
Almost 3 years after bulk carrier, the Wakashio, ran aground and spilled oil along the coast of Mauritius, the Panama Maritime Authority’s investigation report into the accident has been made public. The bulk carrier was not carrying cargo when it grounded on a reef off Mauritius’ Pointe d’Esny during a voyage from Singapore to Brazil on July 25, 2020. The incident sparked an “environmental emergency” after the ship broke up and spilled approximately 1,000 tonnes of fuel oil into the pristine waters. The report does not contain any major Continue reading “Wakashio report by the Panama Maritime Authority issued 3 years after Mauritius grounding”

FuelTrust’s new report finds that in the past year, over 600 vessels were disabled through fuel problems, despite the fuel being ‘on-spec’, resulting in estimated global supply chain losses exceeding $5 billion. FuelTrust’s analysis found that between 2021 and 2022, more than 39% of global bunkers exhibited a fuel content delta of 2% or more compared to the amounts stated in their delivery paperwork. The primary issue identified was the introduction of water into the fuels during the journey from onshore storage tanks to the ship’s bunker tank. This problem typically involved an increase from 0.1% to above 0.25% water content, which, although below the regulated threshold, still resulted in average losses of $14,910 per affected delivery, FuelTrust highlights.
I must admit when reports of orcas attacking yachts off the coast of Spain started hitting the news headlines about 2 years ago, I and many others, found this strangely amusing, if a little far-fetched. I presumed the orcas were being playful and that this was an isolated incident or two that would soon pass.
The European Committee for drawing up Standards in the field of Inland Navigation (
Cargo displacement of 1,900 tonnes of partially liquefied soil was, according to the Norwegian Safety Investigation Authority’s (NSIA) assessment, the cause why the bulk carrier MS Bjugnfjord sank on its way out of the Kattegat. According to the NSIA investigation, it is in practice difficult to have an overview of the characteristics of different masses in these type of freight assignments.
Mark Russell, Vice President, Head of Cargo Claims,
The National Transportation Safety Board (
River Canal Rescue (RCR) is calling upon boaters to be aware of the fire risks on their vessels, after finding more and more cases of poor electrical wiring, including under-sized wiring, overloaded circuits, and sub-standard connections and cable routing, which can rapidly turn into a loom meltdown or a fire.
The London P&I Club has continued to see cargo damage claims arising from the carriage of dry chemicals in Flexible Intermediate Bulk Containers (FIBCs), more commonly known as “jumbo bags”, which have been stowed in the same holds as breakbulk cargoes. FIBCs have a body of a flexible woven material (typically polypropylene) and is intended for shipping solid materials in powder, flake or granular form.
Recently published, the annual Port State Control (