A Big, Rusty, Broken Ship

This week we bring you the story of a maritime stand-off, where the crew refused to disembark their bulk carrier because of some wage disputes. The vessel was stranded some 30 kms off the shore of Cape Town. To defuse the situation, our client, attorneys from Bowmans, had to visit the crew in person, which means a slow and nausea-inducing boat ride to the vessel. Oh boy!

We got to the vessel…eventually but were unable to board due to rough waves. Now imagine speaking to someone who is five stories on top of you…through a translator. During the negotiation, we shouted at the top of our voice to the crew and waited attentively for their response, all the while our boat was moving to and from with the waves. It was tough, not to mention the fact that everything spoken had to be repeated by the translator. In the end the crew decided to remain where they are, so we said our good-byes and headed back to shore.

The return trip was rather special, because we got to see the beautiful Cape Town from afar. What a view!