Ship from Hong Kong offloads cement at Port

PORT MACKENZIE—The second ship loaded with super sacks of cement arrived from Hong Kong to Port MacKenzie this week (Monday Sept. 21).

The Clipper Grace will use onboard cranes to offload 10,000 super sacks of cement. As of 5 p.m. on Wed. more than 60 percent of the cargo passed over the dock. Flatbed trucks deliver the loads to a warehouse up the hill.

Each supersack of cement weighs 3,300 pounds.

The new commodity means more revenue for the six-year-old Port in dockage and wharfage fees.

Borough Manager John Duffy said he was happy to see another cement ship come in.

"It's not only good for the Borough in terms of generating wharfage and dockage, but it's also lowering the price of cement for industry and consumers throughout Southcentral Alaska. Activity at Port MacKenzie is actually enhancing other economic opportunities throughout the region by lowering the cost of doing business."

Mike Weller is the facility security officer at the Port. "The weather is cooperating and making the offloading go smoothly," Weller said from his post at the ferry terminal building.

The Clipper Grace may pull away from Port MacKenzie either at midnight Thursday or at noon on Friday with the high tide.

For more information or if reporters want to shoot images of the Clipper Grace call Sandy Zartman, Port Secretary, at 745-1265.