Selected items from compilation of Intership Navigation Training Center. Issue 22 / 2010

1. CASUALTY WEBRIEF

M/T DURGANDINI (Indonesia, 21810gt) was in collision with M/T CHEMBULK ULSAN (Singapore, 11534gt) in the Singapore Straits, 26-May-2010. Vessel sustained minor damages. No injury.

M/V FEDERAL ST.LAURENT (Barbados, 20837gt) leaving berth, hit a corner of the river wall at Antwerp, 2-June-2010. Hull suffered crack and ship took water. Ship sunk about one meter astern.

2. PORT STATE CONTROL (Recent Detentions)

M/V YING STAR (Cambodia) detained at Kobe. Deficiencies: Operation of GMDSS, OWS and ISM 6.

M/V SEVEN (Cambodia) at Wakkanai. Deficiency: Sewage treatment system.

M/V OCEAN WINNER (Singapore) detained at Kwinana, Australia. Deficiencies: MF/HF Radio and Inmarsat C unable to operate on reserve source of energy.

M/V TAO TRIUMPH (Panama) at Bell Bay. Def.: engine room fire dampers defective.

M/V BOREAL (Liberia) at Port Kembla. Def.: Lifeboat on load release arrangements defective.

M/V HOLY FAIRY (Cambodia) at Tokyo. Def.: Portable emergency fire pump.

M/T BANDAI MARU (Panama) at Tokuyama. Def.: Pipe of CO2 gas.

3. PIRACY

M/V RIM (N.Korea, 4800dwt, Libya owned)’s crew (9 Syrians + 1 Romanian) captured by pirates 3 months ago, pounced on their sleeping Somali captors, disarmed pirates and killed about 5 of them, regaining control of the vessel, 2-June-2010. A crewman was injured during the struggle. EU NAVFOR sent warship SPS VICTORIA to provide medical assistance. Pirates on another hijacked ship -VOC DAISY tried to block the warship but fled after a helicopter approached them. M/V RIM was captured in Gulf of Aden outside the IRTC, 3-Feb then pirates had taken the vessel to area SE of Garacad, N Somalia.  Somali pirates are currently holding at least 20 vessels.

M/V QSM DUBAI (Panama, 15220dwt), Brazil to Mogadishu, w/ 24-crew (Egyptians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Ghanaians) was hijacked by pirates, 2-June-2010.

Patrol ship TOPAZ (Seychelles) disrupted a Pirate Action Group (mothership + 2 skiffs, some 250 miles NE of Seychelles, 29-May-2010, after being led to the target by an EU NAVFOR aircraft (Sweden). Nine suspected pirates were disarmed and their two attack skiffs were destroyed.

M/V AVENUE BEAUTY (Malta, 17000dwt) w/ 20-crew, at 13-06N, 048-42-E, in the Gulf of Aden was chased and fired upon by 6 or 7 pirates in a skiff. A US warship responded to ship’s distress call by sending a helicopter to the location. The pirates were not able to board the ship. 30-May-2010.

4. SAFETY: Good Seamanship is to plan your arrival and berthing (from Gard)

On leaving or entering a berth where container or other gantry cranes are located close to the quayside, the Master should:  verify the vessel’s highest point (air draught), i.e. aerial or mast, verify with the pilot the air clearance of the gantry cranes, reduce speed in time on approach to shore installation and avoid coming into contact with the shore installation. 

5. POLLUTION RELATED CASE

Suezmax M/T WILMINA (Norway, 149775dwt)’s Certificate of Compliance was revoked by USCG and the vessel is banned for returning to Corpus Christi for 3 years, for marine environment related offenses as announced by US Coast Guard, 21-May-2010. It was followed up later on the national level. Last 4-May in Corpus Christi, Texas the USCG inspectors found inconsistencies in the vessel’s Oil Record Book, inoperable oily water separator equipment and a hose used to bypass the oily water separator with flanges containing oil inside. Master and chief engineer were unfamiliar with and failed to comply with the safety management system with regard to reporting critical equipment casualties and maintaining records and engine room alarms, including the OWS alarm printouts. The vessel was also not in compliance with the port entry requirements applicable to a tank vessel. The tanker was detained 5-May and sailed out 25-May-2010. The shipowner is planning to appeal.

Update of DEEPWATER HORIZON after 20-April explosion: The cost of tackling the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico stands at $990M, BP said, after previous attempts to plug or contain the oil well failed. BP is planning further containment efforts to supplement existing works to stanch the US worst-ever oil spill. The US government and the BP officials are warning that the blown-out oil well causing environmental disaster may not be stopped until August. 1-June-2010.

Over the past 6 weeks, the well has leaked anywhere from 21M to 45 million gallons by estimate. Oily sludge has been fouling coastal marshes of Louisiana for 2 weeks. Alabama/Mississippi affected.  

See www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com :   The administration has authorized 17,500 National Guard troops to participate in the response to BP oil spill. More than 20,000 personnel are responding to protect the shoreline/ wild life/clean up coastlines. More than 1900 vessels are responding on site to assist in containment/ cleanup efforts.  Approx 2 million feet of containment boom and 2.1million feet of sorbent boom deployed. Approx 13.8 million gallons of oil-water mix recovered. Approx 993,000 gallons of dispersant deployed including in subsea. More than 125 controlled burns have been conducted. 2–June-2010.