Sailing during the COVID-19 pandemic

I finally got home in end-July even though I had completed my contract in mid- May only because the company I work with decided to divert the ship in order to effect a change of crew. Some of the crew members who got off the ship with me had completed 13 months onboard.

Update: Sanchi ablaze off the China coast

15th January 2018

The Panama-registered tanker, Sanchi sank on Sunday after an explosion rocked it sending flames shooting skyward. The Sanchi had been ablaze for a week after it collided with CF Crystal with rough weather, toxic smoke and explosions hampering rescue efforts.

Tumultuous start to 2018 with 7 collisions in 7 days

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.

Iranian oil tanker on fire, 32 missing after collision off China’s coast

A tanker carrying Iranian oil and run by the country’s top oil shipping operator was involved in a collision with a Chinese bulk ship, CF Crystal, leaving it ablaze and spewing cargo into the East China Sea on Sunday. It’s 32 crew members are missing said the Chinese government.

China – Mobile phone inspection by authorities

Today, 17 Oct 2017, the Hong Kong Ship Owners Association (HKSOA) advised about the following incident:

“A non-Chinese flag ship alongside in Ningbo was boarded by Immigration Authorities. The entire crew were told to surrender their mobile phones.