Messages

1

Shipping News and information / Re: Do ship owners and managers check here occasionally?

« on: January 01, 2010, 09:46:16 PM »

Yes, Shipspotting is used by my company (primarily Charterers) to check out physical details of ships (where cranes are located, are they off-set, gangway position etc). You an get a lot more detail on a ship than is contained in a chartering recap or questionnaire.

Stuart
Melbourne

2

Shipping News and information / Re: Captain dined while Pasha Bulker moved toward disaster?

« on: October 16, 2007, 06:17:54 AM »

Mattmar asked:-

"I would have thought that following the subsequent loss of that ship (as MSC Napoli) rebuilding the Pasha Bulker is foolhardy at best."

Panamaxes today are earning $93,000/day on spot market for a Pacific round voyage (i.e. Newcastle-Japan coal). At these rates, anything is possible. Expect her back in service soon with a new name!

Regards, Stuart

3

Shipping News and information / Re: Pasha Bulker aground Newcastle Australia

« on: July 02, 2007, 11:47:38 AM »

Pasha Bulker was successfully refloated at around 21:40 this evening Newcastle time.

She floated off about 5 minutes after the tide peaked - live TV coverage here in Australia.

Stuart

4

Shipping News and information / Re: Pasha Bulker aground Newcastle Australia

« on: June 28, 2007, 06:54:39 AM »

It's 17:00 here on the Australian East Coast, and deballasting of 'Pasha Bulker' has commenced in preparation for a refloating attempt on the high tide tonight at 19:00.

The web-cam has been relocated to put the vessel in left frame, so movement off the beach will be visible.

Fingers crossed, and good luck to the Svitzer salvage team!

Stuart

5

Shipping News and information / Re: Pasha Bulker aground Newcastle Australia

« on: June 13, 2007, 06:32:03 AM »

New development - live webcam of 'Pasha Bulker' on the beach. Follow her salvage minute by minute!

http://www.coastalwatch.com/camera/cameras_large.aspx?cam=2790&state=NSW

Enjoy,

Stuart

6

Shipping News and information / Northsea (ex Amokura)

« on: June 01, 2007, 03:37:53 AM »

Lloyds List reports on fire/abandonment of m/t Northsea;

Northsea
31 May 2007 Lloyds List
London, May 29 -- Following received from Coastguard Falmouth MRCC, timed 1427, UTC: Product tanker Northsea: Crude oil tanker Toledo Spirit has transferred 21 survivors to offshore vessel Brago who is now proceeding towards combined chemical and oil tanker April to transfer 22 survivors and four deceased. Three crew members remain missing, including the master. Toledo Spirit confirms that a thorough search has been carried out to a radius of seven nautical miles from the casualty in good weather conditions. Toledo Spirit and crude oil tanker Astro Pheonix are now resuming original tasking. The vessel remains sinking in its original position. (See issue of May 30.)

London, May 29 -- Following received from Coastguard Falmouth MRCC, timed 1817, UTC: Product tanker Northsea. All survivors and deceased now transferred to supply vessel Brago who will meet the company vessel April for transfer ashore. Three crew members remain missing. The search is now terminated. All remaining search vessels may proceed in accordance with their previous orders with thanks for their efforts. All vessels transiting the area are to keep a sharp lookout. At 1530, UTC, Northsea was still on fire and submerged to her upperdeck level.

London, May 30 -- Following received from Coastguard Falmouth MRCC, timed 0507, UTC: Product tanker Northsea: All survivors and deceased now transferred from supply Brago to combined chemical and oil tanker April. Search and rescue operations terminated at 0410, UTC, May 30.

Northsea was listed as sold for scrap earlier this year, but appears to have gained a temporary reprieve trading around West Africa.

Photo's posted on Shipspotting of 'Amokura' in better days when I was Third Officer on her;

http://www.shipspotting.com/modules/myalbum/photo.php?lid=348469
http://www.shipspotting.com/modules/myalbum/photo.php?lid=346289

Stuart

7

Shipping News and information / Re: Repubblica di Genova capsized (new photos)

« on: April 03, 2007, 07:00:26 AM »

Sequence of photos of the vessel listing and then capsizing between 05:00 and 05:30 - spectacular!

http://www.cargolaw.com/2007nightmare_genoa2.html

Stuart

8

Shipping News and information / Re: Exxon Valdez

« on: March 26, 2007, 11:16:47 PM »

While the environmental damage was bad, my personal view is that 'Exxon Valdez' was the defining moment when seafarers became second class citizens.

Exxon Valdez gave us;
- Exxon's dominance of Mobil, and the complete sale of the non-US flag tanker fleet
- the end of Mobil's long standing recruit-train-advance programme for it's seagoing officers
- Random D&A testing
- Restricted access to shore and shore leave (even before Sept 11)
- Terminal vetting reports which can end a Master's career over one disagreement

I am a firm believer that if your business in the maritime environment, then you have an obligation to develop the next generation in some tangible way. ExonMobil's complete 'push away' from employing ships officers and ratings might look good on the balance sheet, but does nothing for the industry. People don't function like robots - the community that is a ship and its crew needs to know that its valued for the teamwork and service.

Stepping down off his soapbox....

Stuart Scott
Melbourne, Australia

9

Shipping News and information / Re: Two more capesize bulkers ground in storm in Japan (video)

« on: March 07, 2007, 10:14:51 AM »

Post-script to this story. I was in Qingdao Beihei Shipyard today, where Elida Ace is under repair. She still had an 'unofficial' waterline of barnacles and marks from the Yokohama fenders, which would lead me to guess that she is still unrepaired. No pain has been applied to her topsides or boot-topping.

Yard would not say anything about the repair.

Cheers, Stuart

10

Shipping News and information / Mini-bulker abandoned in Gulf of Carpentaria

« on: February 07, 2007, 11:29:43 PM »

The attached news story follows m/v Wunma, a purpose built self-discharging mini-bulker which has been abandoned in the Gulf of Carpentaria, Queensland AUS.

Wunma is operated by Zinifex, managed by Inco Ship Management. She operates as a feeder vessel from Karumba, loading bulk carriers. The vessel lost her hatch covers during a surprise tropical cyclone which formed in the Gulf.

All 10 crew members were rescued by helicopter. The vessel at last report is afloat, listing and flooded.

Copy/paste the huperlink to bring up a story and photo of Wunma with helicopter winching off her crew.

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,21189624-3102,00.html

11

Shipping News and information / Re: MSC Napoli

« on: January 25, 2007, 03:07:02 AM »

I have attached a link to the Gallery of Transport Loss (hosted by Countryman and McDaniel, USA). They have put up a feature on the 'MSC Napoli' from initial flooding to today, and update the site daily.

http://www.cargolaw.com/2007nightmare_msc.napoli.html

Enjoy...

12

Shipping News and information / Re: MSC Napoli

« on: January 24, 2007, 10:44:49 PM »

I'm interested in the location of the structural failure, at the break of the accommodation and engineroom. Container vessels are not highly stressed vessels - sumultaneous discharge and reloading of cells and bays don't put the same stresses into the hull as say a bulk carrier.

Assuming she has heated bunker tanks (or a void space) in the area of the failure, I'm speculating is that the shell plating has corroded/thinned here. I had recent experience with a tanker I was managing going through 3rd Special Survey ultrasonic thickness, and significant steel diminution found in the hull shell plating and deck around enginerom side bunker tanks.

Void spaces around the engineroom are hot, hunid and not easy to inspect. I'm not taking a shot at MSC, Zodiac or Class. Its just a reality that internal breakdown of coatings and corrosion is far more insidious than external corrosion.

I'm sure Class and the MCA will be taking sections of the hull plating in way of the crack as soon as the bunkers have been removed.

13

Shipping News and information / Re: MSC Napoli Sinking

« on: January 22, 2007, 07:45:07 PM »

My virgin posting - here goes...

As a BMW rider as well as a Shipspotter, I loved the photos of the BMW bikes being 'liberated' on the beach. Wonder if there'll be a warranty on them!

On a more serious note, General Average may have been a major factor in beaching MSC Napoli. My understanding is that if the beaching was voluntary and successful, then the cargo interests (shippers) and their underwriters are forced to contribute to the salvage operation in a proportion to the value of the cargoes. This siginificantly widens the net in terms of who pays for the entire operation.

I'd appreciate any maritime lawyers on the list commenting about how/if General Average may be applied here?

Stuart Scott
Melbourne, Australia