Containership Cosco Shipping Leo (IMO 9783502), COSCO’s new ULCS on sea trial with 150 people on board, collided with general cargo ship Mercury Triumph (IMO 9379272) during the afternoon of March 29th in the East China Sea, about 50 miles south of Seogwipo in southern Jeju. Mercury Triumph was en route to China with a cargo of steel and suffered hull breaches from fore to aft and water ingress in the ballast tanks. She became disabled, going adrift. The ULCS suffered damage to the starboard bow, including dented hull plating and a lost anchor. She had been taking part in trials since leaving Nantong on March 27th.
2018-built, Hong Kong-flagged, 196,670 gt Cosco Shipping Leo is owned by Cosco Magnifience Shipping and managed by Cosco Shipping Lines Co Ltd of Shanghai, China.
2006-built, Panama-flagged, 9,680 gt Mercury Triumph is owned by Trio Happiness SA care of manager Toda Kisen KK (Toda Ship Co Ltd) of Nakazone-cho, Shikokuchuo-shi, Ehime-ken, Japan. It is entered with Japan P&I Club (Imabari Office in charge).
Tenders have been invited for the removal of wrecked dredger Leonardo (IMO 7529641) which remains grounded at the Northern entrance of the Istanbul Strait. The ship suffered cracks at the hull, deck and other main deck sections on August 27th 2017, before buckling and breaking in two. The foreship sank and the stern went aground. 1975-built, Mongolia-flagged, 2,466 gt Leonardo is owned and managed by Splinter Shipping, Anguilla.
Passenger/cargo RoRo Moby Niki (IMO 7350090) which struck an obstruction near Palmaiola Island on December 11th 2017, suffering cracks to the hull, and which had been under repair at the Nuova Meccanica Navale Srl in Naples since December 24th, had her repairs completed on March 29th and was expected to sail for Portoferraio on March 30th. 1974-built, Italy-flagged, 9,279 gt Moby Niki is owned and managed by Moby SpA of Portoferraio LI, Italy. It is entered with Standard Club (Mediterranean & Middle East Division) on behalf of Moby SpA.
Containership Maersk Shanghai (IMO 9725158), which lost more than 70 cargo containers in the sea during rough weather, arrived at the port last Thursday March 29th from Savannah en route to New Jersey. Maersk Shanghai was scheduled to be worked at the Wando Welch Terminal in Mount Pleasant. The ship lost an estimated 76 containers on March 3rd during a heavy roll after leaving Norfolk, Virginia, for South Carolina. It was about 17 miles off the North Carolina coast when it encountered a powerful nor’easter that produced hurricane-force winds and waves of up to 40 feet. Afterward, the ship briefly anchored near Charleston as officials reviewed the losses. Maersk Shanghai sailed directly to Freeport in the Bahamas for salvage work. Some of the containers were later spotted floating in the Atlantic and were designated by the Coast Guard as navigation hazards. Maersk said one of the lost boxes was carrying about 5,900 pounds of sulfuric acid, but there have been no indications that it either surfaced or washed up on shore. No other hazardous materials were reported in the lost containers. The crew was unhurt. 2016-built, Liberia-flagged, 110,632 gt Maersk Shanghai is owned by Stovep Marine SA care of manager Zodiac Maritime Ltd of London, UK. It is entered with North of England Club on behalf of Stovep Marine SA.
Cargo m/v Chen Chang 332 was in collision with vehicle carrier Morning Cherry (IMO 9675585) in the Pearl River estuary fairway during the evening of March 28th. The cargo ship sank with 3,500 tons of sand on board. Nine crew were rescued, but three crew were missing. An SAR operation was launched by the Guangzhou Maritime Safety Administration. The vehicles carrier, with 2,201 cars on board, had left Guangzhou bound for Gunsan. She dropped anchor at the Nansha anchorage off Guangzhou with only slight damages near the collision site. 2014-built, Panama-flagged, 59,525 gt Morning Cherry is owned by Shoei Kisen/Paraiso Shipping care of manager Shoei Kisen Kaisha Ltd of Imabari-shi, Ehime-ken, Japan. It is entered with North of England P&I Club on behalf of Paraiso Shipping SA.
A fire broke out in a cargo hold of bulk carrier Golden Eclipse (IMO 9481427) at the Enel Quay in Civitavecchia, Italy, during the evening of March 28th while she was offloading a cargo of coal, in seven holds. Four teams of the Rome fire brigade worked with the NBCR, which boarded the vessel with thermal cameras and found three hot spots in cargo hold 7. All holds were checked and only one was found to have overheated. Firefighters identified three outbreaks in hold number 7. Two outbreaks were rapidly extinguished, but the third was harder to reach. The situation was under control by the morning of March 29th. No injuries were reported. 2010-built, Hong Kong-flagged, 43,498 gt Golden Eclipse is owned by Golden kamsar AS care of manager Golden Ocean Group of Hamilton, Bermuda. ISM manager is Thome Ship Management of Singapore. It is entered with Gard P&I Club (Bermuda) on behalf of Golden Kamsar AS.