Wood chips carrier SURABAYA EXPRESS dragged anchor and drifted aground at night May 9 in Corral Bay, Chile. Understood she was refloated with tug assistance, and was anchored. She heaved anchor early in the morning May 10, and started moving towards Corral Port, her port of destination. The ship arrived from China on May 9. No damages reported so far.
Source:
https://www.fleetmon.com/maritime-news/2020/29617/wood-chips-carrier-grounding-chile/
Product tanker SEAVEN JOY suffered engine failure in western Kafirea Straits, Myrtoan sea, late May 7, while en route from Piraeus to undeclared port, sailing in eastern direction. Disabled drifting tanker was taken on tow by tug early May 8, and towed to Lavrion anchorage, southeast Attica, Greece. she was anchored there same day, as of 0600 UTC May 9, remained in the same position.
IMRRA, FleetMon’s official Vessel Risk Rating Partner, risk assessed this tanker as having a GREEN risk rating, with a specific risk rating of 34% (17-APR-18), compared to the fleet average 36%. New risk assessment reports can be purchased via FleetMon.
Red: Poorest performing; Amber: Average value; Green: Good indicator.
Source:
https://www.fleetmon.com/maritime-news/2020/29605/tanker-disabled-towed-safety-myrtoan-sea/
The US Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) has issued a new warning of vessel attacks in the Southern Gulf of Mexico.
MSCI Advisory 2020-008 states that the U.S. government is aware of at least 20 fishing vessels and 35 oil platforms and offshore supply vessels that have been targeted by pirates and armed robbers since January 2018 in the Bay of Campeche area of the southern Gulf of Mexico. Significant underreporting of attacks in this area is suspected.
These attacks have involved the discharge of firearms, crew injuries, hostage taking, and theft. At least five of these attacks occurred in April 2020, details of which are provided in the Office of Naval Intelligence’s 30 April 2020 Worldwide Threat to Shipping (WTS) report, available at https://go.usa.gov/xv7tF.
The advisory goes on to warn that the pirates/robbers targeting offshore infrastructure and vessels in this area typically operate in small groups of between 5 and 15 individuals aboard several boats. They usually employ small fiberglass hulled craft, similar in appearance to local artisanal fishing boats, equipped with multiple high-powered outboard motors that enable fast travel to the oil fields located between five and ninety-five nautical miles offshore. They typically carry out their raids under the cover of darkness so that their approach is masked and so that they can use platform lights to navigate towards their target. The attackers are reportedly armed with an assortment of weapons including assault rifles, shotguns, pistols, machetes, knives and tools. They are known to use violence to ensure compliance and prevent resistance.
United States Guidance
MARAD advises to remain vigilant and to ensure familiarity with and adherence to their approved Vessel Security Plan when operating in this area. The Department of State’s Mexico Travel Advisory (available at https://go.usa.gov/xvVcB) should also be thoroughly reviewed prior to operating in this area. In addition, all suspicious activities and events involving U.S. flagged vessels must be reported to the U.S. Coast Guard National Response Center at 800-424-8802 in accordance with 33 CFR 101.305.
Reporting
Suspicious activity and attacks in this region should be reported to the Mexican Navy’s Third Naval Region Campeche at +52 981 812 0881 or rn3@semar.gob.mx. Incident reports should be submitted in writing to the Regional Mexican Navy command within 24 hours in the Spanish language.
Further Information
Read North’s guidance on maritime security here.
Members can access maritime security information and alerts on MyGlobeView here.
February 28, 2018 Maritime Safety News
Maritime Safety News
On Monday, the operator and master of the product tanker Sea Faith pleaded guilty to two felony MARPOL violations for failing to maintain the vessel’s oil record book and garbage record book. The plea comes with a $2.25 million fine for the Athens-based operator, Sea World Management & Trading, and a three-year term of probation. The Faith’s captain, Edmon Fajardo, was sentenced to six months in prison, two years of supervised release and a fine of $2,000.
Sea World and Capt. Edmon Fajardo admitted that petroleum cargo residue and oily bilge water were discharged from the Sea Faith without the use of pollution prevention equipment. They also admitted that these discharges were not recorded in the vessel’s oil record book.
During a transit of the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico in March 2017, Capt. Fajardo ordered crew members to discharge oily waste from the vessel’s cargo tanks, bilges and deck spaces using portable pumps and hoses. The discharges bypassed the use of the vessel’s oil content monitoring equipment, and they were not recorded.
In addition, on the same voyage, Fajardo ordered crewmembers to throw plastics, empty steel drums, oily rags, batteries, and empty paint cans directly overboard. These discharges were made at night to avoid detection and were not recorded in the garbage record book.
Upon arrival in Corpus Christi, crewmembers informed the U.S. Coast Guard of the violations and provided photographs and videos as evidence. When questioned by USCG inspectors, Fajardo said repeatedly that he was not aware of any discrepancies between the contents of the vessel’s record books and the vessel’s actual discharges. Prosecutors also charged that he instructed at least four crewmembers to lie to Coast Guard inspectors.
The U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. federal prosecutors have a strong record of enforcing MARPOL requirements. This case was investigated by the Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi, the CGIS and the EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division. It was prosecuted by the Department of Justice’s Environmental Crimes Section with assistance from the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas.
