Discovery Bay's first visit to Port Sultan Qaboos Oman Muscat marking the beginning of a new container trade.

Today (25/08/2021) marks the 40th anniversary of OCL's Discovery Bay making the first Mina Qaboos port call, supported by Oman United Agencies.  Pictured in this newspaper cutting (which was  kindly provided by Cruz C Fernandes) on the right are Graham Borg and Grenald Alves.

The article in Akhbar Oman (dated 30 August 1981) reads:

"CONTAINER BOOM BEGINS

'Discovery Bay', the first all-container vesse; to call at Mina Qaboos last Tuesday, heralded the container boom in store for the port.

The 26,757-tonne g.r.t. vessel belonging to Overseas Containers Ltd. of London, with her massive bow, 754-foot long and 100-foot wide berthed with the help of three tugs, under the supervision of Deputy Harbour Master Capt. Ahmed.

Between 0500 hours and 1715 hours, 118 containers were unloaded at Berth No. 1 on Tuesday.

Mina Quaboos is Discovery Bay's first port of call and on her way back she will call at all major ports in the Gulf.  The vessel has a capacity of 1442 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) containers.

Capt. Pat Alexander of OCL was in Muscat to personally supervise the operations in view of the tremendous spurt in traffic expected from Mina Qaboos.  Capt. Alexander who has visited the port several times in the past said the pace of development has been very fast and much better things are in store.  

The gantry cranes now under erection at the port will speeden loading and unloading operations and make for quicker trnaround of vessels.  OCL's agents in Muscat are Oman United Agencies."

25/08/2021