Fifty-nine missing and one dead as ship sinks in Indonesia

     Fifty-nine Indonesian citizens are missing and one is dead after the
Bintang Perkasa (Indonesian-registry passenger vessel owned by Jeffry)
capsized and sank late 4 March after sailing from Surabaya, Indonesia. The
sinking was 31 kilometers/19 miles off Masalembo Island. The vessel was
carrying 70 passengers and 16 crew and 26 were rescued.

Five killed and four injured in ship fire at Shanghai

     Five people were killed and four injured in a fire aboard the Miden
Agan (Cypriot-registry 21,586-gt, 21,370-dwt containership built in 1982,
operated by Uniship (Hellas) Shipping and Trading S.A.) at the Lifeng
Shipyard in Shanghai, China, on 28 Feb. While electric welding equipment
was being used on steel, an explosion occurred which started the fire. It
took over 300 people and 28 pieces of firefighting equipment at least an
hour and a half to contain the fire.

Three missing after collision sinks bulk carrier

     The Kangson (Cambodian-registry 9,387-gt, 14,980-dwt bulk carrier
built in 1970, owned and operated by Sea Wave Shipping) sank 28 Feb. at the
mouth of the Yangtze River in China after colliding with the Meiguihai
(Chinese-registry bulk carrier operated by COSCO Qingdao). Thirty-eight
crewmembers from the Kangson were rescued and three are missing. The ship
was carrying scrap steel to Shanghai. The Meiguihai was carrying ore from
India.

Vessel fire in Wales kills one and injures four

     One crewmember was killed and four others were injured in a fire
aboard the Inishfree (Irish-registry) at Newport, Wales, early 21 Feb.
Declan Byrne, 25, of Dublin, Ireland, was killed when a fire began in the
ship's galley. Two crewmembers are in intensive care. Fifty firefighters
extinguished the fire. The ship, with a crew of eight, was carrying 5,003
tons manganese ore from Boulogne, France, to Newport. On 19 Feb., the ship
suffered a propulsion failure in the Bristol Channel. It got underway for
Newport 20 Feb.

Philippine crewmember killed in passenger ship fire

     An engine room fire aboard the Superstar Gemini (Panamanian-registry
19,089-gt, 1,800-dwt passenger ship built in 1992, owned and operated by
Star Cruise Sdn. Bhd., formerly the Crown Jewel) killed a Philippine
crewmember at 2300 28 Feb. The ship was 3.5 kilometers/2.2 miles west of
Raffles Lighthouse, Singapore, sailing from Singapore to Malacca, Malaysia.
After the fire was extinguished by the crew, the ship was towed to the
Singapore World Trade Center where the 689 passengers and 471 crewmembers
disembarked. The ship will be repaired by Sembawang Shipyard Pte. Ltd.

Ship loses power off Iceland and runs aground, one missing

     The Vikartindur (German-registry 8,633-gt containership built in 1996)
had an engine failure at 1200 5 March, 10 kilometers/six miles off southern
Iceland in a storm. It was able to restart its main engine but at reduced
power. The ship drifted towards land until its anchor took hold about 2.7
kilometers/1.7 miles off the coast. At 1900, the anchor broke and the
vessel ran aground at 2100 at 63 degrees 43.9 minutes north, 20 degrees
52.4 minutes west. The Icelandic Coast Guard lead ship of the AEgir-class
Fisheries-Protection Ship attempted to attach a towing line, but the ship
was hit by heavy seas. One crewmember was lost overboard and is missing.
Another suffered a broken leg. The 19 crewmembers of the Vikartindur were
rescued by the Icelandic Coast Guard's AS 365 N Dauphin 2 helicopter.
Vikartindur was sailing from Thorshavn to Reykjavik, Iceland, with 2,900
tons of cargo in containers.

Tanker grounding off Venezuela spills 20,000 barrels of oil

     The Nissos Amorgos (Greek-registry 50,563-gt, 89,427-dwt tanker built
in 1988, operated by Teekay Shipping Ltd.) ran aground late the night of 28
Feb. off western Venezuela and spilled at least 20,000 barrels of crude
oil. A slick 12 kilometers/seven miles long formed in the Gulf of Venezuela
near San Carlos Island from oil spilled from the No. 1 cargo tank. The
slick came ashore on San Carlos and Zapara Island. The ship, carrying
474,000 barrels or 64,573 tons from Puerto Miranda, Venezuela, to Port de
Gella, Italy, was towed closer to land and anchored 26 kilometers/16 miles
off the Paraguana Peninsula. After transferring oil among its tanks, the
ship sailed for Guaranao, Venezuela, to offload the oil and undergo an
inspection. The ship was chartered by Maraven S.A., a subsidiary of
Petroleos de Venezuela S.A., and was carrying the oil for Agip Petroil
S.p.A.

Galapagos sinks south of Jamaica

     The Galapagos radioed 20 Feb. it was taking on water with a 15 degree
list about 312 kilometers/195 miles south of Jamaica. The tanker Tamal
diverted to assist, and when the U.S. Coast Guard Hamilton-class
High-Endurance Cutter U.S.C.G.C. Gallatin (WHEC 721) arrived, the ship had
a 20 degree list with the starboard cargo deck underwater and seas breaking
over the cargo hatches. The cutter rescued the nine crewmembers before the
ship sank in 3,320 meters/10,900 feet of water.

Sapphire abandoned after fire

     The Sapphire (Maltese-registry 1,391-gt, 2,226-dwt bulk carrier built
in 1967, operated by Wealth Shipping Co. Ltd.) was abandoned 5 March at 38
degrees 04 minutes north, 05 degrees 14.5 minutes east. The location is in
the Mediterranean north of Algeria. The ship, sailing from Italy to Malaga,
Spain, had a fire that affected the engine and superstructure. The nine
crewmembers were rescued by Arktis Carrier (Danish-registry 2,671-dwt dry
cargo ship built in 1988, operated by Elite Shipping A/S).

Six rescued after fishing vessel catches fire off Hawaii

     The 13-meter/44-foot fishing vessel Aerial suffered an electrical fire
on 3 March, 0.8 kilometers/0.5 miles off Olowalu, Maui Island, Hawaii. A
rigid-hull inflatable boat from U.S. Coast Guard Station Maui rescued the
six people aboard. Two vessels in the area, the Kalana and the Navtec 2,
assisted local firefighters in attempting to extinguish the fire. However,
the Aerial later sank.

Three rescued from sinking vessel off Florida

     The fishing vessel Judy III (U.S.-registry) sank 22 Feb. 75
kilometers/47 miles southwest of Marco Island, Fla., after an engine room
fire. The three crewmembers boarded a liferaft and activated a 406 Mhz
emergency position indicating radio beacon. A U.S. Coast Guard HH-60J
Jayhawk from Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater, which was on a training
mission, located the liferaft and took the three to Page Field at Fort
Myers. The Coast Guard "Point"-class Patrol Boat U.S.C.G.C. Point Jackson
(WPB 82378) recovered the liferaft and the beacon.

All 107 passengers evacuated from grounded ferry

     The Sea Wind (Swedish-registry 15,879-gt, 4,000-dwt ro/ro ferry built
in 1972, owned and operated by Sea Wind Line) ran aground at 0600 5 March
north of Vaxholm, Sweden. The grounding holed several bow tanks which
filled with water and some oil spilled. All 107 passengers were evacuated.
There is a crew of 30 on the ship, which was sailing from Turku, Finland,
to Stockholm, Sweden.

Bulk carrier, caught by wind, collides with six tugs

     The Bogasuri Dua (Indonesian-registry 20,495-gt, 33,747-dwt bulk
carrier built in 1977, operated by Pacific Carriers Ltd.) collided with six
tugs on 17 Feb. at Surabaya, Indonesia. The ship was getting underway to
leave the port when strong winds pushed it into six tugs owned and operated
by Tanjung Priok Sea Pilot. Five of the tugs, moored at a wharf, were
slightly damaged. The other tug sank.

Isla Mindoro involved in separate collisions within two hours

     Late 28 Feb., the Isla Mindoro (Philippine-registry 2,981-gt,
3,778-dwt dry cargo ship built in 1986, operated by Magsasay Lines Inc.)
collided with a 497-ton vessel in Japan's Inland Sea. The latter ship was
carrying gravel from Hyogo Prefecture and had a crew of six. Neither ship
apparently sustained any damage. The Isla Mindoro has a crew of 25
Philippine citizens. Just after midnight 1 March, the Isla Mindoro was
involved in another collision. Near Imabari, Ehime Prefecture, the Isla
Mindoro hit the Chemi Link (Belize-registry 875-gt tanker) with a crew of
nine South Korean citizens. No one was injured, but the Isla Mindoro was
holed in four places along the hull, with some gashes as large as 50
centimeters/20 inches.

Tanker and bulk carrier collide off Yokohama

     The Ocean Swallow (Japanese-registry 36,000-gt, 54,000-dwt tanker
built in 1980, operated by Cosmo Oil Co. Ltd.), with a crew of 22, collided
with the Taisho Maru (Japanese-registry 3,200-gt, 5,678-dwt bulk carrier
built in 1987, operated by Taiyo Kisen), with a crew of 11, on 1 March
about 2.8 kilometers/1.7 miles southeast of Yokohama, Japan. There were no
injuries. While the tanker appears to be undamaged, there are conflicting
reports as to any damage aboard the bulk carrier. The Taisho Maru was
reportedly carrying cement.

H.M.Y. Brittania collides with replenishment vessel

     H.M.Y. Brittania has been damaged in a collision with the R.F.A.S.
Bayleaf (A 109), a Royal Fleet Auxiliary Appleleaf-class Transport Oiler.
The collision occurred during an at sea replenishment in the Straits of
Hormuz as the yacht sailed from Doha, Qatar, to Karachi, Pakistan. H.M.Y.
Brittania moored at Karachi for inspection. Damage is reported to the
starboard bow and stabilizers.

Tow with 20,000 barrels of oil runs aground in Florida

     The Martin Pride, pushing tank barge MGM 403 loaded with 20,000
barrels of No. 6 oil, ran aground 19 Feb. while eastbound at Gulf
Intracoastal Waterway mile marker 269, west of Panama City, Fla. The tow
was refloated late 20 Feb. and sailed to Panama City.

V.L.C.C.'s steering damaged off Scotland

     The Soro (Panamanian-registry 302,102-dwt tanker built in 1993,
operated by World-Wide Shipping Agency (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.) was hit by a
freak wave on 5 March while sailing to Canada with 283,793 tons of
Norwegian crude oil. Its steering system was damaged.

Oregon damaged again while under tow to Seattle

     The Oregon (U.S.-registry 121-meter/398-foot barge owned by Crowley
Marine Services Inc.) has been damaged again. On 25 Jan., the barge, loaded
with 12,500 tons of urea and 6,100 liters/1,600 gallons of diesel fuel,
capsized in Cook Inlet, Alaska, after colliding with the Crowley Marine
Services tug towing it from Unocal Corp. at Kikiski. The tug's hull holed
the barge's ballast tank. The barge was sailing to Sacramento, Calif..
Oregon arrived at Homer, Alaska, on 26 Jan. where it was found the urea was
lost in capsizing. On 11 Feb., the barge sailed for repairs in Seattle, but
encountered 50 knot winds and six-meter/20-foot seas. The tow put into port
at Whittier until the weather improved. Divers at Whittier found that half
of the barge's cargo hold was gone and the rest was damaged. A front-end
loader and a small forklift aboard also disappeared. The barge was worth
U.S.$12 million.

Fire aboard the Bright Field

     The Bright Field (Liberian-registry 36,120-gt, 68,200-dwt, 23,035-nt
bulk carrier built in 1988, owned by Clearsky Shipping Co. and managed and
operated by COSCO Hong Kong Shipping Co. Ltd.) had a fire aboard 19 Feb.
while moored at Boland Marine in Violet, La. The fire in the forepeak
storage area was likely caused by welding work. Local firefighters
extinguished the blaze. On 14 Dec., the ship allided with the Riverwalk
mall and hotel complex in New Orleans. At least 116 people were injured and
15 shops and 456 hotel rooms were destroyed as three floors of a building
collapsed. The Bright Field was pulled free 6 Jan. and taken to Boland
Marine.