All tours to the island has been cancelled. Photo: Ayanda Ndamane/ Independent Newspapers
The Robben Island Museum announced it would be cancelling all its tours until Monday, June 24.
In a statement released on Thursday, the communication services for the Robben Island Museum said the cancellation was due to its main boat, Krotoa, being on a synchrolift (dry docking) as per the routine schedule.
The cancellation of services started on Wednesday, June 19.
“This is a class requirement as per The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA).
“Having known this in advance, we’ve arranged with our two chartered boats to fill the gap during this period.
“Accordingly, the alternative chartered boats we have commissioned to fill the gap have encountered technical breakdowns beyond our ability to access them, just as they were due to assume their scheduled tasks,” it said.
The museum said the disruption in the operations was necessary, as they are obliged to adhere to the set of requirements of SAMSA, and most importantly, the safety of its clients and tourists.
“While we yearn for the numbers we are missing out due to the necessary cancellation, we, however, are pleased by the commitment of our compliance officers to ensure routine maintenance and adherence to compliance are uncompromised.
We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and kindly ask for your understanding,” it said.
robin.francke@iol.co.za
IOL