Pump Problem Stops Ship

The Coast Guard detained a merchant vessel Wednesday evening for having an inoperable emergency fire pump on board.The merchant vessel Suijin, which is homeported in Panama, was boarded at the Blair Terminal in Tacoma by a Port State Control Boarding Team from Coast Guard Marine Safety Office Puget Sound to conduct a routine examination. The boarding team began the inspection at 11:00 a.m., while testing the emergency fire pump it was discovered that the Suijin’s emergency fire pump was inoperable, which is a Safety of Life at Sea violation. The Suijin was then required to take corrective action prior to departing the Blair Terminal. The Suijin temporarily fixed the pump and was given permission by the Coast Guard to proceed to their next port of call, Port Hueneme, Calif. The vessel must have the pump replaced before leaving Port Hueneme.