Fifteen dead, six missing after bulk carrier breaks up

     The Flare (Cypriot-registry 16,947-gt, 29,222-dwt bulk carrier built
in 1972, operated by Trade Fortune Inc.) broke-up and sank 16 Jan. in the
Gulf of St. Lawrence at 46 degrees 57 minutes north, 56 degrees 51 minutes
west. A Canadian government helicopter rescued four crewmembers from a
capsized lifeboat but 15 others were killed and six are missing. One of the
survivors has a broken arm and all have hypothermia. They include three
Philippine and one Romanian citizen. The Flare sank off St. Pierre and
Miquelon, two French islands. The Flare was sailing from Rotterdam, the
Netherlands, to Montreal to load grain. A garbled distress call from the
ship at 0500 was received by the Canadian Coast Guard's facility at
Stephenville, Newfoundland.

Twenty missing after Cho Yang Shipping vessel grounds, sinks

     The New Baron (Panamanian-registry 4,400-gt, 7,000-dwt general cargo
ship built in 1990, operated by Cho Yang Shipping Co. Ltd.), sailing from
Okgae, South Korea, to Lae, Papua New Guniea, with 5,000 tons of cement,
ran aground on rocks in strong winds and heavy seas 15 Jan. The ship later
sank. Two Philippine crewmembers were killed and 18 are missing, including
the master, Romeo Quidon, 54. The ship's reported location is 35 degrees
22.8 minutes north, 129 degrees 22 minutes east, off southwestern South
Korea. A distress call from the New Baron said the ship was sinking 700
meters/2,300 feet offshore near Ulsan. Two empty lifeboats have been found
ashore nearby.

Six killed in collision with crewboat in Louisiana

     The Mallard, an 8.5-meter/28-foot aluminum boat, and the Gear Tide
(33.5-meter/110-foot crewboat, owned by Tidewater Inc.) collided in the
Freshwater Bayou, 46 kilometers/29 miles southwest of New Iberia, La., on
14 Jan. Six people were killed and one person was injured. The group had
been duck hunting. The Gear Tide left Freshwater City, La., with 25 workers
for an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico but turned back due to bad weather. At
the time of the early evening collision, it was raining and visibiliy was
at least 1.6 kilometers/one mile. Among those killed was Dan Maddox, 88, of
Nashville, Tenn., a former executive of Gulf & Western, and his wife,
Margaret, 68; T. Wayne Robertson, 47, of Winston-Salem, N.C., the president
of sports marketing for R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.; and three guides,
brothers Aladdin and Norman Stelly of Forked Island, La., and Bryant
Vincent of Intracoastal City, La. Matt Dobson of Franklin, Tenn., is in
stable condition with a broken leg. The Mallard capsized and sank but
Dobson, who was in the boat's cabin, jumped into the bayou just before the
collision.

Seventeen rescued from capsized bulk carrier off Denmark

     The Altnes (St. Vincent and the Grenadines-registry 3,961-gt,
5,995-dwt motor bulk carrier built in 1978, owned by Tordenskjold A.S.A.
and operated by Donnelly Shipmanagement Ltd.) capsized 13 Jan. after it
collided with the Shannon (Cypriot-registry, 9,100-gt, 14,829-dwt general
cargo ship built in 1976, operated by Tropis Shipping Co. Ltd.) in heavy
fog east of Anholt Island, Denmark. Visibility was 365 meters/1,200 feet.
The 17 crewmembers were rescued by the Shannon and brought ashore. There
were no injuries. The Shannon suffered damage to its forecastle and was
said to be taking on water. It Shannon was sailing from Rostock, Germany,
to Porti. The Altnes was sailing from a U.S. port on the Gulf of Mexico to
Sundsvall, Sweden, with petcoke.

Turkey protests sinking of fishing vessel that killed two

     On 15 Jan., Ukraine reported that 17 Turkish-registry fishing vessels
were found in waters that Ukraine claims. One is said to have capsized
after trying to ram a Ukrainian goverbment vessel. The two people aboard
were killed. Turkey made a formal protest the next day and may seek
damages.

Grounded barge off United Arab Emirates sinks as spill comes ashore

     A barge that ran aground late 7 Jan. in high winds eight
kilometers/five miles of Ajman, United Arab Emirates, has now sunk. The
11,000-ton capacity barge spilled an estimated 4,000 tons of fuel oil or
4.6 million liters/1.2 million gallons after its tow to a tug parted. The
barge was built to carry dry, not liquid, cargo. White Sea Shipping and
Supply Co. has been hired to salvage the barge from a depth of 20 meters/66
feet. Environmental consultants from the United Kingdom are also present.
The vessel is sitting upright with the bow slightly higher. Six divers
sealed 19 of the barge's 24 holds before it sank, limiting a larger spill
and the remaining holds were sealed 12 Jan. The five holds lost their
covers. White Sea Shipping and Supply has 10 divers and two tugs available
for the work. The spilled fuel has come ashore along the country's northern
coast and fishing vessels have been kept in port. Deaths of birds, crabs
fish and sea snakes have been reported. Fairdeal and Lamnalco have been
hired for beach clean-up, the former in Ajman with the latter concentrating
on Umm al-Quwain. Fairdeal has 150 personnel assigned to the work. The
Petroleum Association of Japan has made equipment available to deal with
the spill and Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. has also been involved. Two
desalinization plants have been closed.

Crew of flooding rig barge rescued off Jamaica

     On 2 Jan., cargo aboard the rig barge Grigmar, under tow by the tug
Umkar 104 kilometers/65 miles west of Jamaica, shifted and crushed a hand
of a crewmember as the tow sailed in a storm. A U.S. Coast Guard HH-60J
Jayhawk helicopter from Operations Bahamas and Turks and Caicos evacuated
the injured crewmember. The rest of the barge's crew then requested that
they be evacuated as well as the Grigmar flooded. After the injured
crewmember was taken to a medical facility, the remaining seven crew were
taken aboard the helicopter and flown to the U.S. Navy's Kidd-class
Guided-Missile Destroyer U.S.S. Scott (DDG 995). The warship sailed to the
entrance of Montego Bay, Jamaica, where a local pilot boat took them
ashore.

Four rescued as fishing vessel takes on water off South Carolina

     On 5 Jan., the 18-meter/59-foot fishing vessel Edna Marie began
flooding and broadcast a distress message, 128 kilometers/80 miles east of
Charleston, S.C. A U.S. Coast Guard HH-65A Dolphin helicopter from Coast
Guard Air Station Savannah, Ga., rescued one of the crew before it had to
return for fuel. A second Dolphin from Air Station Savannah rescued the
three other crewmembers.

Sinking of Stone Refueler in Louisiana ruptures Chevron pipeline

     On 6 Jan., the Stone Refueler sank in the Belle Pass near Bayou
Lafourche, La., while pushing a barge. An HH-65A Dolphin helicopter from
U.S. Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans rescued the six crew. The Stone
Refueler apparently ruptured a 30-centimeter/12-inch pipeline of Chevron
Corp. when it sank, spilling 743 barrels of crude oil. In addition, the
Stone Refueler spilled some of its fuel. Heavy oil was found in the mud
flats on the eastern shore of the pass. Port Fourchon, La., was closed to
navigation the next and reopened 8 Jan. with a speed restriction. Nine of
12 polluted areas have been cleaned and salvage operations started 12 Jan.

Discovery Enterprise rams Ferrol bridge

     The drillship Discovery Enterprise, being completed by Astilleros
Espanoles S.A. for Transocean Offshore Inc., broke its moorings in Ferrol,
Spain, on 13 Jan. and rammed the main causeway in Ferrol. The ship's
starboard side hit the bridge and from about amidships aft, destroyed a
large section of the bridge. The ship sustained damage to its hull and has
been refloated with four tugs.

East River closed in New York after ship hits bridge

     The Spero (46,998-dwt, 201-meter/659-foot bulk carrier built in 1992,
operated by Canadian Transport Co. Ltd.) hit the Queensboro/59th Street
Bridge in New York about 1141 14 Jan. The Spero, carrying salt from New
Haven, Conn., to Albany, N.Y., was ordered to anchor in the Bayridge
Anchorage. The bridge was closed for inspection and some damage was found.
Also, the East River is closed to navigation between Manhattan and
Roosevelt Island.

Sunken barge stops navigation of Mississippi River section

     The Gale Sea, with 35 barges, allided with a dock near Greensville,
Miss., on 10 Jan. near Mile Marker 513 on the Mississippi River. Two of the
barges began flooding and one sank. The rest were removed. A
16-kilometer/10-mile section of the river was closed until the sunken barge
was found in 26 meters/84 feet of water. High water and a strong current
were reported in the area.

Barge strikes rail bridge over Cumberland River

     A barge of Ingram Barge Co., loaded with sand, hit a CSX
Transportation rail bridge at Clarksburg, Tenn., over the Cumberland River
on 9 Jan. During efforts to remove the barge from the bridge pilings it
capsized and sank, spilling its cargo.

Fishing vessel assisted after flooding off Massachusetts

     The 14-meter/45-foot fishing vessel Black Mariah began taking on water
late 12 Jan., 74 kilometers/46 miles east of Chatham, Mass. The three
crewmembers sent out a call for assistance after a pump could not keep up
with the flooding. The fishing vessel Rug Rat arrived and a U.S. Coast
Guard HH-60J Jayhawk helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod,
Mass., lowered three more pumps. Once the vessel was dewatered, it was
escorted by the Rug Rat and the fishing vessel Desicive to Chatham.

Lightering underway for grounded bulk carrier in Michigan

     The J.A.W. Iglehart (9,460-gt, 12,589-dwt, 6,028-nt,
152.9-meter/501.5-foot steam bulk carrier built in 1936 by Sun Shipbuilding
& Dry Dock Co. at Chester, Penn.; operated by Inland Lakes Management Inc.)
ran aground the afternoon of 14 Jan. leaving LaFarge Corp. in Alpena, Mich.
The tug Kathy Lynn (140-gt, 95-nt, 26-meter/85-foot motor tug with 1,500
brake horsepower; built in 1944, operated by Ryba Marine Construction Co.)
attempted to free the vessel but was unable. At last report, the Alpena
(8,018-gt, 5,452-nt, 158.3-meter/519.5-foot steam bulk carrier built in
1942 by Great Lakes Engineering Works at River Rouge, Mich.; operated by
Inland Lakes Management) was working to lighter the J.A.W. Iglehart.

Pulang Lupa grounds in Egypt

     The Pulang Lupa (Panamanian-registry 77,332-gt, 149,530-dwt bulk
carrier built in 1989, operated by BHP Transport Ltd.) ran aground 11 Jan.
on a sandbank five kilometers/three miles to six kilometers/four miles
north of Port Said, Egypt.

Ro/ro refloated after grounding near Gibraltar

     The Fes (Moroccan-registry 3,425-gt, 1,617-dwt motor ro/ro built in
1978, operated by Cie. de Navigation du Detroit S.A.), sailing from
Marseilles, France, to Tangier, Morocco, ran aground 9 Jan. at Punta
Gudalmesi in the area of Gibraltar. It was carrying general cargo and
vehicles. The Punta Mayor (Spanish-registry 1,248-dwt tug/supply vessel
built in 1984, operated by Remolques Maritimos S.A.) refloated the ship 10
Jan. and towed it to Algeciras, Spain.

Ulriken grounds off Norway

     The Ulriken (Norwegian-registry 1,470-gt, 1,626-dwt ro/ro built in
1972, operated by Hydroship A/S) ran aground at Helgelandsflesa on 13 Jan.
It was sailing from Glomfjord, Norway, to Verdal with fertilizer. It
refloated itself the same day and sailed to Rorvik to unload its cargo
before sailing to Hitra for an inspection.

Two missing from Lancer explosion found

     Two crewmembers of the Lancer (Bahamian-registry 14,967-gt, 23,093-dwt
chemical tanker built in 1975, owned by a Greek interests and operated by
Multi Trade Ship Management) have been found. The ship exploded and caught
fire at 2020 1 Jan. in Argentina's Parana River. The 33 crew (22
Philippine, nine Greek and two Polish citizens) jumped overboard but two,
Ross Bago, 22, and Margarito Maranga, 44, were missing. Estavros Mella, a
35-year-old Greek citizen, was hospitalized with head injuries. At last
report, it was beached outside Campana, Argentina. It was carrying 4,500
tons of industrial alcohol to San Lorenzo, Argentina. Maranga was found 4
Jan. and Bago was found by the Argentine Coast Guard on 5 Jan. in a tank.

Wreck of the Cordigliera inspected off South Africa

     Divers this week inspected the Cordigliera (Panamanian-registry
12,025-gt, 16,525-dwt dry cargo ship built in 1979 in the United Kingdom,
owned by Sinha Shipping Pte. Ltd. and operated by Transatlantica Esp.),
which sank early 14 Nov., 1996, some 6.5 kilometers/10 miles off Umzimvubu,
South Africa. The location is 31 degrees 21 minutes south, 30 degrees 01
minutes east. It was sailing from Durban, South Africa, to Cape Town, South
Africa. The mixed cargo included granite. The U.S.$200,000 expedition was
organized by the International Transport Workers' Federation and the South
African Department of Transport. The federation said the inspection is part
of in an effort to have Sinha Shipping compensate the relatives of the 29
crewmembers who were killed. The ship was insured through Ocean P&I Club.
Divers will attempt to find out why the ship sank, how it was loaded and
the extent of the damage. The Cordigliera is at a depth of 90 meters/300
feet.

Settlement of Rhode Island spill reached

     A settlement in which two firms and two individuals admitted criminal
negligence in Rhode Island's worst oil spill has been finalized. Eklof
Marine Corp., Odin Marine Corp., Thor Towing Corp., Leslie Wallin and
Gregory Aitken will pay U.S.$7 million in fines as part of a plea
agreement. On 19 Jan., 1996, the North Cape (U.S.-registry
104-meter/340-foot long single-hull tank barge, built in 1976, owned by
Odin Marine and operated by Eklof Marine) ran aground off Moonstone Beach
near South Kingstown, R.I. It was carrying 15 million liters/four million
gallons of No. 2 heating oil and damage to nine of 16 cargo tanks caused a
spill of 3.15 million liters/828,000 gallons. The barge was being towed
from the IMTT Terminal in Bayonne, N.J., to Providence, R.I., by the
Scandia (U.S.-registry 35.1-meter/115-foot long tug, with 4,000-horsepower,
built in 1969, owned by Thor Towing and operated by Eklof Marine) when an
engine room fire began during in a storm. The six crew abandoned the tug
and were rescued. The tow then went aground. The barge was refloated a week
later and towed to New York while the tug was pulled off the beach a month
after the incident. As part of the agreement, Eklof Marine acknowledges
that the spill was the result of criminal negligence that resulted in a tow
improperly equipped to navigate in the weather it experienced. Aitken, the
tug's master, and the companies also said the spill occurred after storm
warnings were ignored. Wallin is president of Eklof Marine. As part of the
deal, half of the fine will go to the federal government for wetlands
preservation with the rest to Rhode Island. Also, U.S.$1.5 million will be
given to The Nature Conservancy and Eklof Marine will spend U.S.$1 million
on upgrading its vessels. Clean-up costs of U.S.$3.3 have already been
reimbursed.

N.T.S.B. report on the Bright Field released

     The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board completed its
investigation of the accident involving the Bright Field (Liberian-registry
36,120-gt, 68,200-dwt, 23,035-nt, 224-meter/735-foot bulk carrier built in
1988, owned by Clearsky Shipping Corp. and operated by COSCO (Hong Hong)
Shipping Co. Ltd.) on 13 Jan. At 1430 14 Dec., 1996, the ship slammed into
a New Orleans dock housing a Riverwalk mall and a
16,200-square-meter/180,000-square-foot Hilton hotel. At least 62 people
were injured and the dock and some 15 shops and 456 hotel rooms were
destroyed. More than 5.7 million liters/1.5 million gallons of water
flooded a cargo hold aboard the Bright Field and 4.6 meters/15 feet of hull
under the bow was damaged. The ship had been sailing with 64,000 tons of
corn for Kashima, Japan. The board blamed Clearsky Shipping and COSCO (Hong
Kong) Shipping for the allision, which resulted from a lack of maintenance.
The board's findings were similar to the U.S. Coast Guard's report released
18 Dec. The board added that the Bright Field had suffered engine failures
before, including one in the Panama Canal and another in the Indian Ocean
that left the bulk carrier adrift for five days. The N.T.S.B. also was
critical of passenger vessels moored nearby for having only one gangplank
available to evacuate hundreds of passengers. Some people fell overboard
and were injured.

Dutch government looking into Stena Discovery damages

     The Dutch government has started a probe into damages suffered by the
Stena Discovery (Dutch-registry 1,500-dwt catamaran ferry built in 1997,
operated by Stena A.B.) sailing from Harwich, England to Hook of Holland,
the Netherlands, on 4 Jan. The vessel lost panels from its bow and several
vehicles aboard were damaged. None of the 900 passengers were injured. The
vessel has been withdrawn from service for repairs. The probe is examining
whether the vessel was sailing too fast for conditions.

Court case against two tanker masters suspended again

     Court proceedings against the masters of two tankers involved in a
collision of Singapore have been suspended again. The Evoikos
(Cypriot-registry 75,428-gt, 140,218-dwt tanker built in 1977, operated by
Papaphilippou) and 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.) collided at 2054 15 Oct.
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. Two or three cargo tanks ruptured spilling at
least 25,000 tons or 27 million liters/seven million gallons of oil and the
ship anchored three kilometers/two miles southeast of Pulau Sebarok. Damage
included a gash on the port side 50 meters/164 feet long and 10 meters/32
feet wide, from the deck to below the waterline. The Evoikos was chartered
by Metro Trading International. The Orapin Global was sailing in ballast to
the Arabian Gulf after having left the Singapore Eastern Anchorage. Michael
Chalkitis, 58, a Greek citizen, of the Evoikos, and Jan Sokolowski, 54, of
the Orapin Global, a Polish citizen, were charged. Chalkitis was accused of
a breach of duty, failing to reduce speed, not keeping a proper lookout and
preventing the Evoikos from being seriously damaged under the Singapore
Merchant Shipping Act. Sokolowski was accused under Singapore's penal code
of navigating recklessly, endangering lives and failing to take action to
avoid a collision. Lawyers for the two agreed that more time was needed to
prepare. The next hearing at the Subordinate Court in Singapore will be 23
Jan.