Everything about TK Bremen
TK Bremen (ex-Melinau Satu, ex-Melinau, ex-Elm). IMO 8113487. General cargo. Length 109 meters. Maltese flag. Classification society Bureau Veritas. Built in 1982 at Pusan (South Korea) by Dae Sun SB & E Co. her Turkish ship owner Adriyatik GemiIsletmeciligi controls 8 ships, all Maltese-flagged, built between 1982 and 1985. Each of them is officially the property of “single ship company” except in the TK Bremen’s case where it happens to be a “double ship company”, Blue Atlantic Shipping, ltd., also holds the TK London. The financial damages provoked by the drifting and beaching of the TK Bremen are chargeable to this single company based in the European Union at Malta.
A Cargo Ship on the Beach
In referring to Article R 304-11 of the Code of Maritime Ports (1), the Port Authority of the port of Lorient – Morbihan – could have proceeded with the postponement of the departure of the TK Bremen. In effect, this 30 year-old ship had reached the age of demolition. She presented numerous deficiencies. The absence of panels on the entire hold, as was demonstrated before by aerial photos – might be one more of them. The ship had been recently detained in a Russian port and its Turkish ship owner, proprietor of two older ships, did not immediately furnish all of the guarantees of reliability. The profile of the TK Bremen was such that those responsible for the security and of the traffic of the port of Lorient should have, in view of the imminent dangers about to confront them in a dangerous maritime environment rich in marine life, banned its departure.
New Zealand: Forewarning of the Big One
The grounding of the Rena in New Zealand
The grounding of the Rena on October 5th and the subsequent inability of the ship-owner and New Zealand maritime authority’s to free the vessel, to stop the fuel from leaking and to avoid the loss of containers foreshadow big future disasters in the field of container shipping.
In 1980 the largest container ships carried up to 2,000 containers, in 1991 up to 4,400, in 2003 the figure increased to 8,800 and in 2007 up to 14,500 containers. Starting from 2013, some container ships from the Danish company Maersk will be able to transport up to 18,000 containers. The “normal” crew size of 19 could further be reduced to 13. The container ships will measure 400 meters in length, 59 meters in width and the containers will be staked up to 73 meters in height. These new container ships will also carry 15,000 to 20,000 tons of bunker fuel however, the exact capacity is confidential. Insurers as well as Search and Rescue services, port stakeholders, maritime experts and some environmental NGOs are all concerned about this endless race to gigantic container ships.
Note of information : substandard ship Ocean Pearl
We have been informed through a correspondent in Asia that the Indian owner Prayati Shipping devoted to buying ships to be demolished has acquired the Ocean Pearl IMO 8226650, presently in a Chinese port. Since June 2010 this general cargo carrier built in 1983 is flying the Saint-Kitts-and-Nevis flag, famous to host ships for their last trip.
The life saving and fire fighting equipments are in a very bad condition, especially both lifeboats. Bridge, crew’s cabin and engine equipments are in a deplorable state. In a sanitary point of view the worst is that water aboard is not drinkable. The internal communication system does not work, electrical wiring is not installed properly. The 22 crew members are not paid. According to Prayati Shipping usual business, they are under a nine months contract.
Hunting down the Onyx (6)
The Onyx has finished her last round of liar’s dice. The old Finnish car ferry already renamed in September before her depart from Vaasa has become too notorious under this patronymic. She was renamed “Kaptain Boris” after calling at Port-Rashid (Dubai).
Her new official owner, Red Line Shipping Ltd is hiding in the tax haven of the Marshall Islands. The ex Onyx, was previously flying a Saint-Kitts and Nevis flag which is ranked on the Memorandum of Paris’ black list as a flag of “high risk”. She has gone down a notch again and is now under a Sierra Leona flag which is listed in the Top 5, flags of “very high risk”.
