Durban - There’s a lot to look out for on a half-hour’s cruise around Durban harbour. Big ships, small ships, the sugar terminal, the dry dock.
But skipper Michael Hutton’s commentary on board the Umlingo has everybody’s eyes focused on the railings on the edge of decks – to see if there’s any barbed wire.
“That means the ship is going from here to Somalia,” he explains. “Barbed wire gives the ship more protection against pirates.”
This excites the passengers, who hail from all over the country.
When Hutton allows Luntu Gewabe, a mining explosives engineer on holiday from Gauteng, to hold the wheel, Gewabe grabs the walkie-talkie for a quick act, shouting “Coast Guard, Coast Guard, One, Two. Somalia pirates coming!”
It’s like something out of the movie Captain Phillips.
Others, including a quartet of young professional women – Pearl Lentsoane, Tebatso and Khomotso Masehla and Reiti Sello – haul out tablets and cellphones to record the mock mayday call.
Every year the four women, who matriculated together with the class of 2007 at Glencowie High in Limpopo, go on holiday somewhere different within South Africa.
They’ve done Gauteng and North West. Cape Town will probably be next year’s destination, they say.
Though the route can vary depending on conditions out on the water and passenger requests, cruises often pass by the city’s iconic sugar terminal.
A construction crane is repairing its quayside, so Hutton explains that ships are parking a little way off.
One is the Saturnus, its home port is Bergen in Norway, flying its country’s flag on its stern, and on its mast the South African flag in acknowledgment of being in the country, in Durban.
Looking at her hull, Hutton explains why it’s painted in two colours: black on top and red at the bottom. When the red section is above the water line, the ship is not fully laden, he says.
Attention then swings to the bright green and pink hull of the Panamanian-registered Indigo Spice.
“Why is it pink?” asked Gewabe.
“Probably from seawater washing the paint,” answers Hutton.
Gewabe was not convinced. “No, I think that ship has a female captain.”
Further along from the sugar terminal heaps of scrap metal wait to be loaded on to other ships.
Then, after a turn to the port (left) side, the Umlingo passes the dry dock. Standing in it is a fishing trawler. “How do you think it got there?” Hutton asks the tourists.
“You can’t pick it up out of the water and put it there,” he says, before explaining that the ballast walls pump water in and out to make it possible for the floor on which the vessel is perched, to rise and fall.
The container port is to the right and the huge vehicle carriers are way ahead when the Umlingo heads home to Wilson’s Wharf to pick up the next group of harbour tourists.
The water is a bit choppy. “Sorry if you’re getting wet,” shouts Hutton. “But a splash of water means good luck.”
l Two companies offer half-hour trips in the harbour, every day – weather permitting – from 10am to 4pm, leaving on the hour. Minimum of six passengers. Cost: R80 adults; R50 children under 12. The boats depart from Wilson’s Wharf.
The companies are Isle of Capri Cruises. Call: 031 337 7751/082 851 4787 and Sarie Marias Cruises. Call 031 304 7737; 031 305 2844; 031 305 4022/ 073 844 9772.
One hour cruises that go out to sea are available at weekends and on request during the week.
Isle of Capri Cruises: R160 adults; R100 children; Sarie Marais Cruises R120 adults; R80 children.
DUNCAN GUY, Independent on Saturday