The big ship MSC Rita called last Thursday as a timely symbol for the Port of Charleston’s determination to rise again in the ranks of East Coast ports. The Rita’s 12-hour port call proves Charleston can do what no other South Atlantic port can — handle a “post-Panamax” ship four years before that standard becomes reality. U.S. ports are scrambling to prepare for the larger ships using the Panama Canal’s third lock-set, scheduled for completion in 2014. But Georgia wants to handle “post- Panamax” ships, too, and is pressing its case to Washington for deepening the Savannah River’s 42-foot controlling depth.
