Port international de Port-au-Prince
Encyclopedia
The is the seaport
in the capital of Haiti
, Port-au-Prince
. It suffered catastrophic damage in the 2010 Haiti earthquake
.
Some of docks and warehouses are operated by the government's Autorité Portuaire Nationale (APN), and some are run by private companies.
composed of SMS Vineta and SMS Gazelle seized Haitian Navy ships Union and Mont Organisé which were anchored in the port, as a means of pressure to have the Haitian government pay a 20,000 thaler
debt to a German businessman.
In 1906, a Haitian-American company gained a 50-year concession to manage and operate the port.
In 1956, at the end of this term, the (Port Administration of Port-au-Prince) was created, supervised by the Banque Nationale de la République d'Haïti (BNRP). In 1973, The Port Administration became an autonomous body with the power to operate other ports; and in 1978, it was renamed the (National Port Authority) under Haiti's secretariat of economic affairs. The APN was given control of all of Haiti's other ports as well in 1985.
On October 11, 1993, USS Harlan County
, carrying 200 American and Canadian troops in implementation of the Governors Island Accord, attempted to enter the port, but was met by angry crowds, denied access to the dock, and ordered to leave Haiti the next day. On October 13, the United Nations re-imposed an oil and arms embargo.
In 1999, this port was believed to be "the most expensive port at which to dock and unload in the Americas", causing ships to unload in the neighbouring Dominican Republic
.
, and crippled the port. The access road to the docks buckled, and slabs of concrete rose six feet above grade. Derrick cranes were thrown into the harbour; the shipping container unloading cranes were left leaning with their bases submerged. The seawall on some slips crumbled, and quayside areas slumped sideways into the harbor, carrying shipping containers into the water. The main pier on the northern end of the port was completely destroyed, with the cranes in the water, and the terminal collapsed. The south pier was severely damaged.
On the 19 January 2010 HNLMS Pelikaan (A804)
, a Royal Netherlands Navy
logistic support vessel was the first ship to enter the crippled harbor. After an extensive hydrographical survey of the harbor, a route was cleared using the ship's crane and HNLMS Pelikaan could finally dock and unload its cargo and marines. On January 21 it was announced by the Dutch Ministry of Defense that HNLMS Pelikaan had finished unloading its cargo and would depart for Guantanamo Bay Naval Base
to pick up the 20 men of Mobile Dive and Salvage Unit 2 (MDSU 2).
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates
announced on 20 January 2010 the dispatch of a port clearance ship with cranes to help the port become operational again.
On 21 January 2010, French vessel Francis Garnier
moored to the damaged pier, although this is considered unsafe by US military divers.
On 27 January 2010, it was discovered that the south pier was more damaged than initially appeared, and cannot be used safely. It had previously been used by one ship at a time, unloading one container at a time, gingerly. The port is continued to be used by military landing craft of the type used in amphibious warfare to force a beachhead from a seaborne invasion.
As of 24 February 2010, the port had ramped up to handle container traffic around 600 containers a day, despite still having infrastructure damage. This is in excess of the 250 containers a day that it had been handling before the quake. The functioning of the port allows increased aid shipments arriving in-country.
Also, there were these private quays in the bay of Port-au-Prince:
The bay has 11 buoy
s:
Port
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....
in the capital of Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
, Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince is the capital and largest city of the Caribbean nation of Haiti. The city's population was 704,776 as of the 2003 census, and was officially estimated to have reached 897,859 in 2009....
. It suffered catastrophic damage in the 2010 Haiti earthquake
2010 Haiti earthquake
The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake, with an epicentre near the town of Léogâne, approximately west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. The earthquake occurred at 16:53 local time on Tuesday, 12 January 2010.By 24 January, at least 52 aftershocks...
.
Some of docks and warehouses are operated by the government's Autorité Portuaire Nationale (APN), and some are run by private companies.
History
On 13 June 1872, a German fleetKaiserliche Marine
The Imperial German Navy was the German Navy created at the time of the formation of the German Empire. It existed between 1871 and 1919, growing out of the small Prussian Navy and Norddeutsche Bundesmarine, which primarily had the mission of coastal defense. Kaiser Wilhelm II greatly expanded...
composed of SMS Vineta and SMS Gazelle seized Haitian Navy ships Union and Mont Organisé which were anchored in the port, as a means of pressure to have the Haitian government pay a 20,000 thaler
Vereinsthaler
The Vereinsthaler was a standard silver coin used in most German states and the Austrian Empire in the years prior to German unification.- Introduction :...
debt to a German businessman.
In 1906, a Haitian-American company gained a 50-year concession to manage and operate the port.
In 1956, at the end of this term, the (Port Administration of Port-au-Prince) was created, supervised by the Banque Nationale de la République d'Haïti (BNRP). In 1973, The Port Administration became an autonomous body with the power to operate other ports; and in 1978, it was renamed the (National Port Authority) under Haiti's secretariat of economic affairs. The APN was given control of all of Haiti's other ports as well in 1985.
On October 11, 1993, USS Harlan County
USS Harlan County (LST-1196)
USS Harlan County was a United States Navy tank landing ship of the Newport-class.Harlan County was named after Harlan County, Kentucky as reflected in her unit patch. Her keel was laid on 7 November 1970 at San Diego, California, by the National Steel & Shipbuilding Co.; launched on 24 July...
, carrying 200 American and Canadian troops in implementation of the Governors Island Accord, attempted to enter the port, but was met by angry crowds, denied access to the dock, and ordered to leave Haiti the next day. On October 13, the United Nations re-imposed an oil and arms embargo.
In 1999, this port was believed to be "the most expensive port at which to dock and unload in the Americas", causing ships to unload in the neighbouring Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
.
7.0 magnitude 2010 earthquake
On 12 January 2010, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck2010 Haiti earthquake
The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake, with an epicentre near the town of Léogâne, approximately west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. The earthquake occurred at 16:53 local time on Tuesday, 12 January 2010.By 24 January, at least 52 aftershocks...
, and crippled the port. The access road to the docks buckled, and slabs of concrete rose six feet above grade. Derrick cranes were thrown into the harbour; the shipping container unloading cranes were left leaning with their bases submerged. The seawall on some slips crumbled, and quayside areas slumped sideways into the harbor, carrying shipping containers into the water. The main pier on the northern end of the port was completely destroyed, with the cranes in the water, and the terminal collapsed. The south pier was severely damaged.
On the 19 January 2010 HNLMS Pelikaan (A804)
HNLMS Pelikaan (A804)
HNLMS Pelikaan is an DAMEN Logistic Support Vessel 6513.The ship was built and designed special for the Caribbean seas, it functions as a support ship for the Royal Netherlands Navy in the area. The ship is permanently moored off the Rima-pier at the naval base parera at Curaçao. She came in...
, a Royal Netherlands Navy
Royal Netherlands Navy
The Koninklijke Marine is the navy of the Netherlands. In the mid-17th century the Dutch Navy was the most powerful navy in the world and it played an active role in the wars of the Dutch Republic and later those of the Batavian Republic and the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
logistic support vessel was the first ship to enter the crippled harbor. After an extensive hydrographical survey of the harbor, a route was cleared using the ship's crane and HNLMS Pelikaan could finally dock and unload its cargo and marines. On January 21 it was announced by the Dutch Ministry of Defense that HNLMS Pelikaan had finished unloading its cargo and would depart for Guantanamo Bay Naval Base
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base is located on of land and water at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba which the United States leased for use as a coaling station following the Cuban-American Treaty of 1903. The base is located on the shore of Guantánamo Bay at the southeastern end of Cuba. It is the oldest overseas...
to pick up the 20 men of Mobile Dive and Salvage Unit 2 (MDSU 2).
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates
Robert Gates
Dr. Robert Michael Gates is a retired civil servant and university president who served as the 22nd United States Secretary of Defense from 2006 to 2011. Prior to this, Gates served for 26 years in the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Council, and under President George H. W....
announced on 20 January 2010 the dispatch of a port clearance ship with cranes to help the port become operational again.
On 21 January 2010, French vessel Francis Garnier
Francis Garnier (L9031)
The BATRAL Francis Garnier is the second of a series of five vessels. She was launched on 17 November 1973 and commissioned on 24 October 1974. She is the fifth vessel of the French Navy named in honour of the officer and explorer Francis Garnier.The BATRAL vessels are able to ferry over...
moored to the damaged pier, although this is considered unsafe by US military divers.
On 27 January 2010, it was discovered that the south pier was more damaged than initially appeared, and cannot be used safely. It had previously been used by one ship at a time, unloading one container at a time, gingerly. The port is continued to be used by military landing craft of the type used in amphibious warfare to force a beachhead from a seaborne invasion.
As of 24 February 2010, the port had ramped up to handle container traffic around 600 containers a day, despite still having infrastructure damage. This is in excess of the 250 containers a day that it had been handling before the quake. The functioning of the port allows increased aid shipments arriving in-country.
Facilities
Before the 2010 earthquake, the facilities of the port were as follows:- Number of berths: 7
- Two Ro-Ro berths: one 14 metres wide; the other 29 metres wide
- Total length of berths: 1,250 metres
- Depth of water alongside: 8 to 10 metres
- One gantry crane of 30 tonnes capacity
- One 33 tonne capacity forklift
- Six other forklifts with capacities between 3 and 7 tonnes
- Sixteen truck trailers
- Eight flatbeds for moving containers
- Fifteen chassis
Also, there were these private quays in the bay of Port-au-Prince:
| Terminal | Coordinates | Depth alongside | Equipment | Storage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terminal Varreux (Quai de la HASCO) | 18°34′22.8"N 72°20′45.6"W | 9 metres (29.5 ft) | Pipeline and crane | |
| Les Moulins d’Haïti (Quai de Lafiteau) | 18°41′25.8"N 72°21′25.92"W | 9 metres (29.5 ft) | Vacuum and derricks for the discharge of grain | |
| La Cimenterie Nationale (Quai de Fond-Mombin) | 18°42′37"N 72°23′22"W | 8 metres (26.2 ft) | Mobile cranes | |
| Shell (Thor) | 18°32′27.6"N 72°23′06"W | 10–18 m (32.8–59.1 ) | pipelines and railway wagons | 6,699,000 gallon Gallon The gallon is a measure of volume. Historically it has had many different definitions, but there are three definitions in current use: the imperial gallon which is used in the United Kingdom and semi-officially within Canada, the United States liquid gallon and the lesser used United States dry... s |
| Le Ciment du Sud (at Thor-le-volant) | 18°32′40"N 72°23′15"W | 12 metres (39.4 ft) |
The bay has 11 buoy
Buoy
A buoy is a floating device that can have many different purposes. It can be anchored or allowed to drift. The word, of Old French or Middle Dutch origin, is now most commonly in UK English, although some orthoepists have traditionally prescribed the pronunciation...
s:
| ID | Coordinates |
|---|---|
| A | 18°33′13.1"N 72°22′43.1"W |
| B | 18°33′19"N 72°23′07.7"W |
| C | 18°33′24.6"N 72°23′31.5"W |
| D | 18°33′52.4"N 72°22′57"W |
| E | 18°33′58.1"N 72°23′20.6"W |
| F | 18°34′04.1"N 72°23′45"W |
| H | 18°34′09.1"N 72°24′09.2"W |
| J | 18°34′27"N 72°23′23"W |
| K | 18°34′44"N 72°23′57"W |
| L | 18°34′42"N 72°22′45"W |
| Q | 18°34′16.4"N 72°22′55"W |
External links
- Washington Post, "Structural damage in Port-au-Prince hampers relief efforts" — Description of damage to the harbor