Gloomy Fate of Hanjin Rome
The ill-fated Hanjin Rome, owned by the bankrupt Hanjin Shipping Company - has been sitting off the eastern coast of Singapore for more than a month.
The mid-sized cargo vessel was placed under court arrest here on Aug 29 after German shipowner Rickmers filed a civil claim for money it says it is owed by Hanjin.
When the Hanjin Rome arrived in Singapore on 29 August, no-one on board expected anything other than a regular port call. Little did they know that their trip was about to come to a grinding halt.
According to the Straits Times, Hanjin will have to apply to the Singapore High Court for the ship to be released, but for now, it is unable to berth or leave. "There is no development on this matter, nobody tells me any good news," Captain Moon Kwon Do said.
There are 24 crew members on board - 11 South Koreans and 13 Indonesians. Most of their contracts have yet to expire, which means they have to remain on board.
WSJ reports that the crew spends its days tending to the cargo and googling for news on their phones about their ship’s ill-fated owner, which filed for receivership in South Korea last month. Mostly “at ease,” they surf the web, chat, play cards, go the gym and watch movies—“legally downloaded,” according to the captain.
The crew still go about their assigned day-to-day jobs, says Moon, though there is also time for other activities, like watching movies and fishing. He adds that the ship has enough supplies of food, water and other consumables for the next 30 days, thanks to a chandler who came by on Sept 17 with provisions.
