Oriental N [exxon valdez] update

Oriental N has now positioned herself just a mile or two off the coast of Alang ready for beaching?

Update:::: beached 2/08/2012

Ship demolition report 31/07/2012

Last list for July

Alang
Jolly Blu [IT] IMO 8302296 Roro vessel built 1981 - 8,044 dwt
Jolly Indaco [IT] IMO 8828642 Roro vessel built 1989 - 12,290 dwt
Sarawak [HK] IMO 8124917 Container vessel built 1983 - 38,351 dwt

Aliaga
Sormovskly [MD] IMO 5150618 Cargo vessel built 1962 - 10,450 dwt

China
Pu Fa [PA] IMO 8821454 Bulk carrier built 1984 - 61,748 dwt
Tayrona Princess [PH] IMO 8820242 Cargo vessel built 1983 - 16,320 dwt

Gadani
United Resolve [LR] IMO 9018476 Crude oil tanker built 1992 - 144,100 dwt
Atlantia [PA] IMO 8821703 Products tanker built 1984 - 33,374 dwt

Chittagong
Road Runner [MH] IMO 9000182 Bulk carrier built 1993 - 147,048
[Built as Knock Clune at Harland and Wolff, Belfast]
Stelios B [MT] IMO 8309878 Bulk carrier built 1985 - 45,112 dwt
Hua Jin Xiang [PA] IMO 7929255 Bulk carrier built 1993 - 61,636 dwt

Unknown destination
Song Shan [CN] IMO 8825369 Cargo vessel built 1984 - 16,670 dwt
Ever New [HK] IMO 8514813 Cargo vessel built 1985 - 7,059 dwt

Oriental N - Exxon Valdez given go ahead to be beached

The Supreme Court today (July 30, 2012) granted permission for controversial US ship Oriental Nicety, earlier known as ‘Exxon Valdez’, involved in one of the worst US oil spills off Alaska in 1986, to beach at Alang, Gujarat coast and permitted its owner to dismantle the vessel.

A bench of justices Altamas Kabir and J.Chelameshwar passed the order after considering the various reports submitted by the Centre, Gujarat Maritime Board and the Atomic Regulatory Board that the ship was free from hazardous material. 


The bench said “we direct the concerned authorities to allow the ship in question to beach and permit the ship owner to proceed with the dismantling of the ship after complying with all the requirements of the Gujarat Maritime Board, the Gujarat Pollution Control Board and the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board. 

Ship demolition report 29/07/2012

Alang
Emerald [GR] IMO 5312824 Passenger vessel built 1958 - 26,428 gt

Mumbai
Oriental Crane [SL] IMO 8014198 Tanker built 1981 - 7,044 dwt

China
Dabong [PA] IMO 7053484 Bulk carrier built 1971 - 42,123 dwt
Orion Reefer [PA] IMO 8911097 Reefer built 1989 - 9,043 dwt

To be broken up in Bahrain after explosion in march 2012
Stolt Valour [LR] IMO 9274290 Chemical tanker built 2004 - 25,269 dwt

Chittagong
OCEAN AMBER [SG] IMO 8711136 Crude oil tanker built 1989 - 147,446 dwt
EAGLE [CY] IMO 8126408 Bulk Carrier built 1985 - 52,163 dwt

Ship demolition report 28/07/2012

Chittagong
TIGER CLOUD [SG] IMO 8901743 Container vessel built 1989 - 23,724 dwt

Ghent
Barra De Setubal [PT] IMO 7002394 Fire fighting tug built 1970 - 146 Dwt
Ex Glengarth built Hessle. UK

Thanks to Keith for the information

Ship demolition report 26/07/2012

Alang
MSC Ukraine [LR] IMO 8302155 Container vessel built 1989 - 26,132 dwt
Asha Prestige [KN] IMO 8318829 Bulk carrier built 1983 - 25,410 dwt

Gadani
Star Hero [DM] IMO 8814550 Crude oil tanker built 1991 - 148,341 dwt

Chittagong
ANATOLIY KOLESNICHENKO [RU] IMO 8406688 Roro/cargo vessel built 1985 - 22,875 dwt

Ship demolition report 25/07/2012

Smit Lloyd 91 [] IMO 8121903 Anchor handling vessel built 1985 - 1,330 gt
Sea Cat [MH] IMO 8307131 Crude oil tanker built 1985 - 50,272 gt

Ship demolition report 24/07/2012

Alang
Tuloma [VC] IMO 8123731 Bulk carrier built 1984 - 29,785 dwt
PFS Narayana [IN] IMO 8130667 Bulk carrier built 1983 - 47,442 dwt
Union Brave [KM] IMO 8001115 Tanker built 1983 - 18,732 dwt

Gadani
Ratna Urvi [IN] IMO 8813568 Tanker built 1989 - 96,088 dwt

Chittagong
Sin Ocean [VC] IMO 8005898 Bulk carrier built 1981 - 35,089 dwt
Antarctic Star [LR] IMO 8301682 Reefer built 1983 - 8,298 dwt

China
Katsuragi [PA] IMO 8910419 Container vessel built 1990 - 59,418 dwt ex Kowloon Bay
Jin He [CN] IMO 8506206 Tanker built 1987 - 66,184 dwt

Alang
Abdul H [SL] IMO 7015327 Container vessel built 1970 - 4,914 dwt

As is
Gulf Star [BS] IMO 8617029 Tanker built 1989 - 40,541 dwt

Ship demolition report 23/07/2012

Aliaga
Luoayk [SY] IMO 7530286 Cargo vessel built 1977 - 8,472 dwt
Haj Syayed [MD] IMO 670592 Cargo vessel built 1967 -
Ocean Breeze [KM] IMO 7518800 Cargo vessel built 1975 - 12,048 dwt
Guizzo [IT] IMO 9050942 Passenger vessel built 1993 - 833 dwt
Rosalta [IT] IMO 7229837 Passenger vessel built 1972 - 5,725 dwt

China
Grand [PA] IMO 8012256 Bulk carrier built 1982 - 64,584 dwt
Igarka [RU] IMO 8013027 Cargo vessel built 1983 - 23,024 dwt
Cymbidium [LR] IMO 8906858 Bulk carrier built 1990 - 42,730 dwt

Also reported for demolition
 
CAPTAIN TSAREV [PA] IMO 8128860 Cargo vessel built 1982 - 14,035 dwt
Was detained in Brest since November 2008, after an engine breakdown, broken crankshaft. Two days ago she was towed to an other quay of Brest. She is waiting for a scrap destination, Europe or Turkey.

Thanks to Erwan for the information

Ship demolition report 21/07/2012

Chittagong
Temasek [ID] IMO 8108901 Tanker built 1982 - 19,995 dwt

Sold for demolition at auction
Omnimar Houston [MH] IMO 9129275 Tanker built 1996 - 32,490 dwt
Lorcon Davao [PH] IMO 7726885 Cargo vessel built 1978 - 7,430 dwt
Igaraka [RU] IMO 8857863 Cargo vessel built 1983 - 23,024 dwt

Ship demolition report 20/07/2012

Alang
Anna 1 [KM] IMO 8908533 Cargo vessel built 1990 - 15,162 gt
Ex 2go2
Ex St. Martin De Porres

Ship demolition report 18/07/2012

Alang
Ocean Rider IMO 90838823 flag Malta bulk carrier built 1996 - 41,712 dwt
Bunga Pelangi Dua IMO 9111618 flag Malasia container vessel built 1995 61,428 dwt
MSC Corinna [PA] IMO 8208684 Container vessel built 1984 - 38,446 dwt

Aliaga
SIDER PROCIDA [IT] IMO 7434925 Cargo vessel built 1976 - 11,065 dwt

Pirates board ships at alang anchorage

ALANG (Bhavnagar): As night descends, a group of persons in a country-made craft approach a 10,000 tonne ship. They board the vessel and loot everything they can lay hands on. Iron planks, refrigerators, TVs, steel plates, machines...anything. The booty is dumped into the boat and the persons escape in the veil of darkness.

No, this is not Gulf of Aden, notorious for Somalia pirates attacking ships. The scene is in Gujarat's own backyard Alang, Asia's largest graveyard for ships.

Ship-breakers in Alang are spending sleepless nights since the last few months with local pirates on the prowl. The thieves are mostly from coastal villages surrounding Alang. The thieves are also known to enter the plots using sea routes from areas like Sartanpar, Bharapara, Mathavda and Mithivirdi along with other villages in boats in the middle of the nights.

Ship-breakers say from what started as stealing has now become a potential physical threat to anyone who tries to stop those indulging in the act. The ones carrying out the crimes are said to be residents of adjoining villages. The number of thefts has gone up from 17 in 2010 to 24 till July this year.

"The actual number of thefts is much higher than what have been registered at the police station. There is a strong nexus between thieves and purchasers of stolen material in Alang itself,'' a ship-breaker and member of Ship Recycling Association of India Haresh Parmar said.

Ship-breakers point out that these thieves don't fear police. They say things have come to such a pass that thieves are threatening the security guards with dire consequences if they dare to stop them.

The general perception is that an increase in patrolling along the coast and tough action on the part of the police can put a stop to the activities of these 'local pirates'.

Police claims to have already increased patrolling on the coast. Deputy superintendent of police, Mahuva division, D J Patel said, "We have taken preventive steps and are keeping a close watch on the plots. We will not spare anyone, including policemen, found involved in the thefts."

Also

3 held for killing watchman at a plot

Alang police have arrested three persons who allegedly murdered a 45-year-old watchman at one of the ship-breaking plots. Watchman Sitaram Devmurari was killed on June 28. Sources said Devmurari worked hands in glove with some thieves and facilitated their entry into the plot through a passage. He used to charge money from the thieves for allowing them inside. However, they got angry after he started demanding more money. It was after the watchman's murder that ship-breakers approached the police with a complaint regarding rampant thefts at the yard.

Source times of india

MSC Flaminia blaze probe underway

A damper has been put on theories that hazardous calcium hypochlorite – involved in many containership fires in the 1990s – could be responsible for a blaze that led to the MSC Flaminia being abandoned in the middle of the North Atlantic.

NSB Niederelbe is still checking through details of the cargo loaded on the 6,732-teu MSC Flaminia (built 2001) but says no calcium hypochlorite was on the manifest and no other obvious cause for the incident has yet been detected.

However hazardous cargoes are sometimes misdeclared so the possibility of a calcium hypochlorite related fire can not be entirely ruled out amongst the 2,876 containers on board on the voyage between Charleston and Antwerp.

Smit has signed a Lloyd’s Open Form “no cure no pay” salvage contract for the stricken vessel but it will be Tuesday evening before the chartered in 16,320hp firefighting tug Fairmount Expedition (built 2007) and a salvage master reaches the stricken containership.

An internal company investigation into the casualty is already underway and Germany, the flag state of the MSC Flaminia, will conduct an official accident investigation into the fire which has cost two lives and left three crewmen in hospital.

There is little current information on the extent of damage to the MSC Flaminia as overflights or satellite images of the vessel appear to have not taken place.

NSB Niederelbe has received preliminary information about the incident from the master and senior officers of the MSC Flaminia who are among the 18 crew and two passengers onboard the 311,000-dwt tanker DS Crown (built 1999) which is due to reach Falmouth in the UK on Wednesday evening.

Reports from the crew of the MSC Flaminia indicate that the incident began with a fire around hatch cover Number Four with the explosion following.

The fire was sufficiently serious for the master to order the ship to be abandoned although the MSC Flaminia was 1,000 miles from the nearest land.

The 16,500-hp ocean going tug Anglian Sovereign (built 2003)is currently being loaded with specialist firefighting gear at Inverness including a Cobra lance system that can pierce container walls and extinguish fires within boxes. But it will be Thursday or Friday before this tug reaches the last reported position of the MSC Flaminia.

The MSC Flaminia was on a voyage from Charleston to Antwerp at the time of the fire with a crew of five Germans, three Poles and 15 Filipinos.

The hull insurance of the MSC Flaminia is led by the Swedish Club which also provides protection and indemnity cover for the vessel.

With the hull of the MSC Flaminia insured for an estimated $40m and back of envelope calculations that about 2,900 containers of cargo might have a value of $90m the insurance market appears to be in for another sizeable loss.

Source: Tradewinds

MSC Flaminia still on fire

The fire, which started on 14th July 2012 in the cargo holds of MSC Flaminia is still not extinguished.

The container ship is drifting in the mid Atlantic and billowing thick smoke, which is seen from the passing cargo ships in the vicinity. All the crew members left the ship, after the explosion on board and the ship is not under control, such as the fire on board.

The Falmouth Coastguard sent two fire fighting tugs at the scene of the accident, but their ETA is the afternoon of 17th July 2012. The coastguard and the UK authorities have no other possible actions, as they reported that no investigation can be held before the fire is extinguished and the specialists inspect and check the place of the explosion.

The crew members of MSC Flaminia commented that the fire started in cargo hold number 4, where were loaded some containers with combustible bleaching agent calcium hypochlorite.

Meanwhile, one of the four injuread crew members died from heavy burns. The four injured people were boarded on the other ship of the MSC company – MSC Stella. Already the authorities reported about one missing crew members, who most probably died in

Of the 25 people who were onboard, there were – 23 crew members (3 Polish, 5 German and 15 Filipino) and 2 passengers. Still there is no information for water pollution in the area of the accident.

Reportedly Smit signed a salvage contract with German company NSB Niederelbe, which is operating boxship MSC Flaminia, and dispatched to drifting vessel salvage tugs Fairmount Expedition and Anglian Sovereign, ETA to the distressed vessel July 17 afternoon.

There is no recent information on the condition of the vessel, except vessel’s position and one photo published by Trade Winds, photo was taken by the crew of VLCC DS Crown. The version of  calcium hypochlorite being the cause of the fire looks to be dumped, as NSB Niederelbe checked all the cargo manifests and didn’t find calcium hypochlorite at all.

Trade Winds came up with calcium hypochlorite cargo as the main culprit judging obviously, from another accident with another boxship of the NSB Niederelbe company back in 1997: “NSB Niederelbe’s 1,600-teu Contship France (built 1993) – now the Marinos - sustained serious damage to both hull and cargo in 1997 in an explosion and fire attributed to calcium hypochlorite”.

All the musings about the cause of the fire and explosion at present stage are just that, musings, as long as there are hundreds combustible items around, and just one such an item, wrongly (most probably, intentionally in order to save the money) manifested and loaded, could trigger the disaster.

MSC Flaminia fire seems to be well to the fore, engine seems to be undamaged, so vessel may maintain some speed enough to keep smoke off the superstructure and the stacks aft from the burning ones, so crew could fight off fire going aft. It’s a preposition of course, but that’s what one may think looking at the only small-scale photo we have by now. There is a chance then, that things aren’t that bad and fire will damage the restricted number of containers and cargoes in them.

The crew abandoned MSC Flaminia in position 48-13N 027-59W, later vessel was reported to drift to position 48-13N 027-56W, in eastern direction.

Salvage tug Fairmount Expedition IMO 9358943, GRT 3239, built 2007, flag Netherlands. Salvage tug Anglian Sovereign IMO 9262742, GRT 2263, built 2003, flag UK.

Source odin.tc [edited]

Ship demolition report 17/07/2012

Welcome to the 400th posting of Ship Scrapping

Gadani
L Elephant [LR] IMO 9083335 Vlcc tanker built 1992 - 258,094 dwt

Alang
Heng shun Da [PA] IMO 8028864 Bulk carrier built 1983 - 32,442 dwt

Chittagong
Andros R [LR] IMO 8125961 Bulk carrier built 1985 - 64,843 dwt
Ocean Ranger [SG] IMO 8221959 Bulk carrier built 1983 - 32,409 dwt
Messenger [RU] IMO 8705591 Tanker built 1992 - 29,098 dwt
Flourish [CN] IMO 8723610 Bulk carrier built 1988 - 52,540 dwt

China
Lucky Rainbow [PA] IMO 8106769 Bulk carrier built 1985 - 66,234 dwt

Other
FGM Commander [PA] IMO 8322193 Cargo vessel built 1985 - 7,960 dwt

MSC Flaminia on fire in Mid Atlantic

Crew on board a container vessel were forced to abandon their ship after an explosion and subsequent fire in a cargo hold mid Atlantic.

At 10:07 Falmouth Coastguard received the relayed mayday broadcast from the German registered MSC Flaminia reporting that the crew on board had abandoned the vessel.

Falmouth Coastguard broadcast an alert to all vessels in the area and the nearest vessel which could provide assistance was the oil tanker DS Crown which immediately changed course to intercept the MSC Flaminia. Six other merchant vessels also proceeded to the location to help with the search and rescue operation but were more than six hours from the location. Rescue helicopters do not have the endurance required to attend an incident of this nature because the vessel is approximately 1,000 miles from land mid way between the UK and Canada.

DS Crown arrived on scene to confirm that the MSC Flaminia was still burning and recovered 24 people from a lifeboat and a liferaft. Four crew had suffered injuries. The injured crew have been transferred to the vessel MSC Stella which will take them to the Azores. One crew member is missing.


The MSC Flaminia is a large container vessel of 75,590 gross tonnage and had 25 people on board. Crew of the MSC Flaminia include German, Polish and Filipino nationals. Weather conditions on scene were winds force 3-4 with a one metre swell.

Ship demolition report 15/07/2012

Alang
Delaware Trader [US] IMO 8008929 Oil products tanker built 1982 - 50,921 dwt
Oriental Glory [SG] IMO 8202288 Bulk carrier built 1982 - 22,442 dwt

Aliaga
Nordstrand [CY] IMO 9003299 Container vessel built 1993 - 34,079 dwt
Universal Challenger [BS] IMO 8108597 Bulk carrier built 1983 - 63,800 dwt
Calypso [TR] IMO 7021807 Cargo vessel built 1970 - 2,771 dwt
Kaptan Yasar [TR] IMO 7912070 Cargo vessel built 1982 - 4,070 dwt

Chittagong
Eleftheria K [PA] IMO 8406418 Bulk carrier built 1985 - 214,263 dwt
Tiger [SG] IMO 8901743 container vessel built 1989 - 27,724 dwt

Other
Vancastle [KR] IMO 7322366 Tug built 1973 - 166gt
Keunsul [KR] IMO 8418899 Oil tanker built 1985 - 52,440 dwt

Ship demolition report 14/07/2012

Alang
Kamenitza [BG] IMO 8006256 Bulk carrier built 1980 - 25,573 dwt

Love Boat Capitan meets his real life counterpart

Love Boat TV star meets his real-life counterpart By Laurence Ford

Gavin MacLeod, alias Captain Stubing, and Inverness’s own Third Officer of the same name.

IN the cult seventies TV series The Love Boat, Captain Merrill Stubing was used to finding himself in some odd situations.

The sitcom was set aboard a cruise liner called the Pacific Princess, whose passengers and crew had romantic and amusing adventures every week, much to the exasperation of Captian Stubing, played by actor Gavin MacLeod.
But fact can be stranger than fiction, and last week the actor, who is now an ambassador for Princess Cruises, met a real-life Princess officer called Gavin MacLeod, who hails from Inverness.

When Island Princess Third Officer MacLeod joined the Princess in 2010, he never gave much thought to the fact that he shared a name with the actor who made the role of Captain Stubing an iconic part of television history.
But last week on Island Princess the two men met on the ship’s bridge and enjoyed lunch together in the vessel’s famous Sabatini’s restaurant.
The pair also signed several navigational charts to be auctioned for charity at a later date.

Frequently filmed aboard Princess ships throughout its 1977-86 run, The Love Boat created a lasting legacy in the cruise industry.
Gavin MacLeod the actor has continued his association with the cruise line, now serving as an ambassador who travels regularly aboard Princess ships representing the company at a variety of events throughout the year.

Meanwhile, his namesake gave up the vagaries of Highland weather for a life of luxury aboard ship and the chance to visit some of the world’s top tourist hotspots.

Source: Highland News

The love boat, now to be scrapped still lives on, even though the tv programme was, well you decide :))

Ship demolition report 11/07/2012

Alang
2GO1 Kally C IMO 8908521 [flag Philippines] Container Ship 15,165 dwt built 1990

China
VSP DIAMOND IMO 8300901 [flag Panama] Bulk Carrier 63,628 dwt buit 1984 

Oriental N given go ahead in principle to be beached

The Gujarat Maritime Board has cleared the beaching of the "Oriental N" at Alang after inspections following objections by environmental groups. No objectionable material was found during a series of inspections by pollution control authority, customs and safety directorate, GMB said in an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court. The ship was checked for contents and quantity of asbestos, oil, nuclear materials.

Environment activists said the ship was not decontaminated as per the court's guidelines and should not be allowed to beach at Alang. The Supreme Court has asked the GMB to decide on the anchoring and beaching of the vessel. Dismantling can be done as per the court's September 6, 2009, directions.

The rules mandate that ships should be decontaminated thoroughly before being brought to India's shores. Deep sea inspections were carried out by Gujarat Maritime Board, Gujarat Pollution Control Boards, Customs authorities and Safety Directorate.

Following the affidavit of GMB, the Supreme Court will take a final decision whether to allow the ship to be beached or not.

Ship demolition report 10/07/2012

China
SHAGANG SUNRISE IMO 9164457 [flag Panama] Bulk Carrier 172,904 dwt built 1997
AZTEC MAIDEN IMO 8408753 [flag Philippines] Cargo Ship 19,777 dwt built 1984

Alang/Mumbai
KANSI NAMRATA IMO 6923228 [flag India] Offshore Tug 736 dwt built 1969 

Gadani
LEI TSU II IMO 9006198 [flag China] Oil Products Tanker 152,835 dwt built 1992

Chittagong
NEW COAST IMO 8319938 [flag Panama] Bulk Carrier 94,941 dwt built 1986 

Aliaga
STROFADES IV IMO 8012152 [flag Malta] Ro-Ro Cargo Ship 7,444 dwt built 1982

Unknown destination as yet
MARINOS D IMO 7425558 [flag Panama] Passenger/Ro-Ro 8,552 dwt built 1976

Ship demolition report 9/07/2012

Alang
Kholmsk [DM] IMO 7725738 Bulk carrier built 1977 - 11,632 gt Polsteam
Rose [TV] IMO 8033314 Floating oil storage vessel built 1981 - 67,980 dwt

Denmark - Grenna
Margita [SE] IMO 7036591 Chemical tanker built 1971 - 3,296 dwt

Aliaga
Hisar [TR] IMO 7414793 Cargo vessel built 1975 - 7,400 dwt

Other
Freyja [MT] IMO 7392610 Chemicalmtanker built 1974 - 2,200 dwt

Broken up in 2008 possibly Alang
Nordic Ice [VC] IMO 7909798 Reefer built 1981 - 9,888 dwt

Ships must be clear of toxic waste before entering Alang

The Supreme Court on Friday ruled that ailing foreign ships waiting to be dismantled in ship-breaking yards at Alang must be first washed of their toxic materials at their place of origin before they enter the Indian waters.

In a landmark judgment while hearing a lawsuit filed by the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Natural Resource Policy, the apex court asserted that the vessels that carry wastes must be cleaned “before entering into Indian waters”.

Disposing of the PIL filed in 1995, the court directed the Union government to “ban import of all hazardous/toxic wastes which had been identified and fit under the BASEL Convention and its different protocols”.

A bench of Justices Altamas Kabir and J Chelameswar also directed the government to bring the Hazardous Wastes (Management & Handling) Rules, 1989, in line with the BASEL Convention and Articles 21, 47 and 48A of the Constitution.

The petitioner’s lawyer Sanjay Parikh had drawn the court’s attention to the authorities’ indifference to the court’s mandate and their facilitating foreign ailing, contaminated ships carrying waste oil to enter the country.

According to a recent application filed by the foundation, besides ‘Oriental Nicety’ there were many other ships that were lined up at the entry of the Indian waters. It said that since the court’s 2007 directions, many ships have been allowed entry and broken at the vessels graveyard.

One of the mandates passed by the court was that before a ship arrives at port, she should be armed with “proper consent” from the authority concerned or the State Maritime Board that she is hazardous free and not carrying any radioactive substances.
She should be properly decontaminated by the ship owner prior to the breaking. This should be ensured by the state pollution control boards.

Disposal of waste material such as oil, cotton, dead cargo of inorganic material like hydrated or solidified elements, theromocol pieces, glass wool, rubber, broken tiles et al “should be done in a scientific manner so that 99.9 per cent contamination is washed off away from India.

Source DNA

Ship demolition report 8/08/2012

China
Primula [NO] IMO 9038539 Oil product tanker built 1992 - 23,400 [Tärntank]
Stella Fortune [PA] IMO 9109380 Bulk carrier built 1995 - 151,283 dwt

Aliaga
Fresena [LR] IMO 9141120 Tween cargo vessel built 1997 - 20,983 dwt

Chittagong
Cougar [MH] IMO 8618906 Tanker built 1989 - 46,583 dwt

Gadani
Bic Irini [BS] 9006875 Obo carrier built 1993 - 103,203 dwt

Ship demolition report 6/07/2012

Alang
Amagisan [HK] IMO 9056715 Bulk carrier built 1993 - 157,998 dwt
Crystal Hope [VC] IMO 7375870 Reefer built 1975 - 6,057 dwt
Alianca Ipanema [BR] IMO 9007269 Roro container vessel built 1992 - 33,607 dwt

Crisis in the shipping industry...What crisis

Hyundai Heavy wins $1.2 bln ship order from Greece

South Korea's Hyundai Heavy Industries said on Tuesday it had won an order for 10 container ships worth a total of $1.2 billion from an unidentified ship owner based in Greece.

The carriers will be delivered between the second half of 2013 and the end of 2014 and be chartered by Evergreen Marine , Hyundai said in a statement.

Also

Cash-rich maritime families from Greece, Hong Kong and Norway are buying more vessels after an industry slump reduced prices to historic lows, said Braemar Shipping Services Plc.’s new chief executive officer.

Traditional, privately owned companies preserved money during the downturn, James Kidwell said today. Returns plunged after record orders for new ships in 2007 and 2008, when hire costs were surging, resulted in a glut of vessels.

B & E Uno IMO 8828214

B & E Uno IMO 8828214 carrying 23,000 bags of cement sank less than a mile from Canjulao, Lapu-Lapu City Sunday evening. All crew managed to swim to shore safely.

A report from the Coast Guard (PCG) station in Cebu said the MV B & E Uno of the Cebu City-based B & E Sea Transport Corp. was unable to dock immediately at Pier 4, Cebu City when it arrived at 9 p.m. last Saturday from Iligan City because of inadequate berthing space.

The ship captain Jaime Cabajes was advised by its contracted arrastre service to temporarily dock near FF Cruz, Mandaue City.

Gadani: Ship-breaker’s paradise and a worker’s worst nightmare

By Salman Siddiqui Published: July 2, 2012

GADDANI: It is hard to believe Gul Rehman who says he has been working at the Gadani ship-breaking yard since Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s reign in the 70s. Not because one may doubt his 39 year work experience, but because of the smile he continues to display despite the backbreaking work the 55-year old emigrant from Peshawar has to do.

Even more surprising is the fact that Rehman’s 20-year old son Habib joined him in his line of work. “I wanted him to study and be a big man, but he just wouldn’t listen,” says Rehman.

“I find studying harder than this work,” retorts Habib from behind his father’s back. He already has six years of experience as a welder under his belt.

It is also difficult to believe young men like Farhad, whose green eyes shine out from behind layers of grime, when they say they hail from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Normally, men from the northern provinces are known for fair skin and coloured hair. But here, in this coastal graveyard for ships, their faces are tarred with oil and grime from vessels that arrive here to be dismembered.

Even the chests of these labourers are burnt red by the heat of the gas-cutter’s flame used to break the vessels apart. Their hands are swollen, and many have tiny metal fragments firmly embedded in their skin.

In these conditions, an estimated 10,000 labourers work at one of the largest ship-breaking yards in the world located at Gadani, which ranks third only after Bangladesh and India.

About 70% of these workers: which include the helpers, welders, crane operators, cleaners and the ‘jamadars’ (vernacular for a labourer in charge): hail from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. The rest come from the Seraiki belt in Punjab and Balochistan. A small number of Bengalis also earn their keep here.

From the yard to the factories

The ship-breaking yard at Gadani began operations in 1973 and is divided into 127 large plots owned by 40 business concerns. Ship-breakers buy old vessels from international markets and dismantle them for steel, which is sold to local factories throughout the country.

Since July last year, more than 105 ships totalling 1,304,500 tons in weight have arrived at the yard to be dismantled.

According to Pakistan Ship-Breakers Association Chairman Deewan Rizwan, ship-breaking is a multibillion rupee industry that directly or indirectly employs hundreds of thousands of people. “This year, the industry paid Rs4 billion in sales taxes alone,” he claims.

Toughest job

Talayman, a steel cutter who hails from Swat, describes his work in the following way: “It takes a decade to build a large vessel, while it takes us just three months to cut it apart. You can imagine the kind of hard work we have to do.”

It is arguably one of the toughest jobs in the country. Labourers tear down 40,000 ton ships piece by piece without safety equipment such as helmets, gloves, belts or fire-resisting clothing.

They work in an environment where electricity, clean drinking water, and basic human necessities such as washrooms are unavailable.

After a rough day, the workforce returns to small huts that serve as their quarters. Many can’t afford shelter and sleep under the open sky.

Over the last 10 months, at least 10 labourers have died. More than 20 have suffered serious injuries over the same period.

Shipbreakers Democratic Workers Union President Bashir Ahmed says some of these accidents happened when a staircase in a vessel collapsed. Some died when they slipped off a high-rise deck. There have been quite a few cases when noxious gases trapped in the ship took the lives of labourers.

Union workers such as Bashir have been working with workers to increase awareness of their rights. They apply pressure on ship owners to provide better wages and working conditions. Currently, they are asking owners to give food to workers, instead of forcing the latter to buy it from their meagre salaries.

However, Shipbreakers Association’s Deewan says that the industry pays billions of rupees in taxes to the government and the Balochistan Development Authority, whose job it is to provide better infrastructure and facilities in the area. “We do what we can to help our workers. But we all suffer when there is no electricity or water,” he says.

Long way from home

Most daily wage workers do not visit their families for months. Their leisure time is spent on drugs, such as hashish, or listening to music on someone’s mobile phone.

Youngster Farhad says he wishes to go back soon to meet his beloved. He is disgusted with the conditions he lives in and fears that she might run away when she meets him.

Sabir Hussain, 60, who hails from Gujrat, hasn’t been home for eight years. When asked whether he has children he says: “I didn’t marry because of poverty.”

He has saved up around Rs400,000 for himself, which he says he will use when he grows ‘old’ and has no work.

When asked if he isn’t already too old to work at a place like Gadani, he just smiles and carries on with his work.

Source Published in The Express Tribune, July 2nd, 2012.

Oriental Nicety ex Exxon Valdez

Today 3rd July 2012, The converted Exxon Valdez had her class withdrawn, looking more likely that she will be given permission to be beached at Alang.

Ship demolition report 3/06/2012

China
Sunhill [PA] IMO 8320846 Crude oil tanker built 1986 - 25,710 gt

Chittagong
Nassau Paradise [BS] IMO 8110318 Bulk carrier built 1984 - 35,174 dwt
Lindos [MT] IMO 8922383 Bulk carrier built 1990 - 52,540 dwt
Petrol [VN] IMO 8313625 Tanker built 1985 - 28,280 dwt

Ship demolition report 3 July 2012

Alang
Baco Liner 3 [LR] IMO 8203696 Barge carrier built 1984 - 21,771 dwt
Frio Hamburg [LR] IMO 8807478 Reefer built 1988 - 6,538 dwt

China
Alexa M [VC] IMO 8308771 Bulk carrier built 1984 - 41,762 dwt
Odigitria [VC] IMO 8307105 Bulk carrier built 1985 - 33,307 dwt
Joshu Maru [HK] IMO 7727762 Roro passenger built 1978 - 2,498 dwt

Chittagong
Bonito [MH] IMO 8615552 Tanker built 1988 - 83,987 dwt

Ship demolition report 2/07/2012

Alang
Vinson [LR] IMO 8612641 Reefer built 1988 - 7,181 dwt

Ship demolition report 1/07/2012

Alang
Patmos [PA] IMO 7361518 Bulk carrier built 1974 - 14,179 dwt

China
Ivan Susanin [RU] IMO 8131879 Bulk carrier built 1981 - 23,390 dwt
Kapitan Vodenko [CY] IMO 8225498 built 1982 - 19,240
Taharoa Express [PA] IMO 8903117 Bulk carrier built 1990 - 145.842 dwt
Acx Lily [LR] IMO 8914271 Container vessel built 1990 - 22,735 dwt

Chittagong
B India [PA] IMO 8204016 Bulk carrier built 1983 - 41,385 dwt
Niitaker Maru [MH] IMO 8606159 Bulk carrier built 1988 - 180,475
Origitria [VC] IMO 8307105 built 1985 - 33,307 dwt

Aliaga
Khudozhnik Kraynev [VU] IMO 8521012 Bulker built 1986 - 24,105 dwt

Other
Seaboard costa Rica [PA] IMO 8200591 Roro vessel built 1984 - 14,446 dwt
Sakhalin [BZ] IMO 8325925 Cargo vessel built 1985 - 25,680 dwt