman Collection

The Cape route adds about 10-14 days to a trip from the Gulf to Europe. That means more money spent on wages and diesel … about 50%-60% more the latter. But barring Somali pirates or cyclones or freak waves off the Cape coast, it’s a far more amenable option than the possibility of being taken out by a sea mine or a missile.

We may be heading into these waters once more. Underwriters get all jangly about insuring shipping in war zones and marine analysts report a sharp increase in ships taking the long way down, including vessels that can use Suez.

Not that the Red Sea and eastern Mediterranean are war zones — yet. But the instability created by the missiles and bombs carving through Iranian airspace is contagious.

Court, now owned by a Canadian company, no longer flies out to passing tankers. It might be time for a rethink as the Table Bay roadstead fills up with ships taking a breather at the quieter end of the planet.