Dear Editor,

ON two consecutive Sundays — September 25 and October 2, 2016 — the Alliance For Change column in the Kaieteur News reported that, due to the shallow depth of water in the Demerara Ships Channel, large vessels could not enter Port Georgetown; as a result of which cargo had to be shipped in small quantities on smaller vessels, making more voyages which lead to increased cost to the business community.

This is quite true. However, the September 25 edition stated in part: “The large cargo ships get stuck in the navigational channel, even at high tide”, while the October 2 edition states, “The slightly larger cargo ships get stuck on sand banks and in mud when they attempt to navigate the Demerara Navigational Channel even at high tide”.

The undersigned is at this time concerned only with the above two statements mentioned in the two Alliance For Change columns. Let me state categorically that at no time did any vessel, large or small, under the guidance of a licensed MARAD pilot, get stuck while attempting to navigate the Demerara Channel.

Further, no MARAD-licensed pilot would attempt to pilot a vessel in the Demerara Ships Channel when the draught of the vessel is more than the depth of water in the channel, unless the vessel conforms to certain established criteria which would guarantee safe passage while, at the same time, the difference between the draught of the vessel and the depth of water in the channel is within certain parameters on a rising tide.
The fact is that there are no sand banks in this channel, and the mud at the bed of the channel is what is described locally as ‘sling mud’, an extremely soft mud.

All of the ‘fresh water professionals’ who seek to misinform the Public Infrastructure Ministry and peddle nonsense are advised to get their facts together and refrain from misleading the politicians, the local and overseas business communities, as well as the general public. This type of misinformation can have a negative impact on the nation’s economy, as international ship owners and operators would be skeptical to list Guyana as one of their ports of call.

Regards,
CAPTAIN R.E.W. ADAMS