Selected items from compilation of Intership Navigation Training Center. Issue 28 / 2010

1. CASUALTY WEBRIEF

M/T EASTERN HONESTY (Panama, 5372gt), Vietnam to Malaysia, had explosion on board, NE of Kuantan, 12-July-2010. Two crewmembers were injured and one was missing. Malaysian Coast Guard vessels are searching. The injured persons were airlifted by helicopter to a hospital.

M/T MARTINA (Italy, 7153gt) collided with the yacht ALIVA near Santa Marinella, Italy, on July 13, 2010. One yachtsman was killed and another one rescued by tanker. Both vessels were detained.

c.c. CHARLOTTE MAERSK (Denmark IR, 8194teu) had an explosion of container on deck with dangerous goods causing massive fire, off Port Klang, 7-July-2010. Blaze was contained after 6 days but fire in 150  containers will have to be extinguished individually. 8 vessels at standby or involved.  

M/V ODIN PACIFIC (Malta, 16761gt) went heavily aground at Sorthat Odde beach, Bornholm, Denmark, while underway at full speed, 9-July-2010. It was detained by Danish authorities until seaworthiness is confirmed. It was reported the officer on watch, alone on the bridge, fell asleep.

M/V RICHELIEU (Canada) w/ 24700 tons wheat cargo ran aground near the Cote Sainte-Catherine canal lock S of Montreal, due to high dusty winds, 12-July-2010. The ship's fuel tank was punctured, leaking about 50 to 200 tons of fuel oil into the waters. The leak was later contained.

Typhoon COSCON that passed Central Luzon Philippines 13-14 July-2010 caused many fishing vessels and barges to sink. 19 fishermen are missing. A cargo vessel rescued 6 other fishermen near Limbones, Cavite.  A master died while trying to abandon his vessel in Bataan.

M/V C.S.OCEAN (Panama, 20236gt) while departing Hiroshima collided with a fishing vessel.  M/V C.S.Ocean berthed at Kure for investigations. 13-July-2010.

c.c. OSG BEAUTEC (Hong Kong, 8262dwt) struck vehicle carrier KINUURA MARU (Japan, 5820dwt) at Chiba Japan, 14-July-2010. Both vessels were detained for investigation.

2. PORT STATE CONTROL

Press release July-2010 by Paris MOU “In the offing: The New Inspection Regime is on the horizon and information is being recorded in view of entry into force on 1 January 2011. Ships will be divided into High, Standard and Low Risk. For the first time company performance will contribute to the risk profile. Banning measures will be extended to all ship types and apply to flags on the “Black List” and “Grey List”. This should have an effect on a large number of general cargo ships that manage to continue trading in the area after multiple detentions. Particularly since detentions in up to the past 36 months (from 17 June 2009) are counted. These ships will no longer be welcome in Paris MoU ports after 2011 and will be “banned” for a minimum period. While low-risk ships will be rewarded with a 24 to 36 month inspection interval, high-risk ships will be subject to a more rigorous inspection regime with an expanded inspection every 6 months.   Developments in the shipping industry also have an impact on safety, the marine environment and working and living conditions on board. Overall these developments are positive and fewer ships have been detained in the Paris MoU region. In 2009 the detention percentage reached 4.4%, an all-time low over the past decade. ..”

3. PIRACY

In the last 2 weeks, piracy incidents were reported in the following areas: Pos:15-18.4N – 041-49.6E: Red Sea: 15-29.2N – 041-42.4E, 13-16N – 042-56E, Bab el Mandeb, 13-20N – 042-55E.

Johor, Malaysia: 01-19.5N – 104-15.6E, Conakry port- Guinea, Chittagong anchorage, Bangladesh, NE Muri Island Indonesia 01-58.9N – 108-43.8E, Approach to Bonny port, Nigeria. 15-July-2010.

4. POLLUTION CASE

M/V IORANA (Greece)’s management company pleaded guilty, 8-July-2010 before Maryland US District Court judge, to felony obstruction of justice charges and violation of the Acts to Prevent Pollution from Ships related to concealing deliberate vessel pollution from M/V IORANA. The shipping company agreed to pay a $4 million total penalty, be placed on max period of 5 years, and be subject to the terms of an enhanced Environmental Compliance Program.

The illegal discharges activity of the vessel was found by USCG inspection on 8-Jan-2010. The illegal discharges were concealed in a fraudulent oil record book.

In pleading guilty, the shipping company has admitted the following: Approx 23 cbm oily sludge and bilge waste were dumped overboard in Dec-09 on voyage from Gibraltar to Baltimore using bypass hose, the flanges where the bypass hose was connected were repainted before arrival in port to cover up marks, the bypass was used at night, and plastic bags filled with oily rags used to clean the bilge tank were dumped overboard at night, additional episodes of illegal discharges from June to Dec-09, Crewmembers received little training regarding the company’s environmental policies, senior officers made false statements to USCG, illegal dumping evidence was destroyed, etc. It was also admitted that the company hired back the chief engineer that was convicted of similar charges from a similar pollution case in US.