'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, while a decision was made on the final destination for the carrier, which was damaged during heavy weather between December 26 and December 31 on a voyage from Constanza in Romania to Lagos. A surveyor reported that the crack occurred along a transverse butt-weld next to number four hold, with some reports saying that crack was 66 ft. (20 m) long. Apparently the tanker was not yet leaking any cargo. The main concern, beyond any potential environmental disaster in the case of the ship breaking up, was that the deck plates would rub, spark, and ignite the cargo. As the saga continued, tensions obviously grew increasingly high, with the captain and crew at one point threatening to abandon the ship in the event of continued indecision.

Nowhere to Hide

The Castor saga succinctly illustrates gaps in protocol in the handling of damaged, but seaworthy ships. All of Europe - much as the U.S. is - is particularly sensitive to potential ship sinking and ensuing environmental disaster, in the wake of the break up of the Erika off the coast of France just one year before.

As a resolution to the Castor situation dragged on, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) called for measures to ensure refuge for troubled ships like the Greek tanker Castor. "The time has come for the organization ... to adopt any measures required to ensure that... coastal states review their contingency arrangements so that disabled ships are provided with assistance," Secretary General Bill O'Neil told an IMO committee meeting in London. "That incident brought to light once again the question of ports of refuge," said O'Neil.

Nicolas Hondos, CEO of Athenian Sea Carriers said during the ordeal: "The Castor has now been seeking a Port of Refuge for more than one week. Every day that passes, increases the risk of further deterioration in the weather and risk to lives and of pollution." Hondos said there was a large team of experts on the scene, fully supported by tugs and equipment. The ship is in the tow of the world's most powerful salvage tugboat, Nikolay Chiker, with all crew off the ship.

There are currently no legal obligations on coastal states to provide "ports of refuge" nor is there a definition of what constitutes a "ship in distress," an IMO spokesman said.

On December 8, the damaged VLCC Eastern Power, carrying 250,000 tons of Iraqi crude, was refused entry to Canadian waters after it reported a minor leak during heavy storms. It eventually continued through heavy seas to St. Eustatius in the Caribbean for the cargo to be offloaded. The tanker Erika was also refused refuge in December 1999 before it broke apart in a storm, leading to a major spill of fuel oil across the coastline of Brittany.

ABS Under Fire, Fights Back

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 almost 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. If that refuge had been granted the vessel would be heading to a repair yard by now. Since it has not, our concern for the safety of the vessel continues to escalate."

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. No outstanding recommendations were recorded. It underwent Intermediate Survey in November 1999 and was not due for the next special survey until June of 2002. The ABS surveyor attending the vessel after the casualty also confirmed that it appeared to be well maintained.

ABS formed a crisis management team following the report of the casualty comprised of senior executives of both the classification society and the affiliated ABS Group Inc. That company has been providing Rapid Response Damage Assessment services to the owner from the outset including a detailed lightering sequence that would minimize any stresses placed on the damaged section of the deck.

The Castor is one of three vessels built to ABS class in 1976 and 1977 by Korea Shipbuilding & Engineering. The other two vessels were transferred out of ABS class in the mid-1980s. Following apparently politically motivated statements from Spanish authorities that the ship was "substandard."

ABS initiated and completed an extensive review of the complete survey history of the troubled tanker Castor and categorically refuted the allegations. "This vessel is a damaged ship, not a substandard ship," said Somerville. "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. Our records clearly show that this vessel has been conscientiously maintained by a responsible operator."

In proving the point, he said that since 1997 there has been more than 600 tons of new steel placed into the vessel to maintain full conformance with ABS Rule requirements. This has included extensive replacement of the underdeck longitudinals and main deck plating. "Product tankers, particularly those that operate extensively in the gasoline trades, are subject to corrosion in certain suspect areas of the cargo spaces," explained ABS' Bourneuf. "That is why our survey procedures particularly target these areas for close up inspection. Our survey records from the time of the Castor's second Special Survey in 1992 show a consistent pattern of inspection and steel renewal in these areas, in addition to regular scrutiny of the entire structure and safety equipment," said Bourneuf.

"That the vessel has survived in open water for almost two weeks following heavy weather damage is a testament to the residual strength of the hull and the condition of the undamaged structural components," he added. "Our opinion is backed up by the vessel's good Port State Control record which has seen no detentions and a very small number of minor deficiencies, none of them structurally related, over the last two years despite frequent inspections."