Maritime Safety News Today – 11th March 2008

Three dead, one missing in SW China boat crash
Xinhua – China
The accident happened on the Wu River in Changshou District at 8 pm when a passenger ship from the suburban Fuling District crashed with the cargo ship 

Boat slams bridge
Sun.Star – Philippines
The head of the Mandaue City 701st Maritime Station, Chief Insp. Greg Togonon, said the accident was recorded in their blotter.

Late-winter storm in northwest of France beaches a Dutch cargo …
Web in France Magazine – Miami,USA
The Dutch cargo liner was sailing empty, and so luckily the accident caused no pollution, according to the French maritime prefecture of the Atlantic.

USS John S. McCain Rescues ROK Fishing Vessel Crew Members

Posted 03/11/08 at 10:22 AM

Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) assisted in the rescue of 11 crew members of a Republic of Korea (ROK) fishing vessel off the Korean Peninsula, March

Crew kin send SOS to Sonia
Daily News & Analysis – Mumbai,India
The families of missing crew of MV Rezzak, on Monday, demanded a CBI inquiry into the ship’s disappearance. They have written a letter to Congress president 

Crewing becoming ever more serious issue says broker
Offshore Shipping Online – Ledbury,England,UK
“With the Bourbon Dolphin report due out at the beginning of April, there is no doubt that safety offshore will be receiving close scrutiny over the coming

Marine pilots, tugs to rescue when ship breaks free
Mackay Daily Mercury – Australia
Maritime Safety Queensland Pilotage Services, Mackay, has been commended for its handling of the emergency. Strong northerly winds snapped mooring lines on 

EMSA TO EXPAND SPILL RESPONSE FLEET
Maritime Global Net – Warren,RI,USA
THE European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) is launching a new procurement procedure for stand-by oil spill recovery vessels in the Black Sea and North Sea 

Ship owners must pay – lawsuit
Legalbrief (subscription) – Durban,South Africa
… was part of an early settlement reached in a lawsuit his office filed against Regal Stone Ltd. of Hong Kong, which owns the Cosco Busan container ship. 

Start of Napoli grounding inquiry
Dorset Echo – England,UK
AN INQUIRY into the grounding of the MSC Napoli off the world heritage coast was launched yesterday at Branscombe, near where the storm-damaged ship was

Global Warming to Affect Transport
The Associated Press –
The resulting lower water levels would reduce vessel shipping capacity, seriously impairing freight movements in the region, such as occurred during the .

Maritime Safety News Today – 21st February 2008

Video shows man’s plunge from cruise ship

After calling off its search for a missing cruise ship crew member Tuesday night, the U.S. Coast Guard on Wednesday has begun looking again.

The reason: A video has surfaced of the 28-year-old Chinese national falling overboard from the Celebrity Constellation.

Coast Guard officials said the staff of the cruise ship informed them of the video early Wednesday. Its time stamp shows the man going overboard at 3:25 a.m. Monday, the Coast Guard said.

JCG divers examine bow of Atago / Destroyer checked below …
The Daily Yomiuri – Osaka,Japan
… the submerged parts of the Maritime Self-Defense Force Aegis destroyer that collided with a fishing boat, looking for abrasions caused by the accident.

Rescue Attempt for Russian Ship

Posted 02/20/08 at 10:24 AM

The Greek navy and coast guard were last night trying to tow to safety a Russian navy ship that sent out a distress signal in choppy seas off the eastern Aegean island of Icaria. Tugboats, helicopters and a navy frigate were dispatched to the area at 11

Remembering those lost on the Lady Luck
Gloucester Daily Times – MA, USA
Last week, the Coast Guard said it would change its report about the vessel’s sinking after the Cone family disputed several aspects, including the accuracy 

Satellite debris warning to ships
The Press Association –
New Zealand’s maritime safety authority has warned ships in the South Pacific to be on the lookout for falling satellite debris as the US attempts to shoot 

Stranded ship strayed too close
Safety at Sea – London,England,UK
… insufficient engine power (main engine 12357 kW) and heavy winds – 7 to 8 Beaufort – may have combined to cause the grounding

Maritime Safety News Today – 20 February 2008

Japanese Navy Collision With Fishing Vessel Leaves Two Missing
Bloomberg – USA
By Takashi Hirokawa Feb. 19 (Bloomberg) — Two people are missing after a Japanese Navy destroyer collided with and sank a fishing boat in the Pacific Ocean …

9:30 AM: Weekend collision at sea causes diesel spill
Beaumont Enterprise – Beaumont,TX,USA
The Grady Fagan, an offshore supply vessel, struck a rig, the Ocean Star, early Saturday morning roughly 140 miles southeast of Galveston, according to the

Freighter runs aground off Iniö in Finland
Newsroom Finland – Helsinki,Finland
… the ship, although damaged in the bow, carried on toward Naantali under its own steam. The captain, who was at the helm at the time of the grounding,

Disabled Russian navy vessel in Aegean Sea being towed
Xinhua – China
The ministry added all crew-members are safe and that there is no danger of the vessel sinking. The vessel reportedly faltered in rough seas due to engine

Old ferry sinks in Melbourne harbour
Sydney Morning Herald – Sydney,New South Wales,Australia
No-one was on board the ferry when it sank, but there were plenty of bystanders to witness the sinking. The 33-metre ferry is now eight metres below the

Barge in Nanticoke River Refloated

Posted 02/19/08 at 08:35 AM

The barge that ran aground last Wednesday in the mouth of the Nanticoke River was refloated Thursday evening after a successful lightering operation. The double-hulled barge carrying 420,000 gallons of black oil was able to continue its voyage up the Nanticoke River after about a 1/3 of its cargo was lightered off the vessel reducing its weight.

Ship noise may hamper whale communication
Ventura County Star – Camarillo,CA,USA
McKenna says a joke among scientists is that you can measure America’s gross domestic product by sinking an underwater microphone in the ocean.

Maritime Safety News Today – 13th February 2008

25 feared dead in Uganda boat collision
AFP –
Sixteen managed to swim away… but 25 are believed dead,” he said, adding the feared death toll would make the collision one of Uganda’s deadliest ever 

Storms Upset Miss. River Ships, Kill 1
The Associated Press –
The Coast Guard also said a ship was grounded on the riverbank. There were no indications of serious levee damage, and the ship was not sinking,

Ships collide on river
The Times-Picayune – NOLA.com – New Orleans,LA,USA
The accident happened near the shore but did not cause any damage to the levee. “One ship hit another and it did get close to the shoreline,” said Jerry 

Mystery surrounds Cammell Laird contamination
Liverpool Daily Post – Liverpool,UK
MYSTERY still surrounds why three workmen on board a ship moored in Birkenhead fell ill and needed to undergo unpleasant decontamination. 

LNG Ship Disabled off Cape Cod

Posted 02/12/08 at 09:47 AM

The Unified Command at Coast Guard Sector Boston is continuing to monitor and assist the Liquefied Natural Gas tanker Catalunya Spirit, which lost propulsion and became disabled and adrift east of Cape Cod Monday morning.

Navy Cargo Ship Assists at-Sea Rescue

Posted 02/13/08 at 12:10 PM

Military Sealift Command large, medium-speed, RoRo ship USNS Seay conducted an at-sea rescue operation February 9 in the Straits of Gibraltar. At 12:50 a.m. the 950-ft. military cargo ship was notified by the Tarifa Rescue Coordination Center in Tarifa, Spain, that a small craft in their vicinity had issued a distress signal and needed assistance.

ship adrift as wild weather hits
Sydney Morning Herald – Sydney,New South Wales,Australia
Thirty-seven passengers and crew were winched to safety from a sinking yacht in the Whitsundays. Two yachts have been wrecked, a train derailed, 

Sinking pleasure boat caused minor spill
Seattle Post Intelligencer – USA
… why there was fuel in the boat’s bilges. A Seattle Fire Department vessel helped pump water from the sinking vessel. It was towed to the Elliott Bay Marina.

Sunken Ferramales oil leak is not “an environmental risk”
MercoPress – Montevideo,Uruguay
Penguin News confirmed that the Islands Marine Officer is conducting an investigation into the sinking of the vessel. Falklands’ Director of Fisheries John 

CG marks sinking that led to rescue swimmers
NavyTimes.com – Springfield,VA,USA
… service to create its rescue swimmer program — the sinking of a cargo ship off Virginia whose crew Coast Guard rescuers were powerless to help.

Sea unions seek war bonus after Nigeria attacks
Reuters South Africa – Johannesburg,South Africa
By Stefano Ambrogi LONDON, Feb 12 (Reuters) – Seafarers‘ unions are urging shipping firms to grant crews emergency rights such as war-risk bonuses for 

Greece wants sunken cruise ship owners to pay for cleanup
AFP –
LHC has blamed the accident on a mistake in local nautical charts. Presenting its own hydrographic survey, the company said that the reef which the ship 

Norwegian seafarers not welcome on US land
Aftenposten – Oslo,Norway
Thanks to ever-strengthening anti-terror laws, Norwegian seafarers are finding themselves stranded on their ships while they are in US ports. 

Maritime Safety News Today – 4th February 2008

2 dead in tug boat sinking
Globe and Mail – Canada
The coast guard dispatched a Cormorant helicopter, a Hercules aircraft, and two vessels to the scene, but spokesman Christopher Fitzgerald says things  Dubai ship sinks off Manama
Khaleej Times – Dubai,United Arab Emirates
Strong winds that hit the Gulf late on Thursday night were said to be the cause of the ship’s sinking. However, 17 Indian crew members were reportedly Crew airlifted to safety from stricken Irish Sea ferry
AFP –
The rescue operation, run by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), Royal Air Force and Royal National Lifeboat Institution, involved three helicopters  Stricken ferry runs aground
The Press Association –
… the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said. A total of 14 people were airlifted to safety from the Riverdance, a roll-on roll-off vessel, Newfoundland mayor one of two dead in sinking
National Post – Toronto,Ontario,Canada
The bodies were brought to St. John’s by the coast guard vessel for autopsies Friday morning. The deaths are the first marine fatalities in Newfoundland ..Boat captain in clear after crash into bridge
ic SouthLondon.co.uk – United Kingdom
Mr Watson said: “He failed to exercise due care and attention and as a result his vessel went off course and crashed into the bridge.  Salvage studies on stricken boat
BBC News – UK
The MCA said pollution as a result of the vessel’s grounding on Hirta was not considered to be a serious concern. St Kilda, a group of islands lying 44 THE LOG EXCLUSIVE: Grounded 82-footer in Bizarre Accident at Cat …
The Log Newspaper – Irvine,CA,USA
Another moored vessel in Cat Harbor was thought to have sustained minor damage in a collision with Intrepid as the 82-footer headed for the rocks. …How one clumsy ship cut off the web for 75 million people
Guardian Unlimited – UK
“It will depend on how bad the damage is, but they’ll find the sections in question and bring them up onto a ship for repair before sinking them again,”

Maritime Safety News Today – February 1 2008

10 fishermen feared dead in South Korean shipwreck
Times of India – India
All the 10 fishermen are feared dead,” a spokesman for Jeju Maritime Police said. The 136-tonne ship named the 102 Soyang went down 65 kilometres (40 miles)

Stricken ferry runs aground
Melbourne Herald Sun – Australia
Royal National Lifeboat Institution spokesman John Matthews said the ferry crew, some of them Polish, seemed calm and confident. A spokesman for Seatruck …

15 Injured, oil spilled as Peruvian navy tanker explodes
Trading Markets (press release) – Los Angeles,CA,USA
… of Zorritos told Efe the accident took place in Pacific waters near the Corvina oil platform, which lies close to Peru’s maritime boundary with Ecuador.

RESCUE AT SEA
Tempo – Manila,Philippines
… weight while the vessel already started to submerge. Fishermen saw the sinking ship, rescued the crew members and took them to a nearby islet in Tandag.

Chinese Search for Missing Russian Ship

Chinese maritime search and rescue forces are aiding the search for a Russian ship that went missing east of Shanghai last Thursday.
Hebei Spirit case will be long as Samsung denies responsibility
Seatradeasia-online (subscription) – London,UK
In a statement submitted to a Daejeon court, the company claimed the Hong Kong-based Hebei Spirit oil tanker was responsible for the collision with a …

USCG – shipboard inspection and testing of immersion suits

The US Coast Guard issued guidelines for periodic inspection and testing of immersion suits by ships’ crews.  These guidelines are based on standards developed by IMO.  NVIC 01-08 (1/28/08).

UN Maritime Drill Conducted off Lebanese Coast

The Maritime Task Force of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFL) conducted a three-day drill intended to “improve cooperation and establish coordination mechanisms between the different naval and land forces involved.”

Maritime Safety News Today – 31st January 2008

Two Chinese cargo ships collide, at least 15 dead
Reuters – USA
Rescue operations are continuing and an investigation into the cause of the accident has begun, said the news agency. (Reporting by Kirby Chien)

At least 100 feared dead in Congo boat accident
Earthtimes – London,UK
It was unclear what caused the accident but a Congolese maritime official told the BBC all passengers were thought to be dead. 

Coast Guard Responds to Cargo Ship Aground

Posted 01/30/08 at 09:57 AM

The Coast Guard responded to a cargo ship that ran aground in the Chesapeake Bay. The Mediterranean Shipping Company vessel Japan, a 796-ft. Panamanian flagged cargo ship, ran aground near Sandy Point Light approximately one mile north of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge…

Council proposes Napoli inquiry
BBC News – UK
The grounding of the MSC Napoli in Lyme Bay is to be subject to a local inquiry held by Devon County Council. The MSC Napoli was beached in Lyme Bay last

Maritime Safety News Today – 26 January 2008

Titas pipeline on blaze after hit by trawler
The Daily Star – Dhaka,Bangladesh
“Soon after the propeller of the vessel hit the pipeline with a bang, a huge swirl was created in the river and we thought our boat was sinking,” said 

Crippled ship is rescued
Melbourne Herald Sun – Australia
“She was en-route from New Zealand to India to be scrapped when she broke down and Maritime Safety Authorities asked us to take her in tow,” Capt .

OJ Freighter Hits Ship in NJ
The Associated Press –
The vessel was later stabilized and in no danger of sinking, though the extent of the damage was not immediately clear. The Orange Sun was on its way to a

Coast Guard assists sinking tugboat’s crew
Peninsula Daily – Port Angeles,WA,USA
The crew put on survival suits and got into the water as the vessel was sinking. A fishing vessel, the Kilchis, picked up the crew, and took them to a 

3 men rescued from sinking fishing boat
KING5.com – Seattle,WA,USA
AP SEATTLE – The Coast Guard says it has rescued three men from a fishing vessel that was taking on water after hitting a jetty at the exit to Grays Harbor

Dragger sinks near Trenton
Ellsworth American – Ellsworth,ME,USA
The Department of Marine Resources Marine Patrol and the United States Coast Guard (USCG) responded to the sinking. The vessel reportedly was attached to .

Trial opens over SKorea’s worst oil spill
AFP –
The accident happened after a line connecting one of two tugboats to the barge snapped, leaving the barge drifting uncontrollably towards the Hebei Spirit .

Hong Kong Tanker Owners Protest South Korean Indictment of Crew in …
Voice of America – USA
Last December, the Hebei Spirit, a Hong Kong-registered tanker, was at anchor off the west coast of South Korea. A drifting South Korean crane barge, 

KIRIBATI MAN DETAINED IN CHINA
Niu FM – Auckland,New Zealand
Auckland 8am: A maritime recruitment agancy says very little is known about a Kiribati seafarer being detained in China for drug smuggling – so the

Lawyers Plan to Meet Today Over Cosco Busan Oil Spill
KCBS – CA,USA
Friday, lawyers are supposed to discuss whether the process is on course for an April 28 hearing into the Cosco Busan’s collision with the Bay Bridge, 

Unions discuss FOC shipping with Irish ministers
Shipping Times – UK
They explained how crucial this was in light of the number of seafarers who disappear without a trace – some 1500 annually. Requests for assistance were 

53 ships docked without safety norms, SC told
Times of India – India
Since the September order, the nodal Gujarat Maritime Board has not given permission for ship-breaking because no shipbreaker has provided the requisite

Maritime Safety News Today – 22nd January 2008

Tides hamper progress as divers prepare to raise Flying Phantom
The Herald – Glasgow,Scotland,UK
Divers from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) managed to lever the tug from its side into an upright position at the end of last week, and then spent 

Men safe but sea swallows big cat
Gold Coast News – Molendinar,Queensland,Australia
The captain of one of the vessels that picked up the men said he was 1km away from the stricken cat when it began sinking at 9.30am.

Hanjin had no safety officer during accident
Inquirer.net – Philippines
By Ansbert Joaquin SUBIC BAY FREEPORT ZONE — An incident report on the accident at the Hanjin shipyard that killed two welders and injured three others on 

Owners, captains of two ships indicted for negligence in oil spill

Yonhap News – Seoul,South Korea

According to international law on maritime pollution accidents, the 146000-ton super tanker Hebei Spirit is directly responsible for the oil leak and paying

Mexico reopens main oil ports after bad weather

MEXICO CITY, Jan 21 (Reuters) – Mexico reopened all of its main oil exporting ports on Monday after bad weather forced their closure the previous day, the transport ministry said on its Web site.

State: Exxon violated its vow
Anchorage Daily News (subscription) – Anchorage,AK,USA
The company’s case in front of the Supreme Court is expected to make the claim that nearly two centuries of American maritime law uphold the company’s 

Maritime Safety News Today – 19th January 2008

Total Responds to Erika Verdict

The French oil giant is “disappointed” that the Paris Criminal Court imposed a fine for the maritime pollution that occurred as result of the 1999 sinking of the tanker Erika.

UK – update re sinking of ICE PRINCE The UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) issued a press notice stating that the estimated clearance over the wreck of the ICE PRINCE is 46.8 meters, but that an Irish Lights vessel will examine and confirm the clearance.  In the meantime, a temporary exclusion zone of 1000 meters is in effect.  Bundles of the floating timber are breaking up, but may still present a hazard, particularly for smaller vessels.  An incident report provides further details. (1/17/08).

Bourbon Dolphin findings delayed
BBC News – UK
The publication of an official report into the sinking of the Bourbon Dolphin off Shetland has been delayed. The vessel capsized during an anchor handling

Man attempts suicide in protest at SKorea oil spill payout
AFP –
A barge drifting in stormy weather smashed into the 147000-ton Hong Kong-registered tanker Hebei Spirit on December 7, causing the tanker to spill some

Harbor pilot pulled from chilly gulf
The News Herald – Panama City,FL,USA
Knowles guided a 300-foot cargo ship bound for Mexico through the St. Andrew Pass and out to sea Wednesday afternoon. The captain used a ladder to climb out

Ship Hits Bay Area Bridge…Again
KCBS – CA,USA
(KCBS) — For the third time in three months a ship has collided with a Bay Area bridge. The US Coast Guard says that around 2:30 Wednesday morning,

Grounded Fishing Vessel’s Damage Assessed Transit Plan Developed
SitNews – Ketchikan,AK,USA
… boom continued to surround the vessel as a precaution and there have been no reports of petroleum leakage after the vessel’s initial grounding.

FG explains oil vessel explosion in PH
The Tide – Port Harcourt,Niger Delta,Nigeria
… Harcourt on Friday was caused by an accident. Our correspondent reports that a ship carrying 5000 tonnes of petrol exploded at the Port Harcourt Wharf.

Freighter to Replace Damaged Ship

Posted 01/18/08 at 10:26 AM

Commodore Goodwill sustained damage to its hull during high winds on December 10 and it is not known when it will be back in service. The ship usually delivers some food and goods to Guernsey. Condor Ferries has chartered the Triumph. The replacement ship will begin daily sailings to Guernsey from 1 February. Source: BBC

San Francisco Bay – initial report on Cosco Busan incident prepared

The US Coast Guard issued a press release stating that the initial report on the COSCO BUSAN incident has been prepared and forwarded to Headquarters for review.  The report, prepared by the Incident Specific Preparedness Review (ISPR) team, focuses on the first two weeks of the response to the November 7, 2007 allision of the freighter with a pier of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and the ensuing oil spill.  Public release of the report is expected in approximately two weeks. (1/16/08).

Savannah River – grounded vessel refloated

The US Coast Guard issued a press release stating that the container ship that grounded in the Savannah River has been refloated with the assistance of two towing vessels.  The ship has been moved to an anchorage area until the problem causing the grounding has been identified and repaired.  The incident is under investigation. (1/16/08).

Duluth – salvage plan approved for partially sunken laker

The US Coast Guard issued a press release stating that the salvage plan has been approved for the laker that partially sank after striking a submerged object while approaching its pier in Duluth.  Deballasting is expected to take several days.  Then repairs can be effected. (1/16/08).

Cyprus and Syria Sign Cooperation Agreement on Maritime Pollution

The agreement entails “. . . combating marine pollution, training and rehabilitation, research and the possibility of holding twining among the Syrian and Cypriot ports.”

Dock owner stands firm over pilot’s sacking
Liverpool Echo – UK
The member of trade union Unite was dismissed after an incident involving the grounding of a pilot vessel. No-one was hurt but he lost his job after