Bulk Cargo Carrier News

An Australian man and woman have been arrested for their alleged roles in attempting to import 850kg (1,874 pounds) of cocaine into Australia hidden on a bulk cargo carrier.Police allege a Dianella man, 37, and a Doubleview woman, 32, were a part of the Australian-based syndicate responsible for collecting the drugs and facilitating the logistics of the importation.Police have seized about A$90,000 cash allegedly hidden in the bathroom cupboard of the man’s home and five mobile…

The probable cause of the 2015 collision of the Conti Peridot and the Carla Maersk in the Houston Ship Channel was the inability of the pilot on the Conti Peridot to respond appropriately to hydrodynamic forces after meeting another vessel during restricted visibility, and his lack of communication with other vessels about this handling difficulty controlling his vessel, said the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) during a public meeting on Tuesday. Contributing to the circumstances that resulted in the collision was the inadequate bridge resource management between the master and the pilot on the Conti Peridot. The collision of the 623-foot long…

On the 1 May, the Bulk Cargo Carrier the MV Sinar Kudus was released from pirate control after 46 days in captivity. The MV Sinar Kudus, which is Indonesian flagged and owned, was on its way to Suez (Egypt) from Singapore when it was attacked on the 16 March 2011. The ship is now sailing to a safe port.

At approximately 0730Z on 16 March, the Bulk Cargo Carrier MV Sinar Kudus was pirated approximately 320 nautical miles North East of the island of Socotra in the Somali Basin. Within 24 hours of being taken, it was used to launch an unsuccessful attack on the MV Emperor. The MV Sinar Kudus, which is Indonesian flagged and owned, was on its way to Suez (Egypt) from Singapore when it was attacked. Details of the attack are not known at this time but initial reports from the crew stated that 30 to 50 pirates had boarded and taken control of the vessel.

At approximately 0600Z on 28 February, the Bulk Cargo Carrier MV Dover was pirated approximately 260 nautical miles North East of Salalah in the North Arabian Sea.   The Panamanian flagged, Greek owned vessel was on its way to Saleef (Yemen) from Port Quasim (Pakistan) when it was attacked. Details of the attack are not known at this time. The MV Dover has a crew of 23 (3 Romanian, 1 Russian and 19 Filipinos). There is presently no communication with the vessel and no information regarding the condition of the crew.    The MV Dover was registered with MSC(HOA), and was reporting to UKMTO. EUNAVFOR are continuing to monitor the situation.

The US Coast Guard issued the

Pacific and Atlantic Corp. of Athens Greece, operator of the Motor Vessel John G. Lemos, pleaded guilty and was sentenced on Jan. 19 in U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon in Portland, Ore., on charges that it falsified the Lemos' Oil Record Book. Pacific and Atlantic was ordered to pay a $500,000 fine, $250,000 of which will be paid to the Columbia River Estuary Coastal Fund. In addition, Pacific and Atlantic must also establish an environmental compliance program for all 10 vessels in its fleet. On Jan. 4, the U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Office conducted a routine Port State Control Inspection of the Lemos at the Port of Portland. The Lemos is a 473-foot, Cypress-flagged bulk cargo carrier. The inspection of the vessel revealed false entries in the ship's Oil Record Book.

A 19,800 dwt stainless steel chemical tanker vessel is the 60th ship being built with Germanischer Lloyd class at Qingshan Shipyard. The 10th anniversary of close cooperation between Qingshan Shipyard and Germanischer Lloyd is being celebrated on August 3 with a ceremony attended by more than 100 guests. Participants include the President of Chang Jiang Shipping Group Liu Xihan, the Vice Governor of Hubei Province Li Chunming, the Vice Mayor of Wuhan City Yue Yong and other representatives of local government and authorities. 27 vessels have been delivered since 1996, 33 ships are under construction and on order. In total, more than 750,000 dwt have been constructed with GL class at Qingshan Shipyard. Qingshan Shipyard has 3,800 employees and is located at the Yangzi River in Wuhan.

ESL Shipping Oy, a subsidiary of Aspo Plc, has secured a contract to order two new ice-strengthened dry cargo vessels from the Indian ABG Shipyard Ltd. Expanding ESL Shipping's so-called Eira class, the vessels will be approximately 18,800 dwt bulk carriers equipped with on-deck cranes, and they will be designed to meet the highest Finnish ice class (1A Super). The total value of the investment will be around $60.5M. The vessels are destined for operation in the Baltic Sea and will be commissioned in 2008 and 2009. A similar vessel ordered from China at the end of 2003 is about to be commissioned in January 2006. The vessel investment will be financed with cash, loans and with the revenue from the sale of current fleet assets.