'Safe Haven' Debate Could Have Resounding Effects
A situation ongoing at press time half way around the world promises to affect the way in which ship emergencies are handled in the U.S. and abroad. Last month, debates were raging and political fur was flying as the stricken tanker, Castor, carrying 29,000 tons of gasoline, was held in limbo as authorities on many levels debated the best course of action. The ship, which was damaged but still afloat and operational, was turned away from three countries — Morocco, Spain and Gibraltar — as it went to for assistance. Greek operator Athenian Sea Carriers said that the Moroccan Coast Guard instructed the vessel to move 40 miles offshore…
ABS Steps Up Castor Response
ABS, the classification society of record for the damaged product tanker Castor, has stepped up its assistance efforts in response to the continuing failure of any nation to offer the vessel a port of refuge. "It has been 10 days since this ship arrived at a port seeking refuge," ABS President Robert D. Somerville noted. "If that refuge had been granted the vessel would be heading to a repair yard by now. ABS suspended classification of the Castor on January 4, pending resolution of the casualty damage. "This is standard procedure when there has been significant damage," ABS Chief Surveyor Gus Bourneuf explained. "We are continuing to work closely with the owner in its attempts to safeguard the vessel." The vessel underwent its last annual survey in August 2000.
ABS Refutes Castor Condition Allegations
ABS has completed an extensive review of the complete survey history of the troubled tanker Castor and categorically refutes allegations made by Spanish authorities that the vessel is "substandard." "This vessel is a damaged ship, not a substandard ship," said Robert D. Somerville, President of ABS. "It is unfortunate that many of the good intentions that have flowed from the Erika disaster have led to this sort of political, rather than subjective assessment of a maritime casualty," he stressed. "Age is not the determinant of the condition of a ship. It is the manner in which that ship has been managed and maintained that defines its condition. Since 1997 there has been more than 600 tons of new steel placed into the vessel to maintain full conformance with ABS Rule requirements.
Under Fire, ABS Steps Up Response Effort
As was the case when the Erika went down off the coast of France in late 1999, much (unwanted) attention has been focused on the classification society for the damaged product tanker Castor, in this case American Bureau of Shipping. Unlike the aforementioned example, however, ABS has been aggressively addressing the matter in the public forum, releasing historical details as well as ongoing information regarding the status of the ship and its role in the ultimate resolution. ABS immediately stepped up its assistance efforts in response to the continuing failure of any nation to offer the vessel a port of refuge. At press time, ABS President Robert D. Somerville noted: "It has been 10 days since this ship arrived at a port seeking refuge.
Hyper-Accelerated Corrosion Found In Doomed Tanker
Investigators hoping to find the cause of why an assumed healthy ship developed a near fatal deckplate crack - an incident which led to a 39-day saga which will serve as an impetus for change in the rules of the way ships in distress are handled - have issued a preliminary report. Following an exhaustive inspection and analysis of the damaged product tanker Castor, the Cyprus Department of Merchant Shipping and ABS have jointly announced preliminary findings that point to hyper-accelerated corrosion as the probable principal cause behind the structural failure. "The Castor has become a floating laboratory which is providing us with some surprising findings," said ABS Chairman and CEO Frank J. Iarossi.
Castor's Downfall: Hyper-Accelerated Corrosion
Few marine incidents have vexed the collective international marine community as much as the recent situation with the damaged product tanker Castor, a ship, which experienced a near fatal deckplate crack in mid-voyage and then was denied safe harbor for fear of the ship splitting open and spewing its gasoline cargo. Though the ship was eventually docked safely without environmental incident, the name Castor will serve as a lightning rod in the IMO to more firmly establish rules and procedures for ships in distress at sea. As the political wrangling and finger pointing start to subside, attention is now turned on the ship itself, and more accurately finding out the reason that an assumed healthy ship developed a near fatal deckplate crack.
