Update: Damaged MOL Containership
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) released a statement updating the status of the containership MOL Comfort as of 11 p.m. JST on June 19, 2013. The vessel could not continue sailing under its own power from June 17 because the hull fractured in two parts while under way on the Indian Ocean, the company said. Mol Comfort', the 316-m-long vessel was carrying 4,500 containers from Saudi Arabia when it split into two roughly 840 nautical miles off the coast of India. The Indian Coast Guard coordinated the rescue of all 26 of the ship's crew (12 Russians and 14 Filipinos).
Containership MOL Comfort Adrift
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL; President: Koichi Muto) reports that the containership MOL Comfort could not continue sailing under its own power because the hull fractured in two parts while under way on the Indian Ocean. At about 10:00 JST (05:00 local time) on June 19, 2013, two parts, fore and aft, laden with containers are drifting at about 2 knots near 12’57”N 61’10”E (the aft) (the central part of the Indian Ocean) in an east-northeast direction. We have arranged a patrol boat which has already departed from Port of Jebel Ali, U.A.E. to monitor the state of the vessel and the cargo and for the preparation of tow operations. The boat is expected to arrive at the ocean site on 23rd if it goes smoothly. In parallel, we are arranging tugboats to tow the MOL Comfort.
Underwater Noise Measurement Standard Working Group Forming
The development of an entirely new commercial standard for “Underwater Noise Measurement of Ships” will commence in early 2007. ANSI-Accredited Standards Committee S12 Committee on Noise recently voted unanimously to form a Working Group (WG) for the development of an underwater noise measurement standard. Currently, no voluntary consensus standard exists for performing underwater noise measurements of ships. For many years, the field of underwater noise from ships has been the exclusive specialty of the Navy. However, non-navy vessels are looking to be just as quiet so that they can perform better science. “Green Ships” are being conceived in order to have less emission into the ocean.
