Shipping hasn’t had the best of starts in 2018 with collisions dominating the news within the first week of the year itself. Seven days into the new year and we already have seven collisions spoken about. Mind you, seven collisions… not including groundings, floodings or even stuck in frozen locks.
07. Bulk carrier destroying mooring dolphin and catwalk
Philippine-flagged Japanese-managed bulk carrier Action Trader lost control while berthing at PT Petrochemical Terminal, Gresik port on Jan 01. The bulk carrier damaged the mooring dolphin and the catwalk while the bulk carrier herself sustained minor damages to the hull. Further information about the loss of control was not available.
06. Collision in Shanghai inner anchorage
Cargo ships Changping and Xinwang138, both loaded with steel, collided in the late hours of Jan 02 in the Shanghai inner anchorage. Changping sank after the collision. SAR was launched at around 2335 hrs of Jan 02 to rescue Changping‘s 13 crew members. By 0100 hrs three crew members, including the Chief Officer, had been rescued with 10 crew members still missing. The top of Changping‘s bridge remained above the water level though the wreck does not remain a hazard to the shipping traffic as it sank outside the fairway.
05. Tanker collided with jetty and sank a small boat
Product tanker AU Virgo went out of control in the morning of Jan 02 in the Yangon river, Myanmar, while proceeding downstream, reportedly because of miscalculated current strength and collided with the jetty, scaring away a horde of local boats and sinking one of them.
04. Cruise ship breaks off moorings and allides with jetty
Cruise ship Grand Celebration broke off her moorings in Freeport, Bahamas on Jan 03 during the passing of a cyclone. The ship drifted and then allided with the jetty before being brought under control by tugboats and brought back to the pier. The ship continued on her journey suffering only scratches and a dent.
03. Cargo ship strikes a 15 crew fishing boat in a hit-and-run
Fishing vessel BD 97619 TS with 15 crew on board was engaged in fishing off Binh Dinh Province coast, Vietnam, South China Sea. In the afternoon of Jan 05, the fishing vessel was struck by a cargo ship which didn’t stop after the collision and continued to sail away. The fishermen transferred into the lifeboat and proceeded towards shore. They were picked up by another fishing boat and transferred to the Border Guard Station. The hit-and-run cargo ship was identified as Vietnam-flagged Xuan Thanh10, MMSI 574013284.
02. Bulk carrier sinks Thai fishing vessel, 4 missing
Thai fishing vessel Chok Chu Chai was struck by a cargo ship in waters southeast of Laem Chabang early in the morning of Jan 06. The boat partially sank with the bow remaining above the water. Of the 8 crew onboard, 4 were rescued while 4 remained missing. SAR with the deployment of rescue boats and helicopter was launched. The Pakistani bulk carrier Hyderabad is the main suspect. The vessel loaded with coal, arrived from Indonesia, to be offloaded at Ko Sichang anchorage, Si Racha.
In the photos, can be seen, the Chok Chu Chai wreck and visible marks on Hyderabad portside bow.
Bulk carrier Hyderabad, IMO 9278789, dwt 52951, built 2004, is Pakistani-flagged and managed by Pakistan National Shipping Corp. (PNSC).
01. Iranian oil tanker ablaze after collision with Chinese bulker
The Panama-registered tanker, named Sanchi, collided with a Chinese bulk carrier CF Crystal leaving it ablaze and spilling its cargo into the sea. The Chinese government has deployed multiple ships for a search-and-rescue and clean-up operations. The South Korean government has also deployed a ship and helicopter to help. The missing 32 crew members of the Iranian tanker comprise of 30 Iranians and 2 Bangladeshis. CF Crystal’s 21 crew members, who are all Chinese, have been rescued and the ship has suffered “non-critical” damage. A detailed report on the incident is present here.
Update: The tanker, Sanchi, sank on 14th Jan, Sunday after being ablaze for a week. Rescue efforts were hampered by rough weather and one boarding team managed to recover 2 bodies. This was after one body was found in the vicinity 2 days after the collision took place. The Iranian spokesperson said that the remainder of the crew are dead. A further update is present here.
Maritime Outlook 
One thought on “Tumultuous start to 2018 with 7 collisions in 7 days”