Two killed as refrigerated ship grounds on rock off Alaskan port

     The Kuroshima (Panamanian-registry 4,160-gt, 4,845-dwt,
118-meter/386-foot motor refrigerated ship built in 1988, owned by
Kuroshima Shipping S.A. and operated by Fukuoka Zosen K.K.) ran aground in
high winds the afternoon of 26 Nov. on Second Priest Rock about 90
meters/300 feet off Dutch Harbor, Alaska. Water depth in the area is at
most 2.1 meters/seven feet and weather included winds of about 90 knots and
seas of 6.1 meters/20 feet. Two Philippine crewmembers were killed while
the 16 other crewmembers were rescued after a lifeboat was pulled to shore
by a line fired to the ship. The master is a Japanese citizen while other
crewmembers are from Japan, the Philippines or South Korea. Fifteen U.S.
Coast Guard personnel suffered frostbite or hypothermia. The Kuroshima is
carrying 912,000 liters/240,000 gallons of fuel and had arrived at Dutch
Harbor to load frozen seafood and some of its cargo was aboard when the
ship grounded. The ship reportedly raised anchor to seek a more sheltered
location and then drifted. A damaged fuel tank has leaked about 46,000
liters/12,000 gallons and as much as 11,000 liters/3,000 gallons came
ashore in nearby Summer Bay.

MSC Carla breaks in two north of the Azores Islands

     The MSC Carla (Panamanian-registry 55,241-gt, 40,912-dwt, 2,868-TEU
motor containership built in 1972 at Landskrona, Sweden; owned by Rationis
Enterprises and operated by Mediterranean Shipping Co.) broke into two
pieces on early 25 Nov. during a storm 176 kilometers/110 miles north Sao
Miguel Island in Portugal's Azores Islands. The break-up was at 39 degrees
31 minutes north, 25 degrees 01 minutes west. Weather conditions reportedly
included 9.1-meter/30-foot seas and gale force winds. The ship broadcast a
message late 24 Nov. that its rudder had failed. Two Portuguese military
helicopters rescued all 34 crewmembers from the aft section. Nineteen
crewmembers were taken to the Portguese Navy's Joao Coutinho-class Corvette
Jacinto Candido (F 476) while the others, including eight Indonesian
citizens, were taken to the Portuguese Air Force's Air Base 4 at Lajes on
Terceira Island in the Azores. Fourteen of the crew are Italian citizens
with most from the Campania region including Sorrento. The rest are from
Croatia, Indonesia and Yugoslavia. At least three crewmembers suffered
minor abrasions. A Liberian-registry tanker and a Cypriot-registry vessel
arrived in the area to assist along with the naval vessel. The MSC Carla's
stern was taken in tow by the Fotiy Krylov (2,253-dwt tug built in 1989,
operated by Tsavliris) while at last report, the 120-meter/394-foot forward
section was afloat. The ship broke several containers forward of the
superstructure, located on the stern. Several containers were pushed
overboard in an effort to make the ship buoyant and their condition, along
with others that fell overboard, are not known. The MSC Carla was sailing
from Le Havre, France, to Boston with 2,400 containers. The ship was
lengthened in South Korea in 1984 and was purchased two years ago as the
Ladby after a charter to Maersk Line. It is insured by North of England
Protecting & Indemnity Association Ltd.

Fifteen rescued as L.P.G. carrier sinks off Japan

     The Apanchanit No. 5 (Thai-registry 1,684-gt, 1,999-dwt motor
liquefied petroleum gas carrier built in 1972, operated by World Marine
Transport Co. Ltd.) sank late 22 Nov., 22 kilometers/14 miles off Japan's
Nagasaki prefecture. All 15 crewmembers were rescued by helicopter from the
Japanese Air Self-Defense Force. An oil slick, 1.8 kilometers/1.1 miles
long, was seen in the area.

Constitution, under tow for scrap, sinks in the Pacific Ocean

     The Constitution (U.S.-registry 30,090-gt, 7,222-dwt,
208-meter/682-foot, 395-cabin passenger ship built in 1951) sank 24 Nov.
about 1,120 kilometers/700 miles north of Honolulu while under tow to Japan
for scrapping. Delta Queen Steamboat Co. sold the ship for about U.S.$2
million to a U.S. buyer. The ship had been out of service in Portland,
Ore., since June 1995 after hull surveys showed it would cost U.S.$60
million to bring the ship in line with Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS)
regulations. After encountering heavy weather, the Constitution began to
flood and the towline was cut.

Belize-registry general cargo ship sinks at Port Klang dock

     The An Tai (Belize-registry 15,139-dwt general cargo ship built in
1972, owned by An Tai Navigation Enterprises Ltd.) sank at Wharf 14 in the
North Port of Port Klang, Malaysia, early 24 Nov after it began to flood at
2230 23 Nov. near the No. 3 cargo hold. The 25 crewmembers evacuated with
the only injury to Feng Xing Ru, the master, who injured his right leg. The
An Tai had arrived from Xingang, China, on 18 Nov. and after unloading, was
to sail to Pasir Gudang in Johor, Malaysia. The cargo included caustic
soda, magnesium sulphate, soda ash and sodium sulphate and 5,300 tons of
6,446 tons for Port Klang had been unloaded. The ship sank with 8,216 tons
aboard. The ship also had 237 tons of bunker fuel and 27 tons of diesel
fuel aboard.

Leuser holed, sinks in collision in Indonesia

     The Leuser (Indonesian-registry 6,041-gt, 1,438-dwt passenger ferry
built in 1994, operated by P.T. Pelayaran Nasional Indonesia) was holed
amidships 20 Nov. by the Kayu Lapis Lima (Indonesian-registry 3,936-gt,
6,525-dwt motor bulk carrier built in 1980, operated by Dasalines) at
Samarinda, Indonesia. The Leuser flooded, developed a severe port list and
settled on the seabed.

Collision off Isle of Wight damages tanker with jet fuel

     The Hoegh Mistral (30,402-dwt bulk carrier built in 1986, operated by
Leif Hoegh & Co. A.S.A.) and the Nordfarer (Bahamian-registry 29,977-dwt
tanker built in 1988, operated by Norden A/S) collided 24 Nov. in French
territorial waters south of the Isle of Wight. The Hoegh Mistral suffered
an eight-meter/26-foot gash on its bow and the Nordfarer had damage to its
forecastle and accomodation on its port side. Some of the Nordfarer's cargo
of jet fuel reportedly leaked into the engine room and the ship was to be
escorted to an anchorage. The Hoegh Mistral, with pulp for Sheerness,
Scotland, continued its voyage.

Seven evacuate tanker on fire off Japan

     A fire began near the engine room of the Sansen Maru
(Japanese-registry 2,998-dwt tanker built in 1985, operated by Izumi Kaiun)
on 27 Nov., 18 kilometers/11 miles north-northwest of Masuda, Japan. Seven
of the 11 crew were rescued by other vessels while four remained aboard.
There were no injuries. The Sansen Maru is carrying three milion
liters/780,000 gallons of gasoline and light oil.

Marine Explorer suffers fire in the United Kingdom

     The Marine Explorer (British-registry 990-dwt offshore vessel built in
1965, operated by Eidesvik & Co. A/S), chartered to the British Royal Navy
for hydrographic work, had a fire at 0300 19 Nov. at Canada Dock in the
United Kingdom. The fire began in a bar and the first officer was injured.

Ro/ro ferry damaged by fire in the Irish Sea

     The Panther (ro/ro ferry operated by P&O European Ferries Ltd.),
sailing betwen Rosslare, Ireland, and Cherbourg, France, was damaged the
morning of 26 Nov. when a fire began in a truck being carried aboard. The
ship was 55 kilometers/34 miles out of Rosslare when the fire was
discovered and the vessel returned to the Irish port. Before being
extinguished, eight of about 40 trucks aboard were badly damaged and heat
and smoke caused damage to most of the others.

Noordam cancels cruise after propeller damaged in grounding off Mexico

     The Noordam (Bahamian-registry 33,933-gt, 4,243-dwt motor passenger
ship built in 1984, operated by Holland America Line Westours Inc.)
cancelled a seven-day cruise after running aground on a sandbar late 20
Nov. just off Playa del Carmen, Mexico. One of two engines reportedly lost
power. After being refloated by a tug and two ferries on 21 Nov. after 16
hours aground, the ship sailed to Cozumel, Mexico, for an underwater
inspection and was to head for drydocking in Pascagoula, Miss. Initial
inspections reported that the starboard propeller was damaged. No one was
injured and the 1,197 passengers were flown to Tampa, Fla. The ship left
Tampa on 15 Nov. and a sailing to have started 22 Nov. was cancelled as
well. Passengers aboard the ship at the time were given U.S.$40 each and
can receive either a 35 percent refund or a 50 percent credit for the two
missed days.

Fishing vessel assisted after flooding off Hawaii

     The Cassandra M (11-meter/35-foot fishing vessel) began taking on
water the morning of 25 Nov. some 24 kilometers/15 miles west of Pokai Bay,
Hawaii, and the nearby Maggie Joe relayed its situation to the U.S. Coast
Guard. An HH-65A Dolphin helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers
Point, Hawaii, dropped a pump to the two crewmembers and a back-up pump was
later dropped as well. The fishing vessel Sea Hawk and the pleasure craft
Hale Akane stood by until the Cassandra M reached Pokai Bay at 1645.

RAL Rostock, on inaugural voyage, hits dock in Sweden

     The RAL Rostock (12,000-dwt, 1,150-TEU containership built in 1997 by
Peenewerft at Wolgas, Germany; operated by Rostock-Atlantik Linie) hit a
quay in Helsingborg, Sweden, on 16 Nov. The ship is being chartered from
Draxl Schiffarhts GmbH and is making the company's inaugural sailing. It
departed Rostock, Germany, late 14 Nov. Draxl Schiffahrts said the allision
likely occurred due to the failure of the controllable-pitch propeller. The
RAL Rostock was towed to Gothenburg, Sweden, and cargo from Helsinborg and
Aarhus, Denmark, will be carried by other companies. After calls at
Helsingborg and Aarhus, the RAL Rostock was to sail to Immingham, England;
Dublin, Ireland; Greenock, Scotland; Richmond, Va.; Philadelphia; and
Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Buckeye aground in Michigan

     The Buckeye (U.S.-registry 11,691-gt, 7,321-nt, 213-meter/698-foot
turbine bulk carrier built in 1952 by Bethlehem Steel Corp. at Sparrows
Point, Md.; opertaed by Oglebay Norton Co.) ran aground in the St. Mary's
River near Brimley, Mich., the morning of 27 Nov. at Buoy 27. The ship was
downbound and reportedly failed to make a course change.

Pinta suffers engine problems

     The Pinta (German-registry 2,190-gt, 2,795-dwt motor dry cargo ship
built in 1993, operated by Interscan Schiffahrts GmbH) had maine engine
problems off Hvide Sande, Denmark, and was towed to Esbjerg, Denmark.

Bulk carrier loses rudder in St. Lawrence Seaway

     The Canadian Progress (Canadian-registry 31,640-dwt, 21,436-gt,
16,608-nt, 223-meter/730-foot motor bulk carrier built in 1968 by Port
Weller Dry Docks Ltd. at St. Catharines, Ontario; operated by ULS Corp.)
lost one of two rudders last week while transiting the U.S. locks of the
St. Lawrence Seaway. The vessel was carrying iron ore to Lorain, Ohio.

Derbyshire investigator resigns

     Douglas Faulkner has resigned as the British Department of Transport's
chief investigator into the sinking of the Derbyshire, a 140,000-dwt
combination ship that sank in the South China Sea in 1980. All 44
crewmembers were killed. He resigned for personal reasons. Faulkner had
suggested that the ship sank in heavy seas due to poor forward protection
and loose hatch covers, but this theory was dismissed by the United
Kingdom's National Union of Seamen, whose investigations of sisterships
said the ship sank due to large hull cracks.

Judge denies permission for Orapin Global master to leave Singapore

     A court in Singapore has rejected a request by Jan Sokolowski, master
of the Orapin Global (Thai-registry 129,702-gt, 268,450-dwt tanker built in
1975; owned and operated by Thai International Tankers Co. Ltd. and managed
by Denholm Ship Management Ltd.), to leave the country. About 28,463 tons
of oil were spilled at 2054 15 Oct. when the Evoikos (Cypriot-registry
75,428-gt, 140,218-dwt tanker built in 1977, operated by Papaphilippou) and
the Orapin Global collided about five kilometers/three miles south of Pulau
Sebarok, Singapore. The Evoikos was sailing from Fujairah, United Arab
Emirates, to Singapore with 120,000 tons/840,000 barrels or 137 million
liters/36 million gallons of marine fuel oil. It was to unload the cargo at
Caltex Trading Co. Ltd. and Singapore Petroleum Co. Ltd. and was chartered
by Metro Trading International. The Orapin Global was sailing in ballast to
the Arabian Gulf after having left the Singapore Eastern Anchorage. Some
650 personnel and 80 vessels were involved in clean-up. Judge See Kee Oon
adjourned the case until 12 Dec. at the request of the prosecution, which
argued more time was needed due to the complexity of the case and alleged a
lack of cooperation from parties involved with the Orapin Global. The
prosecution, in particular, said it had not received certain documents from
the owner needed for a technical analysis. Michael Chalkitis, 58, of the
Evoikos, a Greek citizen, and Sokolowski, 54, a Polish citizen, were
arrested shortly after the collision and are free on
Singaporean$100,000/U.S.$63,000 bail each. Chalkitis was accused of a
breach of duty, failing to reduce speed and preventing the Evoikos from
being seriously damaged under the Singapore Merchant Shipping Act. He could
be sentenced to two years in prison, a fine of S$50,000/U.S.$31,000 or
both. Sokolowski was accused under Singapore's penal code of navigating
recklessly, endangering lives and failing to take action to avoid a
collision. He could be sentenced to six months in prison, a
S$1,000/U.S.$600 fine or both.