Sudan Shipping Line has sold its only ropax vessel for recycling on the Indian subcontinent, although it had a close call this week while undertaking its final voyage.
The 9,400-dwt Dahab (built 1987 and renamed Daha for its delivery voyage), which had been laid up for several years, ran into trouble on 5 July when it encountered a severe storm in the Arabian Sea.
Some shipping media outlets on Wednesday claimed it was sinking.
The ship's Indian technical manager Machtrans, a company that specialises in last voyage deliveries to the Indian subcontinent, told TradeWinds on Thursday that while the ship did encounter difficulties, it did not sink. An Indian warship stood by to provide assistance during the incident.
“The vessel is safely afloat and all crew members on board are safe and sound. She has resumed her voyage,” the company said in an emailed response to questions on the status of the ship.
The demolition sale of the Dahab in June brings to a close 64 years of deepsea shipping activities for the state-owned Sudan Shipping Line. The Khartoum-based company was founded as Sudan’s national carrier in 1958, and once boasted a sizeable fleet of general cargo ships.
The Dahab, acquired from Egyptian owners in 2014, was deployed on a ferry service between Port Sudan and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. It was eventually withdrawn after the availability of low-cost air travel in the region led to a drastic decline in ropax trades across the Red Sea.
Sudan Shipping’s main activities today are concentrated on providing agency, stevedoring and chandling services in Sudanese ports.
