Tug sinking in Singapore kills one, four missing

     One person was killed and four are missing after a
Singaporean-registry tug operated by Universal Dockyard Ltd. capsized and
sank off Pulau Retan Laut near the Pasir Panjang Container Terminal in
Singapore at 0820 7 Aug. The crew included five Indonesian citizens and one
Philippine citizen. One of the crew survived and is hospitalized. The tug
was towing a Belizian-registry barge loaded with rocks for use as a
foundation for caissons. The barge also capsized but remained afloat.

Bulk carrier sinks off Mumbai, crew rescued

     The Sea Empress (St. Vincent and the Grenadines-registry 3,011-gt,
4,410-dwt bulk carrier built in 1970, operated by Glim Pex and owned by
Bayat International Group of Cos.; homeported at Kingstown) sank 2 Aug.
after losing power and flooding the day before while anchored off Mumbai,
India, in bad weather. The ship was carrying 4,200 tons of sulphur from
Bahrain to Mumbai. All 19 crewmembers were rescued by Indian Navy
helicopters. The master and chief engineer are Pakistani citizens with the
rest of the crew Indian citizens. Flooding initially began in the engine
room, later spreading to the cargo holds.

Crew rescued after ship runs aground of Kaohsiung

     The 17 crewmembers of the Golden Tiger (Taiwanese-registry 7,800-gt,
13,323-dwt bulk carrier built in 1982, owned and operated by Fuh Feng Lines
Co. Ltd.) were rescued by helicopters 3 Aug. after the ship ran aground 2
Aug. in heavy seas near Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Three crewmembers were injured.
The crew included 11 Taiwanese citizens and six citizens of Myanmar.

Ming Mercy damaged by fire

     The Ming Mercy (Taiwanese-registry 36,303-gt, 66,799-dwt motor bulk
carrier built in 1984, owned and operated by Yangming Marine Transport
Corp.) had a 12-hour fire 7 Aug. while the ship was anchored off Port
Kembla, New South Wales, Australia. It reportedly began in crew quarter's
two decks above the waterline and quickly spread, affecting at least three
decks in the accomodations area. The fire has been extinguished but damage
is extensive. There were four aboard the ship at the time, and one
crewmember suffered minor burns and an ankle injury. The ship was waiting
to load coal at Woolongong.

Tug towing general cargo ship suffers fire in eastern Meidterranean

     The Macedon (Greek-registry 495,gt, 530-dwt motor tug built in 1972,
operated by Gigilinis Co.) was engulfed in a fire on 4 Aug. while towing
the Rothnie (Bahamian-registry 10,320-gt, 17,474-dwt general cargo ship
built in 1978, operated by Sandford Ship Management Ltd.) in the eastern
Mediterranean. The Macedon cast off the Rothnie and the tug's eight crew
boarded the drifting ship, 160 kilometers/100 miles off Egypt. Both vessels
were later taken in tow by the Everlast (Panamanian-registry 336-dwt motor
tug built in 1977, operated by Portolos Hellenic Tugboats S.A.) and taken
to Syros, Greece.

Spanish-registry fishing vessel catches fire

     The San Eduardo (Spanish-registry 249-gt side trawler) caught fire 2
Aug. in the Atlantic Ocean, at 49 degrees 30 minutes north, 09 degrees 49
minutes west. After the crew was rescued, the fire was extinguished and the
San Eduardo was towed to Spain.

Bulk carrier suffers fire off Djibouti

     The Leon (Panamanian-registry 19,317-gt bulk carrier) had an engine
room fire 5 Aug., 380 kilometers/240 miles off Djibouti. The SB-408
(910-dwt tug built in 1984, operated by Tsavliris) has taken the ship in
tow towards the Suez Canal.

Fishing vessel blazes in the Falkand/Malvinas Islands

     The El Greco (Falkland Islands-registry 2,169-dwt stern trawler)
caught fire 4 Aug. at 46 degrees 30 minutes south, 60 degrees 23 minutes
west, in the Falkland/Malvinas Islands. The crew abandoned the vessel but
later reboarded. The El Greco was then taken under tow by the trawler
Cotobad for Montevideo, Uruguay.

Tug sinks at Soo Locks...again

     The Venture (U.S.-registry 67-gt, 9-nt, 20-meter/65-foot tug built in
1922 with 500 horsepower, owned and operated by Ryba Marine Construction
Co.) sank at the compensating gates in the St. Mary's River on 5 Aug. The
vessel lost power and was pinned to the gate by the current. The three crew
were able to get off the tug, but the master reportedly suffered an injury
to his jaw. Two cranes were working to refloat the tug. On 19 May, the same
tug, towing a barge, sank at the Soo Locks on the Canadian/U.S. Great Lakes
under similar circumstances. It was salvaged 24 May.

One injured as riverboat casino breaks moorings

     The riverboat casino Lady Luck broke its moorings on the Mississippi
River in Bettendorf, Iowa, on late 3 Aug. during a storm. One person was
injured when he was hit by flying glass. The casino's engines were started
and the vessel was brought under control, while a towboat assisted it back
to its mooring.

Koningin Beatrix slightly damaged

     The Koningin Beatrix (Dutch-registry 22,289-gt, 3,060-dwt passenger
ferry built in 1986, operated by Stena Line B.V.) was slightly damaged on 3
Aug. docking at Rosslare, Ireland. It docked the next day in Dublin,
Ireland. There were 1,300 passengers aboard. It returned to service the
morning of 8 Aug. after sailing to Cammell Laird Group P.L.C. for
inspection.

The Goodwill may be salvaged

     On 31 July, the Goodwill (Panamanian-registry 75,277-gt, 149,401-dwt
bulk carrier built in 1992, operated by Keoyang Shipping Co. Ltd.) ran
aground on a reef near the Muirfield Seamount, 110 kilometers/69 miles
southwest of Australia's Cocos Islands. Loaded with 145,000 tons of iron
ore, 1,130 tons of heavy fuel and 107 tons of diesel fuel, it was
reportedly sailing from Dampier, Australia, to Dunkirk, France. After the
ship began flooding, the 21 crewmembers (11 Indonesian citizens and 10
South Korean citizens) abandoned it and were rescued early the next day by
a British-registry vessel, which sailed to Perth, Australia. The same day,
the Goodwill began drifting and was boarded by a salvage team from
Singapore, which thinks it may be able to save the ship. The Goodwill was
last reported drifting north-northwest at about 1.25 knots, 120
kilometers/75 miles west of the Cocos Islands.

Update on collision between the Apollo Oshima and the Maersk Tacoma

     At 0600 26 July, the Apollo Oshima (Panamanian-registry 258,068-dwt
tanker built in 1993, owned and operated by Idemitsu Tanker Co. Ltd.) and
the Maersk Tacoma (Panamanian-registry 37,238-gt, 44,182-dwt, 3,169-TEU
capacity containership built in 1982, operated by Univan Ship Management
Ltd.) collided outside Singapore. The Maersk Tacoma was leaving Singapore
for Kaohsiung, Taiwan, while the Apollo Oshima was sailing in a westbound
lane. There were no injuries. The Maersk Tacoma sustained serious damage on
its port side between bays 18 and 22 and lesser damage to its
superstructure. It has been drydocked at a Sembawang shipyard in Singapore,
reportedly for at least two weeks. The Apollo Oshima was reportedly
slightly damaged.

Barges hit rail bridge in Virginia

     A tug pushing two barges allided with the fendering system on the CSX
Transportation rail bridge over the Appomattox River near Hopewell, Va., on
25 July. The tug's operating company contracted for repairs to the bridge.

Ferry, U.S. Coast Guard tender damaged in fireworks explosion

     A fireworks explosion on the city pier in Charlevoix, Mich., on 26
July killed one person and injured 17 others, with shrapnel spread within a
300-meter/1,000-foot radius of the explosion. A local ferry was holed above
the waterline and half its windows were destroyed. The U.S. Coast Guard's
Balsam-class Seagoing Buoy Tender U.S.C.G.C. Acacia (WLB 406), homeported
at the pier, suffered minor scrapes and dents to its hull and flying
bridge.

U.S. Coast Guard cutter assists one fishing vessel, boards another

     The Cheryl K (U.S.-registry 15-meter/50-foot longliner, homeported in
Portland, Maine) was disabled 3 Aug., 240 kilometers/150 miles southeast of
Portland. The U.S. Coast Guard's Bear-class Medium-Endurance Cutter
U.S.C.G.C. Seneca (WMEC 906) received a distress call from the fishing
vessel at 2200 3 Aug. The Cheryl K reported that it had lost power with
five aboard and was drifing in heavy fog near very active shipping lanes.
After arriving at 2330 3 Aug., the cutter determined that repairs were not
possible at sea and the fishing vessel was towed to the Portland sea buoy.
It was then taken into port by the Coast Guard's "Island"-class Patrol Boat
U.S.C.G.C. Wrangell (WPB 1332). The day before, the U.S.C.G.C. Seneca
located the fishing vessel Jillian (U.S.-registry) 1,300 meters/4,500 feet
inside Closed Area II near Georges Bank. U.S.$7,650 in monkfish, scallops
and winter flounder was found. The vessel was seized and escorted to New
Bedford, Mass.

Fortuna Reefer refloated

     The Fortuna Reefer (Panamanian-registry 3,971-dwt, 93.3-meter/306-foot
refrigerated ship built in 1980, operated by Alphamax Corp.) ran aground 24
July on coral and sand in a nature reserve near Mona Island, Puerto Rico.
The ship had about 357,000 liters/94,000 gallons of fuel aboard, and 47,500
liters/12,500 gallons or 70,000 tons was removed. The rest was shifted to
other tanks in the double-bottom vessel. On 30 July, the ship was refloated
and a light sheen was seen near the port side. Two Crowley Marine Services
Inc. tugs escorted the ship to Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. The Fortuna Reefer
had unloaded tuna at Mayaguez and was sailing to the Panama Canal. Five
tugs, a chartered supply vessel and a response barge were involved in the
salvage.

Tug Malta receives its largest salvage award yet

     Tug Malta Ltd. has received its largest salvage award so far, after
two of its tugs were involved in a salvage operation two years ago. On 4
Feb., 1995, the Chesapeake Bay (German-registry 45,170-dwt containership
built in 1995, operated by Claus-Peter Offen) ran aground approaching
Marsaxlokk Freeport. Smit Tak B.V. was hired to salvage the ship, and it in
turned contracted three tugs: the Matsas Star (Greek-registry 1,226-dwt tug
built in 1977) from Matsas Salvage and Towage and the Lieni
(Maltese-registry) and the Vitorin from Tug Malta. The Chesapeake Bay was
refloated three days later. On 9 May, 1996, the salvage award was published
but the three firms involved appealed for an increase of 25 percent. On 6
Jan. the final salvage award was agreed on and it has now been divided
between Matsas Salvage & Towage, Smit Tak and Tug Malta.

U.S. Navy's NR-1 searching for Israeli submarine missing almost 30 years

     The U.S. Navy's nuclear research submarine NR-1 has spent the last
three weeks searching for an Israeli Navy attack submarine that sank off
Egypt in January 1968. The search is reportedly outside Egyptian
territorial waters, but with the cooperation of the Egyptian government.
The NR-1 has been searching for the I.N.S. Dakar, originally the British
Royal Navy's H.M.S. Totem, built in 1944. Israel bought two submarines,
including the H.M.S. Totem, in June 1965. On 9 Jan., 1968, the I.N.S. Dakar
sailed from Portsmouth, England, for Haifa, Israel, with 69 crewmembers. On
24 Jan., south of Crete, Greece, the I.N.S. Dakar radioed the Israeli Navy
headquarters, seeking permission to dock early. The request was denied and
it never arrived. On 4 Feb., the I.N.S. Dakar was declared sunk and its
crew missing. On 9 Feb., 1969, the submarine's emergency buoy was found by
a fisherman off Khan Yunis in Gaza. The NR-1 is operating from the Carolyn
Chouest (U.S.-registry 2,110-dwt offshore supply vessel built in 1994),
chartered from Edison Chouest Offshore Inc. This is the second major search
for the I.N.S. Dakar since it was listed as missing. In 1986, Israel and
the United States sought the submarine during Operation Challenge Express.