Seen, Heard and Noticed By the Bay
By Patrick McCabe’s Alameda Journal
Published: April, 2001
The four container cranes for Berths 55 and 56 arrived at the Port of Oakland on October 24, 2000 from China. They will be operational by the time this goes into print, and will be given a fanfare of trumpets.
They are the largest container cranes in the world. President Clinton signed the energy and water appropriations bill containing $4 million for the Port’s dredging project (the total cost will be $260 million). The Port’s channels are dredged to a depth of 42 feet, and when the job is done the level will be about 50 feet,
Did you know that the Port of Oakland handles 98% of all containerized ports – Wow! Oakland is the fourth largest container port in the U.S. and one of the largest in the world.
Every year the Port of Oakland offers free educational boat tours lasting 1 ¼ hours. Any member of the public interested in the happenings of the Port is invited. The writer of this article brought a contingent of seniors on the tour last year. This year the Port plans to increase the number of tours, which will start in April.
It was an eye-opener to all of us on that tour to realize the immensity of the services and projects of the Port. The commentary on the boat was excellent and we learned so much. Congratulations to the personnel of the Port of Oakland!
There are 29 deepwater berths, 35 cranes and the total area occupied by the Port is over 100 acres (450 hectares). 1825 vessels docked at the Port in 1999.
The principal exports in ’99 were fruits, nuts, veggies, wastepaper, red meat and poultry, resins, chemicals, animal feed, raw cotton, wood and lumber, crude fertilizers, minerals, industrial machinery and cereal.
The principal imports in ’99: auto parts, computer equipment, wearing apparel, toys and games, plastics, processed fruits and vegetables, fasteners, household metal products, red meat, pottery, glassware, ceramics, steel and iron, beverages and lumber products,
All this is happening at the Port – a gigantic operation. The Port’s direct and indirect economic impact to Oakland and the region is probably about $6.2 billion annually, and this is expected to grow to about $9 billion.
Pay a visit to the Port and see for yourself. Grab a seat on the ferry, and take your camera along, on a Sunday afternoon. Take that trip the Port offers, and see for yourself the wonders of the world at your doorstep.
