Thread: 60 ships waiting at Newcastle Port

Originally Posted by DeeJay

I just read a little note in the paper today that says 60 ships are waiting to load coal at Newcastle.
It never said why, I just hate that.
Anybody know??

Posties are on strike so the Christmas coal isn't being delivered!

How is Santa going to get the lumps of coal he puts in the stockings of bad children?

There is about 85-90 waiting off the coast here at Hay Point. All are taking advantage of the lower coal prices at the moment. Mainly for China and India. Before the so called "financial crisis" there only used to be about 50 odd waiting at any time.

They would be waiting because there are more ships than the port can handle.

They always have approx that number waiting outside newie harbour, hence why they are building more coal loaders and Newie harbour doesn't just do coal.

I was told by a workmate that when it's their turn they have 4hrs to get the ship into position for the tugs and into port or they have to go to the back of the line and start again. Approx 2 weeks from end of line to the start of loading then approx 2 days to load.

If there are no freight orders around , I understand that the ships can come to major ports and wait for an order.

So several of the 60 could be just there on spec.

I must say there are fewer around at present than in the boom times. I do not particularly like seeing up to 10 or so ships off Avoca Beach and the Chinese branded water bottles etc on the beach.
When I was last down a couple of days ago there were 2 or 3.
Regards Philip A

We see similar queues (well, maybe not quite so many) off Port Hedland and Karratha when we fly in up there. They might have all scattered out into open water over the past few days with the cyclone around, but will be on their way back in by now.

With the gas at Karratha as well as Iron ore and nearby Cape Lambert shiploader as well, it gets pretty busy out there at times.

And now they're starting work on Cape Preston mine and port just down the coast from Karratha ............

Originally Posted by dobbo

I was told by a workmate that when it's their turn they have 4hrs to get the ship into position for the tugs and into port or they have to go to the back of the line and start again. Approx 2 weeks from end of line to the start of loading then approx 2 days to load.

the berthing times are all worked out well before and firmed up as the ship before has berthed so not quite such short notice.
it will be a combination of lower coal prices/lower vessel charter price/rail delays/coal not out the ground that is causing the large numbers to be at anchor.

cheers
yorkie