200440 High Speed Craft Wash

High Speed Craft Wash
MARS Report 200440

I wish to comment on a recent article related to high speed craft and the wash produced. For several years I was Port Engineer at a private import and export terminal in the Far East. The terminal was about 80nm up river and loaded vessels up to 140 metres long. The river was about 160 metres wide and twice per day a High Speed Craft passed our terminal.

When I joined the company, a small amount of mangrove swamp still existed but after six months it had completely gone due to the wash from HSC, also the river bank was being washed away into the river. We had to use waste concrete blocks and other available material to break up the waves before coming in contact with the river bank, also vast amounts of soil and other waste material had to be used to rebuild the river bank. The office was about 10 metres away from the river bank and in danger of being washed away with time.