Fifteen missing near the Canary Islands

     Fifteen Moroccan citizens are missing after their fishing vessel sank
off Spain's Canary Islands on 1 Jan.

Oak sends last official SOS message

     The Oak (Bahamian-registry 13,000-gt, 21,951-dwt,
155.22-meter/509.25-foot motor bulk carrier built in 1981, operated by
Diana Shipping Agencies S.A.) broadcast a Morse Code (CW) SOS message late
31 Dec., 1,260 kilometers/790 miles west of Ireland. Official use of Morse
Code formally ended 1 Jan. The Oak was sailing from Canada to Liverpool,
England, with a crew of 26 Greek and Philippine citizens when its cargo of
wood shifted in a storm and the ship lost power. Winds of Beaufort Force
10, 48 to 55 knots, were reported. The crew jettisoned between 300 cubic
meters/390 cubic yards and 400 cubic meters/520 cubic yards of its lumber
cargo overboard after the ship developed a 40 degree list and the vessel
lost power. The Oak's 500 Kilohertz message was heard by Bob Baker at
Stonehaven Radio/GND in the United Kingdom and relayed to the British Coast
Guard at Falmouth, England. The signal was received from at Landsend
Radio/GLD. "We haven't had a Morse distress message for years," said Gerry
Wood, a Coast Guard spokesman. "It was almost too perfect." Oak's message
stated "SOS. SOS. This is Oak. Position 53 16 N, 24 59 W. Stop engine. We
need assistance." The broadcast of an Emergency Position Indicating Radio
Beacon (E.P.I.R.B.) was also picked up. The Anglian Prince (St. Vincent and
the Grenadines-registry 1,455-dwt tug built in 1980, operated by Klyne Tugs
(Lowestoft) Ltd.) brought the ship to the Gladstone Dock in Liverpool on 4
Jan.

Seventeen rescued from ship aground off Taiwan

     The 17 crewmembers of the Amanah were rescued by helicopters late 4
Jan. after the ship ran aground off Keelung, Taiwan. Both engines aboard
the ship failed. Four crew were rescued initially with the rest seven hours
later at dawn. Eight crew are Indonesian citizens; four, including the
master, are citizens of South Korea; three are Malaysian citizens and two
are from China. The ship arrived at Keelung 2 Jan. from Japan and was
leaving port in a storm when the engines failed. Some fuel has spilled from
the ship, polluting a water coolant system for a thermal power plant
nearby. One generator was slowed to prevent any damage.

Crew of Spanish-registry trawler rescued during storm

     The Sonia Naci (Spanish-registry trawler) sent out a distress call on
4 Jan. after it lost power in a storm with winds of Beaufort Force 11, 56
to 63 knots, and seas of more than 12 meters/40 feet. It was taken in tow
by the fishing vessel Mapescal but the tow parted 320 kilometers/200 miles
southwest of Land's Head, England. The Sonia Naci reported its position as
48 degrees 36 minutes north, 11 degrees 02 minutes west and a British Royal
Air Force Nimrod MR Mk 2P from No. 18 Group at Royal Air Force Kinloss in
Grampian, Scotland, dropped two liferafts but the Sonia Naci could not
reach them. A French-registry containership reached the area but also was
kept from reaching the Sonia Naci. The 10 crewmembers (nine Spanish and one
Irish citizen) were later rescued by two Royal Air Force helicopters. One
helicopter crewmember sustained slight injuries when he hit the side of the
trawler while being lowered. The helicopters reported that water was
breaking over the stern due to engine room flooding.

More on explosion aboard the Lancer

     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) exploded and caught fire at 2020 1 Jan. in Argentina's Parana
River. The 33 crew, Greek and Philippine citizens, jumped overboard but
two, Ross Bago, 22, and Margarito Maranga, 44, are missing. Estavros Mella,
a 35-year-old Greek citizen, was hospitalized with head injuries. At last
report, the Lancer had two small fires still burning and was beached
outside Campana, Argentina. It was carrying 4,500 tons of industrial
alcohol to San Lorenzo, Argentina. Containment booms have been installed
around the area. The explosion occurred near the ship's prow.

Desalination plant in United Arab Emirates closed by oil spill

     A tank barge spilled an estimated 4,000 tons of fuel oil after it ran
aground late 7 Jan., eight kilometers/five miles off Ajman, United Arab
Emirates. The barge grounded in high winds. Due to the spill, measuring
eight kilometers/five miles by three kilometers/two miles, a water
desalination plant in Ajman has been closed. The plant serves the 90,000
people of the emirate. At last report, the 11,000-ton capacity barge was
flooding. A tug towing the barge has been arrested in the country.

Filomena Lembo suffers fire

     The Filomena Lembo (Italian-registry 29,498-gt, 51,293-dwt motor
tanker built in 1984, operated by Trader Navigation) had an engine room
fire at 0014 8 Jan. at 42 degrees 11 minutes north, 28 degrees 42 minutes
east, in the Black Sea. It has been extinguished but damage is unknown.

Ro/ro severely damages barge in Baltimore collision

     On 30 Dec., the Hual Rolita (12,169-dwt, 180-meter/590-foot ro/ro
built in 1980, operated by Interocean Ugland Management A/S) lost control
while backing down in Baltimore and hit a crane barge. The barge was
severely damaged as it became tangled in the ship's stern ramp. The crane
fell into the harbor. The Hual Rolita has been allowed to proceed.

School of herring sinks trawler off Norway

     A school of herring is being blamed for sinking a 19-meter/63-foot
fishing vessel off northern Norway. The trawler Steinholm attempted to
bring aboard a large net of fish when the herring swam for the bottom and
capsized the vessel, according to the Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet on 6
Jan. The six crew tried to cut the net loose but were forced to abandon the
vessel. The Steinholm sank in 10 minutes and the crew were rescued by
another trawler.

Stena Line ferry damaged by rough weather

     The same storm system that affected the Sonia Naci (see above) also
damaged 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.

Intracoastal Waterway collision in Texas damages tugs

     On 25 Dec., two tugs, the Casey C and the Lisa C, collided at a bend
in the Intracoastal Waterway, 37 kilometers/23 miles west of Sabine, Texas.
The Casey C, pushing four barges of coal, had a punctured hole in the bow.
The Lisa C, pushing two red-flagged barges, suffered substantial damage to
its port bow rake above the waterline.

Tanker undamaged after grounding off Torquay

     The Santa Anna (Panamanian-registry 22,600-gt, 27,648-dwt tanker built
in 1974, operated by Fairdeal Group Management S.A.) ran aground stern
first the night of 1 Jan. on rocks off Torquay, England, near Hope's Nose.
About 250 tons of fuel were transferred among the ship's tanks to prevent a
spill and eight of the 21 cargo tanks were reportedly damaged. The Santa
Anna developed a 10-degree list before 270 tons of intermittent fuel oil
and 50 tons of diesel were pumped to other tanks. The vessel was refloated
later the same day by the Far Minara (British-registry 1,968-dwt tug built
in 1983, operated by Farstad Shipping Ltd.). The Marbella (factory trawler
built in 1989, operated by Marr Vessel Management Ltd.) put a line aboard
the Santa Anna until the tug arrived. The Santa Anna dragged anchor in
Beaufort Force 10 weather and later anchored near Berry Head near Brixham,
England, where propeller and rudder damage was found. Howard Smith is
handling salvage. The Santa Anna had initially hit Thatcher Rock and was in
ballast. None of the 29 crew were injured.

Sea-Land Service, Mediterranean Shipping vessels in Felixstowe collision

     Two containerships have received light damage after they collided at
Felixstowe, England, the afternoon of 4 Jan. The Newark Bay (U.S.-registry
59,810-dwt, 4,500-TEU containership built in 1985, owned and operated by
Sea-Land Service Inc.) hit the MSC Insa (Panamanian-registry 35,229-dwt,
2,400-TEU containership built in 1972, operated by Mediterranean Shipping
Co.) after bad weather parted tow lines to the Newark Bay has it was
berthing. The MSC Insa, already at a berth, was pushed in a mudbank. There
were no injuries or pollution and no cargo was damaged. Damage is
apparently limited to light external hull damage. The Newark Bay is part of
Sea-Land Service's Vessel Sharing Agreement with Orient Overseas Container
Line and P&O Nedlloyd Container Line Ltd.

Bulk carrier grounds in Parana River

     The Trias (Greek-registry 22,649-gt, 38,568-dwt, 223-meter/730-foot
motor bulk carrier built in 1977, operated by Tomazos Shipping) ran aground
at Kilometer 77 in the Martin Garcia Channel of Brazil's Parana River on 4
Jan. The ship was sailing with 10,346 tons of wheat from San Lorenzo,
Argentina, to Paranagua, Brazil. It was refloated by tugs 6 Jan.

Manya anchors in Humber River after cargo shifts

     The Manya (St. Vincent and the Grenadines-registry 1,069-gt, 1,205-dwt
general cargo ship built in 1967, operated by Horst Moller KG) anchored in
England's Humber River after its deck cargo of timber shifted the morning
of 7 Jan. while sailing to Medway, England. The ship took on a list of 15
to 20 degrees.

Multitank Bahia suffers engine failure

     The Multitank Bahia (Liberian-registry 3,726-gt, 5,800-dwt chemical
tanker built in 1996, operated by Chr. F. Ahrenkiel) had a complete
propulsion failure on 4 Jan. at 53 degrees 28.7 minutes north, 00 degrees,
53.7 minutes east. The ship was sailing to Immingham, England, with caustic
soda and was towed to the port by the Lady Debbie (318-dwt tug built in
1978, operated by Howard Smith (United Kingdom) Ltd.).

Karla towed to port with engine damage

     The Karla (Panamanian-registry 3,916-gt general cargo ship) was towed
to Bilbao, Spain, on 5 Jan. by the Spanish-registry motor tug Ibaizabal II
with engine damage.

Update on Merchant Patriot

     The Merchant Patriot (Hong Kong-registry 17,028-gt, 21,310-dwt,
150-meter/493-foot general cargo ship built in 1980 by Scotts Shipbuilding
and Engineering Co. at Greenock, Scotland; operated by Cenargo Ltd.) was
last reported to be under tow by the tugs Maasbank (Dutch-registry 150-dwt
tug built in 1987, operated by Smit Harbor Towage Co.) and Samand to
Freeport, the Bahamas. The ship began flooding 30 Dec., 496 kilometers/310
miles east of Cape Canaveral, Fla. Weather conditions included seas of up
to 6.1 meters/20 feet and winds gusting to 50 knots. The crew of 28 jumped
overboard after the ship's lifeboat was knocked off the stern and weather
conditions ruled out helicopter hoists from the ship's deck. Two U.S. Air
Force Reserve and three U.S. Coast Guard helicopters rescued the crew and
took them to Marsh Harbor, Great Abaco Island, the Bahamas. The Merchant
Patriot was sailing from Praia Mole, Brazil, to Savannah, Ga., with
containers and steel project cargo.

Crowley Maritime hired to refloat the Kuroshima

     Crowley Maritime Corp. has been hired to refloat the Kuroshima
(Panamanian-registry 4,160-gt, 4,845-dwt, 81.7-meter/268-foot refrigerated
ship built in 1988, owned by Kuroshima Inc. and operated by Fukuoka Zosen
K.K.). The ship had anchored off Dutch Harbor, Alaska, and was to load
seafood when its anchor dragged in 98-knot winds and seas up to 6.1
meters/20 feet. On 26 Nov., the ship ran aground on Second Priest Rock off
Dutch Harbor. Two Philippine crewmembers from Manila, Michael Valdellon,
46, the chief officer, and Benito Gestosani, 36, the bosun, were killed
while the 16 other crewmembers were rescued after a lifeboat was pulled to
shore by a line fired to the ship. The two killed were sent forward with a
third crewmember to lift the anchor when a wave hit the Kuroshima. The
third man, Juanito Cuerquez, 30, from Manila, fell onto the deck below and
suffered a fractured hip. The master and chief engineer are Japanese
citizens with the rest of the crew from the Philippines. Ruptured fuel
tanks spilled 148,200 liters/39,000 gallons of Bunker C fuel. About 19,000
liters/5,000 galons was left aboard for use in propulsion during the
refloating. At last report, Crowley Maritime was waiting for favorable
weather to refloat the Kuroshima, using its American Salvor (U.S.-registry,
64.9 meters/213 feet long). Magone Marine Services is assisting. The ship
will then be towed to Dutch Harbor for temporary repairs. It is estimated
that U.S.$2.2 million has been spent so far on salvage.

More on damage to Jean Parisien

     The Jean Parisien (33,309-dwt, 22,772-gt, 16,351-nt,
223-meter/730-foot motor bulk carrier built in 1977 by Davie Shipbuilding
Ltd. at Lauzon, Levis, Quebec; operated by Canada Steamship Lines Inc.) was
damaged late last year in the St. Lawrence River below the Escoumins pilot
station in Quebec. The ship was sailing eastbond for Sept-Iles, Quebec,
with coal when a Kort nozzle's rudder stock broke and the nozzle fell into
the propeller. Though with little or no steering and a damaged propeller,
the Jean Parisien continued to Sept-Iles with tugs and then laid-up in
Quebec.

MSC Rosa M released by salvor

     The MSC Rosa M (Cypriot-registry 20,418-gt, 20,185-dwt, 1,050-TEU
containership and ro/ro built in 1978 by Fincantieri Cantieri Navali
Italiani SpA in Italy, owned and operated by Mediterranean Shipping Co.)
which was abandoned 32 kilometers/20 miles off Cherbourg, France, on 30
Nov., has been handed over to its owners by the ship's salvor, Les Abeilles
International, after a 20-day operation. A French Dauphin helicopter and a
British Coast Guard Sea King helicopter rescued the 32 crew at 49 degrees
53 minutes north, 01 degrees 17 minutes west near Barfleur Point, France.
Weather included Beaufort Force 5 or 6 conditions, with two-meter/6.5-foot
seas. Twenty-seven crewmembers were flown to the Meleri (Maltese-registry
31,645-dwt bulk carrier built in 1975, operated by Eastern Mediterranean
Maritime Ltd.) and five were injured. The ship had a severe list when the
Abeille Languedoc (French-registry 1,550-dwt motor tug built in 1979,
operated by Les Abeilles) arrived after a Lloyd's Open Form was signed with
Mediterranean Shipping. The cargo had shifted and the master and four
others later returned. The ship was denied entry to Cherbourg for fear it
would sink. Instead, the MSC Rosa M was beached at Bequet, France, and on 1
Dec., the ship was refloated with a 16-degree list and towed to Le Havre,
France, where its cargo was unloaded. At least one container was lost.

Court allows claims by relatives of three killed in loss of the Dystos

     A court in Piraeus, Greece, has upheld claims for compensation for
relatives of three of the 20 killed in the capsizing of the Dystos
(Greek-registry 6,197-dwt bulk carrier built in 1972, converted to a cement
carrier in 1985; operated by Heracles Shipping Co. and owned by AGET Cement
Group). They sued AGET Cement Group for negligence in failing to maintain
the vessel. The Dystos capsized 28 Dec., 1996, off Kimi, Evia Island,
Greece, in bad weather and sank 2 Jan., 1997. Seventeen crewmembers and
three relatives aboard were killed. One person survived. The ship was
carrying 5,300 tons of cement from Volos, Greece, to Piraeus.

Green Opal salvage underway

     After two weeks of work, about 850 tons of steel billets have been
recovered from the Green Opal (Panamanian-registry 6,176-dwt bulk carrier
built in 1976, operated by Dooyang Line Co. Ltd.) by Tsavliris Salvage
(International) Ltd. The ship sank in the Hooghly River, 40 kilometers/25
miles east of Calcutta, India, on 19 June after colliding with a tug towing
a barge. All 20 crew were rescued. The ship was sailing to Keelung, Taiwan,
with 7,000 tons of steel coils and billets.

CORRECTION

     Contrary to information last week, the Pacific Mattsu
(Philippine-registry 16,401-gt, 26,467-dwt bulk carrier built in 1996) has
not been operated by Anglo-Eastern Ship Management Ltd. since November. The
ship ran aground 31 Dec. after it hit a rock leaving Lumut, Malaysia, at 04
degrees 07.2 minutes north, 100 degrees 33.6 minutes east. The ship's
double-bottom tank was damaged but the Pacific Mattsu refloated 1 Jan.