the Second Officer on board the Maersk Patras, inbound for Montreal, fell overboard Sunday morning near the Les Escoumins pilot station around 0930 am. the coast guard called off the search at 8pm. The ship is due in Halifax, after the Montreal Call.
The search was conducted by several coast guard vessels, boats from the Maersk Patras, and RCAF SAR aircraft. Its currently unclear what happened. the officer likely was not wearing a life jacket aboard the ship, and the fall was likely high enough to incapacitate him.
UPDATE May 23: The ITF Conducted an investigation and discovered that the 2end officer went overboard while conducting lashing operations. the crew were removing lashings on containers prior to arrival in montreal, presumabley to speed discharge. The officer was reported to be handling a long lashing rod, able to reach the third row of containers in the stack, when he went overboard. Those rods are often used on the outside ends of the stack, and our both heavy and long.
the ITF also identified the 2nd officer as Ravindu Lakmal Pieris Telge, a Sri lankan national. His body has not yet been recovered. Apparently having crews lash ships in the river, while under way is a common practice at the port of Montreal. besides being dangerous, the practice increases the chance containers can go overboard in the river, as they are not properly secured when the ship leaves port.
the container ship Yantian express finally made Halifax this morning, anchoring in the basin. The ship was bound for Halifax, when it suffered a container fire, and was towed to Freeport Bahamas. Our original coverage of that incident, and updates to the Departure from freeport Can be found here.
All salvageable cargo is onboard, and will likely be discharged in Halifax. Cargo where security was paid will probably be loaded onto the next Ship on the route, while the remainder could remain aboard the ship, or dwell in the container yard. the ship is scheduled to move to the pier at Fairview Cove tomorrow morning.
we know there was damage to the front 2 hatches, and the covers were repaired. however the weather this morning obscures the ship, so other damage is not apparent at this time.
UPDATE May 21: the ship moved to Fairview Cove this morning, and work began to offload. I have been told 3500 moves. As of yesterday, 2975 containers have provided security, with close to 500 providing security since the ship departed Freeport. The ship has an appointment with a Shipyard in China in August.
Yantian Express, ~1800 May 21.fire damaged bow.
UPDATE May 22, 0845: It looks like the first containers removed yesterday were the original container bound for Halifax. the ship was worked overnight, and i am aware of ~1300 containers to be removed. Yantian Express is due to move to the east end of the pier Tonight, and the Brighton will take its place at the pier working the eastbound EC5 leg. I have also been told the ship will load 1000 empties to take back to china.
UPDATE May 23, 0924: the offload will continue slowly, due to lack of yard space for the containers. I have been told it will probably take 10 days to fully discharge the ship.
UPDATE May 24: Yantain Express shifted back to the west end birth last night, and work removing containers began again this morning. The ship is scheduled to move to Anchor tonight to make room for MOL Partner and Atlantic Sun who arrive tomorrow.
UPDATE May 27: the Yantian Express spent most of the weekend shifted to the east birth to allow regularly scheduled ships to call at the western birth. it is due to move back to the western birth tonight. Hapag lloyd issued a statement last week about the offload.
Given the particular complexity of the operational handling and considering the fire damage sustained by the vessel and related repairs to be undertaken, the intent is to totally discharge all containers (over 3,200) in Halifax. Once ashore, containers for which General Average and Salvage security has been provided (“secured containers”) will be stacked apart from those which remain unsecured (“unsecured containers”).
It is anticipated that discharge of the 3,200 containers will take an estimated 85 hours of work. During this time, the MV “Yantian Express” must, at times, shift along the berth in order to allow access to other regularly scheduled vessels, and will thereafter shift back in order to resume cargo operations. We anticipate that the actual discharge operation will take 12 days or more.
As part of these operations, the vessel must also back load empty containers to achieve the necessary stability criteria for a subsequent safe passage to Asia where the vessel will undergo permanent repairs.
As of the 24th, 3128 containers have posted the required security.
UPDATE May 29 word is 1200 containers remain on Board, with the offload set to be finished Saturday.
UPDATE June 2: The offload is complete, and 800 empties have been re-stowed aboard the Yantian Express. The Ship is scheduled to sail at 1400 local, bound for Tanger. I have been provided with photos of the Damaged Bow Section of the Ship.
UPDATE June 3: the Yantian Express Sailed yesterday, 6 months less a day of when it ran into trouble. As of May 31, 3217 Containers had provided security. Ceres continues to be full, with an extra row of stacks covering the last set of rails – tracks 8, 9, and 10.
Containers cover the last 3 tracks at CeresYantian Express, Prior to Departure. It was pouring rain when i took the photo.
UPDATE June 5: Hapag Lloyd issued a statement today that says forwarding of Containers will take 2-3 weeks to complete. there are also 200 for which no security has been provided.
UPDATE July 31:
Tim Bousquet discovered a Sheriffs Warrant related to the ship, and wrote about in today’s morning File
One warrant is SMIT Salvage Americas LLC vs Yantian Express. The Yantian Express is the container ship that caught fire in the North Atlantic back in January and was eventually towed to Halifax, arriving in May. SMIT Salvage is a Houston-based firm that is perhaps best known for its involvement in the Deepwater Horizon response — president Doug Martin’s testimony before Congress detailed how his firm was frustrated in the response by BP. I called Martin yesterday and asked him what was up with the Yantian Express. He told me he had no idea. He said he has a team dealing with the ship, but he hasn’t been informed of any legal action. “It’s nothing big,” he assured me, as otherwise he would know about it. He did say that the fire was related to a single container on the ship.
The warrant from Smit likely relates to cargo that has not yet paid the Salvage Security. That Cargo would be sitting at Fairview Cove, and if the Security is not paid by the cargo owner, it can be sold. Given Cargo was delayed 6 months, and the Salvage and General Average Securities are 60% cargo value, and not everyone had insurance, they are likely taking action to secure the cargo. 3432 Containers have now provided security.
One of my pet peeves, is that the Discovery show “Mayday” is almost exclusively about Plane Crashes. Yah Yah, the show is called “Air Crash Investigation” in other countries, but there have been 2 episodes involving trains – a 1989 derailment in California that led to a pipeline explosion, and the 1986 Hinton train collision. Sure plane crashes make good TV, but there are so many other Transportation disasters that would make good episodes.
Given the Number of nautical disasters, it always struck me as odd that the show never covered shipping. Well now the folks at discovery have. Disasters at Sea premieres April 16th
From Discovery:
Each episode of DISASTERS AT SEA tells the unimaginable true story of a maritime disaster, combining harrowing re-enactments with expert analysis from marine investigators. Whether it’s survivor testimony about a sudden sound, GPS data about the ship’s speed, or the scatter pattern of wreckage at the bottom of the ocean, each piece of evidence helps investigators build a dramatic picture of the deadly chain of events.
Armed with the newly-discovered facts uncovered by investigators, archival footage is combined with evocative re-enactments, CGI, and special effects to immerse viewers in each story and dramatically convey the catastrophic events. Each episode delivers a suspenseful journey into one of the deadliest jobs on the planet, the working men and women who choose this dangerous life, and the marine investigators who work tirelessly to help make the high seas a safer place.
See Nautical Mayday.
you can tune in into Disasters at Sea premiere April 16th at 10pm ET / 11pm ATL, after Deadliest Catch. The First episode looks at the sinking of the Derbyshire, a bulk carrier that went down in the South China Sea in September 1980 with all hands.
I Caught a release from Hapag-Lloyd. Seems the Atlantic Sail broke. from the release:
“M/V “Atlantic Sail” employed in the ATA Service under current voyage ATS29 suffered technical issues and therefore requires dry-docking. The vessel will terminate its current voyage in Hamburg and phase out for dry-docking.”
sounds like a replacement vessel will be put in place.
The Cruise ship Viking Sky lost power and declared a mayday on Saturday off Norway. The ship was able to Anchor, and eventually restored some power and made it safely to port Sunday. 400 of 1300 people on board were evacuated by Helicopter. This was a significant near miss.
Viking Sky entered service in 2017, and has called on Halifax. the ship carries 930 Passengers, and 560 crew.
cruiselawnews.com reports 18 incidents of ships loosing power in 2016. Cruise Junkie tracks Cruse ship incidents of all types.
Below are some tweets which captured the situation.
#vikingsky map speaks for itself, had the ship not been able to secure anchors and get engine powered again it would be a costa concordia scenario all over again. Situation better now and winds should ease later on pic.twitter.com/6Zi31kTVjO
NEW: First responders are evacuating passengers stuck on a cruise ship off west coast of Norway as video shows rescue boats, helicopters arriving to scene of Viking Sky seen floating adrift in stormy weather after suffering from engine failure Saturday. https://t.co/Hh4uCLhYqWpic.twitter.com/jPbw3V5iBK
Helicopter video from the evacuation of 1,300 passengers from the Viking Sky cruise ship off the coast of Norway. The vessel has been able to restart one of the engines and is now anchored two kilometres from land. https://t.co/tUBm6A04pNpic.twitter.com/BzRDcX9fuJ
— Breaking Aviation News (@breakingavnews) March 23, 2019
Sunday morning there was a collision between two ships in Vancouver Harbour. The Inbound, laden bulk Carrier Caravos Harmony struck the anchored bulk carrier Pan Acacia. The Caravos Harmony, with pilot aboard, was heading to anchor for bunkers after sailing from Tacoma Wa. The collision happened just after midnight.
The Caravos harmony suffered damage to the ships bow. The Pan Acacia was holed amidships above the waterline, possibly from Caravos Harmony’s protruding anchor hawse pipe. Fortunately there were no reports of Injury or Pollution.
From the AIS tracks available online, it appears as though the Caravos Harmony was slowing as it approached an anchorage, before it collided with the Pan Acacia. I have been told that ship had lost power. The ship actually made 2 course changes towards the Pan Acacia, which I was told by an official with the Pacific Pilotage Authority was the result of the ships stern being pushed around by a 3 knot current, and the second course change was caused by the crew dropping the wrong anchor in an attempt to avoid a collision.
The Caravos Harmony loosing power is all the more problematic, when one looks up the ship in the Paris MOU Port State inspection Database . The Ship was inspected in Port Moody B.C. between June 14-19 2018, and 3 deficiencies were noted. The Engine room was found to be Unclean, The Main Propulsion Engine was found to produce insufficient power, and the Bilge pumping arrangements were not as required. while the database does not identify the specific issues, the ship was not detained.
The Caravos Harmony Sailed for Inchon Korea early morning Tuesday the 19th. the Pan Acacia remains at anchor for repair work.
Around 6 am Sunday morning, Halifax fire was dispatched to the Imperial Oil Wharves due to a fire on board the tanker Kivalliq W. The fire in a generator compartment was first fought by the ships crew, but when they were unable to bring the flames under control, Halifax fire was dispatched.
Halifax fire then requested DND’s dockyard fire to assist, as they are specialists in ship board firefighting. Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire. Crews were on scene for over 2 hours, clearing after 8am. Imperial oil previously had its own fire department on site, but that disbanded when the refinery was shut down, and the refineries 2 engines were sold at auction.
The Tanker, operated by Coastal Shipping, which is part of Newfoundland’s Woodward Group, was scheduled to move to pier 9 overnight, Presumably to effect repairs, However that move has been Canceled, as has the move of the Gotland Carolina from the basin to IOL #4 where the Kivalliq W. is currently tied up.
UPDATE: the KIVALLIQ W is due to move from IOL#4 to pier 9C today at 13:30 with the Gotland Carolina taking its place at 14:00
The container ship Yantain Express, suffered a container fire yesterday. Efforts to fight the fire were reportedly suspended due to weather.
The ship is a regular caller to Halifax on the EC5 Service and was due today at Fairview cove. That arrival has since been delayed. Hapag lloyd issued the following statement
The crew of 8 officers and 15 seafarers is unharmed. Efforts to extinguish the fire in the containers were launched immediately but have had to be suspended for the time being due to a significant deterioration of weather conditions.
The 7,510 TEU vessel, which is 320 meters long and sails under German flag in the East Coast Loop 5 (EC5) service, was built in 2002 and was on its way from Colombo to Halifax via the Suez Canal. At present, the ship is approximately 650 nautical miles off the coast of Canada.
It is still too early to make a precise estimate of any damage to the vessel or its cargo. Hapag-Lloyd is closely cooperating with all relevant authorities.
UPDATE Jan 4, 1449: SAR responsibility is with the USCG 5th District (Mid Atlantic) out of Virginia. Awaiting updates from Marlant PAO and USCG 5th PAO.
USCG 5th District PAO informed me that they were notified of the situation this morning, with the ship approximately 980nm South East of Cape Cod. The USCG watch-standers are monitoring the situation at this time. there is a Good Samaritan vessel on Scene, but no other response at this time.
UPDATE 2255: questions were raised about the authenticity of the above photo. nothing can be confirmed, however there look to be several orange Hapag-Lloyd Containers, and several magenta ONE containers, which suggests a recent photo from a ship operating for the Alliance.
Word is the tug Smit Nicobar is on scene to assist with firefighting, and the BigLift vessel Happy Ranger responded to the initial call and is standing by.
Update Jan 5, 0920: Hapag-Lloyd spokes person Tim Seifert told me that overnight conditions were still to dangerous for firefighting to continue, and they are waiting on improved weather. the tug did arrive on scene to assist. he was unable to confirm if the photo above is real.
Update 1447: the supply vessel Maersk Mobiliser has sailed from St. Johns NF to respond. The ship is giving an eta of 4am, Monday the 7th to arrive on scene.
UPDATE Jan 6, 1200: 12 of the crew have been transferred to the Smit Nicobar, the remainder will be taken off the ship. the Maersk Mobiliser is planning to tow the the ship to Halifax. Weather has improved, and firefighting from the Smit Nicobar is underway.
UPDATE 1300: the remainder of the crew has been safely removed to the Smit Nicobar. Hapag Llyod reports all crew are unharmed. Firefighting efforts from the tug are ongoing. the ship is now reported to be 800NM off Nova Scotia.
Update Jan 7, 1000: Maersk Mobiliser encountered heavy weather, and has not reached the ship yet, but is about 80nm away. Hapag-Lloyd has stated that the fire is not under control and has intensified at times. The USCG reports that firefighting is continuing today. The Happy Ranger departed after the arrival of the Smit Nicobar.
Minor Update – this is now the 5th most popular post of all time.
UPDATE 1252: Maersk Mobiliser has arrived on scene, and will assist with firefighting efforts before towing the Yantain Express to Halifax.
Update 1428: the Halifax Employers Association is giving an ETA of the 18:00 on the 16th for the Arrival of Yantain Express. this is probably an optimistic estimate. The tow at a max speed of 5 knots will take about 10Days.
UPDATE Jan 8, 0956: USCG is reporting that the fire is still burning, with firefighting efforts continuing on and off last night.
UPDATE 1146: Fire is still burning, Yantain Express is now drifting further from Halifax- now over 1112 nautical miles away.
This has to now be a significant fire. possibly spread to multiple stacks, or into the holds below deck.
The photos below Show what the spacing is like between stacks. Not an ideal place to fight a fire.
UPDATE Jan 9 0835: the tugs are making progress however smoke is still pouring out of the ship according to a Canadian Press Report. the firefighting is taking place under the Direction of Smit, who have likely been hired on as salvors.
UPDATE Jan 10 1000: Yantain Express looks to be under tow. its now heading towards Halifax at 1.5kn. The HEA is currently showing an eta of the 20th.
Update 1122: Hapag-Lloyd has released a statement. Wednesday evening the fire was brought under control and is contained. 5 crew were transferred from the Smit Nicobar back to the Yantain express, and the ship was brought under tow by the Maersk Mobiliser, bound for Halifax. a third tug has been dispatched, with an eta of the 13th
UPDATE 1155: We now have a Damage Report From Hapag-Lloyd: Further to our CustomerInfo of January 7, 2019 we would like to provide you with following status update: Based on the currently available information, we have to assume that all cargo in Bay 12 on deck and forward is directly affected by the fire, also all cargo in Hold 1 (Bay 1 to 9). Further, we have to expect that all cargo in Hold 2 (Bay 11 to 17) is affected by fire, smoke and / or damage caused by firefighting water. Damage caused by smoke, heat and / or firefighting water in adjacent areas is possible. All Reefers in Bay 1 to 24 are without power and switched off. All other Bays with Reefers are continuously supplied with power and in operation.
red line shows stack 24 which is the extent of cargo loss.
Each stack has 3 number assigned to it. Odd numbers are for 20′ containers, and evens are for 40′ containers. essentially this is suggesting that all cargo in the first 8 stacks is effected.
UPDATE Jan 14 1000:
latest from CBC’s Brett Ruskin. I talked to him on Friday. Also Latest position.
UPDATE: The fire aboard the #YantianExpress likely damaged 400+ containers, according to shipping experts. – ship is still 2,000 km from Halifax – uncertainty about which port it will be towed to – fire “under control” but firefighting efforts still underway, company says. pic.twitter.com/9N3RIX33pO
UPDATE 1100: I have been told that Hapag-Lloyd is sending a vessel direct to Halifax. Over the weekend the Tug Atlantic Enterprise arrived at pier 9. Owned by Donjon Marine of New Jersey, they work in a joint venture with Smit providing salvage services. it is assumed to be here as part of the salvage effort.
Atlantic Enterprise at pier 9
UPDATE 1203: Shanghai trader sailed from Bremerhaven on the the 12th. Hapag Llyod shows it calling on the EC5 service with stops in Halifax and New York. due to arrive on the 18th, according to marine traffic. this will likely move undamaged cargo from the ship. the ship is rated at 5047Teu, and was built in 2005. Owned by Lomar Shipping, this is likely an available vessel for charter.
UPDATE 1324: The tug Atlantic Enterprise is due to Sail at 9am tomorrow – its currently giving its destination as New Jersey. It arrived from New York.
UPDATE 1500: the tug Sovereign sailed from Rotterdam with an eta of the 15th. vessel track suggests firefighting efforts have resumed, as weather is reported to be good. The tug is owned by Boskallis – smit’s parent company.
third tug respondingvessel tracks.
UPDATE Jan 15 0750: The Horizon Star sailed around 6am from Halifax giving Yantain Express as her destination. I have reached out to Horizon Maritime for comment on the tasking.
UPDATE 1318: TC has received a request for a place of refuge from the salvers.
Position as of noon Atlantic.
due to the length of this post, i have unsticked it from the front page, and replaced it with a link.
UPDATE 1521: The Horizon Star is apparently bringing a salvage team and supplies to the incident.
UPDATE 2251:
The Philippine embassy in Ottawa released a statement: “All 17 Filipino seafarers on board the Yantian Express have arrived safely in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on 14 January 2019, after they were evacuated from the burning container ship. Philippine Honorary Vice Consul in Halifax Ms. Elizabeth Eustaquio-Domondon reported that the seafarers were in high spirits and were being assisted by their fleet manager to arrange their return to the Philippines. The Filipino community in Halifax also met the seafarers and provided them with food and other necessities.”
The Tug Atlantic enterprise appears to have sailed out towards the Yantain express, and likely brought the crew back to Halifax. Its unclear how the Crew were transferred from the Smit Nicobar, as the two ships remained about 600km apart.
UPDATE Jan 16 11:50: G-captain has photos from a crew member of a ship that passed 3 miles from the Yantain Express. the photos were taken yesterday, and smoke is still rising. for the bow of the ship.
UPDATE 1330: Smit Nicobar has sailed for Mexico, which was where it was headed before it responded to the fire. Horizon Explorer is still on route. No word on the Sovereign, which was sailing form Rotterdam. Maersk Mobiliser is in front, so the tow may have resumed at a speed of 2 knots.
UPDATE Jan 17, 0947: the tug Sovereign has arrived on scene. the Ship may be under tow again, based on speeds and tug position.
UPDATE 2243: Hapag Lloyd released an update today: “The salvage operations show continuous progress.
The fire is widely contained and meanwhile the ocean-going tug “Union Sovereign” has arrived at the vessels position on January 15, 2019 to further assist the operations. Another ocean-going tug is on its way.
At this time, it is not yet possible to make a precise estimate of any damage to Yantian Express or its cargo; this can only be more clearly assessed once the vessel reaches a port.
Unfortunately, we cannot provide you with an ETA at the moment; this will be advised as soon as determined. We regret any inconvenience caused by this incident and shall keep you closely informed on actual development of the rescue operation and further proceedings.”
UPDATE Jan 20 2328: The tow has been underway since the 16th, they have covered ~270nautical miles, making 70 nautical miles per day. Halifax no longer appears to be the destination – One of the tugs is showing Freeport Bahamas as the destination, and the shanghai trader arrived in Savannah Georgia today. That ship was dispatched from Bremerhaven to collect the undamaged containers.
Jan 20 position.
The reason for the change in location is unclear. Certainly not having to deal with North Atlantic weather could be one factor, Another possibility is that Canada refused a place of Refuge. request. I have requested status on this with Transport Canada, and will be attempting to figure out the ships new Destination.
UPDATE Jan 21 1314: Maersk Mobiliser and Sovereign are giving their destination as Freeport Bahamas. Horizion Star is Headed back to Halifax, with an ETA of the 25th. No Word on a place of refuge from TC or the USCG as of yet.
Freeport does have a sizeable container terminal, equipped for transshipment so its certainly a plausible location.
UPDATE 1433: We have a response from Transport Canada.
Transport Canada has received the initial request for a Place of Refuge from the vessel MV Yantian Express.
While Transport Canada continues to review the request for compliance with regulatory requirements, the salvage master has not confirmed Halifax as the next port for the MV Yantian Express
UPDATE Jan 23, 1255: the tow still appears to be bound for Freeport. Hapag-llyod released an update yesterday.
Professional salvors continue to assess the situation based upon relevant factors such as safety and operational items, in order to best determine the vessel’s next port of call. ATTENTION: At this point in time we would ask that all US consignees and brokers retract their US Customs entries, if previously made for the MV “Yantian Express” on the intended port calls. This should be performed as soon as possible, however no later than Monday January 28, 2019 . As Hapag-Lloyd, we intend to remove the manifest for this vessel from the USCBP/ACE files on Tuesday January 29, 2019 . Any subsequent Customs handling instructions will be provided once more details are available. In case you have further questions at this point about MV “Yantian Express” or your cargo, we have set up a dedicated hotline. Please contact our experts directly under following telephone number: +1 833-445-6397 We regret any inconvenience caused by this incident and shall keep you closely informed on actual development of the rescue operation and further proceedings.
UPDATE: Jan 24 1521: Was quoted in a Canadian Press Piece about this incident. this has been published nationwide. Latest position is Below, via fleetmon and MaritimeBulletin.ne
UPDATE Jan 25 0730: Hapag Lloyd has released a statement conforming the ship is bound for Freeport. Also interesting to note is that the ship is sailing on its own, with an escort, and not being towed. It looks to be making about 2.5 knots, so the speed has not really improved.
The statement is as follows:
Hamburg, 25 January 2019
“Yantian Express” en route to Freeport The container fire that broke out on board the “Yantian Express” on 3 January was largely contained and brought under control after one week by immediately launched fire-fighting efforts. Since then, the remaining salvage operations have made considerable progress.
The responsible salvage master from the company Smit has decided today to sail the “Yantian Express” to the Port of Freeport (Bahamas). Once there, the recovery and assessment efforts of the cargo can proceed in a safer environment. At present, the container ship is approximately 1250 nautical miles from the Bahamas and is expected to arrive in Freeport by next week. The “Yantian Express” currently sails with its own machine and in tug escort.
It is still not possible to make a precise estimate of any damage to the “Yantian Express” or its cargo. Hapag-Lloyd is working in close cooperation with all relevant authorities.
The 7,510 TEU “Yantian Express”, which is 320 meters long and sails under German flag in the East Coast Loop 5 (EC5) service, was built in 2002 and was originally on its way from Colombo to Halifax via the Suez Canal.
UPDATE 0922: Quoted in Bahamas based paper The Tribune
UPDATE Jan 27: the Shanghai Trader is due in Halifax tomorrow, and appears to be running the EC5 route eastbound, having made stops in Savannah and New York. Hapag-Lloyd released another statement and has now declared general average. I wrote about general average in the Herald a few weeks ago.
Hapag-Lloyds statement is as Follows:
After evaluation of the salvors with regards to safety and operational items, it has been decided that Freeport Harbor, Bahamas will be the next port of call for the Yantian Express, with an estimated arrival by mid next week. Please also note that General Average was declared. Further details of this General Average process will be provided in the subsequent CustomerInfo. In case you have further questions at this point about your cargo, we have set up a dedicated hotline and invite you to contact our service team directly at the following number: +1 833-445-6397 We regret any inconvenience caused by this incident and shall keep you closely informed of future developments.
UPDATE Jan 28: The ship is now making 10knots under her own power. ETA in freeport is the 1st of February. This is also now the second most popular post on this blog ever.
UPDATE 1043: The Hapag-Lloyd customer advisory said: “In conjunction with declaring general average, the owners will appoint average adjusters, responsible for coordinating the collection of general average securities and all documentation required from parties with interest in cargo, containers, vessel, and fuel. Cargo interests (or their insurance companies) should plan to contact the average adjusters directly once they are appointed.”
UPDATE Jan 29: HAPAG-LLYOD has appointed UK-based Richards Hogg Lindley to determine and collect GA and salvage security from each of the parties concerned in cargo on board the ship. Shippers may also be required to pay the cost of the relay of their containers to their bill of lading destination from Freeport. – the ship was missed calls at Halifax, New York, Savannah, Jacksonville and Norfolk
I also heard for the owner of the Shanghai Trader, who told me
“that the Shanghai Trader has been chartered by Hapag Lloyd to carry cargo that would otherwise have gone on the Yantian Express. Afraid certain media reports I’ve picked up have ambiguously been indicating that the Shanghai Trader was be heading toward the Yantian Express to collect her salved cargoes, which I guess is a case of 2 + 2 = 5! “
UPDATE Jan 30: The Yantain Express arrived off the Bahamas Last night, under her own power, and has an eta at Freeport Pilot of 9am Eastern time. She should be alongside later today, and hopefully i can get some photos from a contact there.
UPDATE 1544: Hapag Lloyd has posted more information about General Average. In it they confirm that a Lloyds Open Form was signed with Smit
2 principles exist for General Average – Sacrifice and Expenditure. Damage to cargo and Ship caused by firefighting efforts would constitute sacrifice losses. Costs fighting the fire would be expenditure.
Under General Average, the Cargo owners need to provide an Average Bond, and If their Cargo was insured, an Average Guarantee from the insurers, or if uninsured, a Cash deposit. the bond identifies the cargo owner, and triggers the cargo insurers liability.
A salvage security is also required, based on the salvors demand. this is required from each cargo owner as the salvors have a claim on everything saved. When the Master of the Yantian Express Signed the Lloyds Open Form, he separately bound the Ship and the Cargo interests to compensate the salvors for what is saved.
UPDATE Feb 3: Yantian Express has moved to the inner anchorage off Freeport. the Tugs Maersk Mobiliser and Sovereign remain offshore where the ship was previously anchored.
Update Feb 4: A Hapag Lloyd Spokesperson told the Canadian Press that the ship is “awaiting clearance to enter the port, and once it does, “the recovery and assessment efforts of the cargo can proceed in a safe environment.” “
UPDATE 1546: the ship has just tied up at the terminal in Freeport.
UPDATE Feb 5:
Based on the initial inspection, the GA Surveyor has identified 198 containers that were most likely a total loss due to the fire. An additional 460 containers that were stored in the affected area are possibly damaged and will require inspection.
Maersk Mobiliser was released, and is sailing back to Canada. Smit’s tug Sovereign is tied up along side.
UPDATE Feb 13: The Maersk Mobiliser returned to St. John’s on the 12th. Damage Survey continues – 202 containers are now considered a Total Loss.
UPDATE Feb 19: the General Average and Salvage securities have been announced. The salvage security was set at 32.5% of Cargo Value, and the General Average security was set at 28% of cargo value. So if you have cargo valued at $100,000 you will need to post a security of 32,500 for the Salvage claim, and 28,000 for General Average. If Cargo owners have insurance, a letter from the insurer indicating they will pay the claim is sufficient. if the cargo is not insured, then a cash bond must be paid to the claims adjuster and salvage arbitrator.
UPDATE Feb 21: Hapag Lloyd released an update –
“The vessel is actually at a yard in Freeport, Bahamas designated exclusively to receive the distressed containers/cargo. The reason for that are security, health, safety and environmental considerations. The Port Authority is monitoring the preparation of the site and is yet to give their final approval to start discharge operations, which is expected to be received in the next few days. We are in close contact with the local authorities to be able to start discharging of the distressed containers soonest. We hope to receive permission to commence this operation shortly and based on the information currently available, we expect the discharge to take approximate two months.”
UPDATE Feb 22: Salvage services under the Lloyd’s Open Form contract were terminated on 19th February. Operations to remove the damaged containers from holds 1 and 2 have started.
UPDATE March 5: Hapag-Lloyd indicated that it is expected to take 5 weeks to discharge damaged cargo. there is no capacity in Freeport to discharge unaffected cargo, so the ship will likely need to travel to discharge the undamaged cargo, once the damaged containers are removed.
UPDATE March 29: As of March 26, Cargo operations in Holds 1 and 2 are complete. damaged cargo has been discharged and inspected. Repairs will now be made to the ship, and then the ship will have to relocate to discharge undamaged cargo. there is no eta for this. while we don’t know the total number of containers aboard, 679 were suspected to be lost or damaged. these container owners would obviously not be paying the GA or Salvage Securities. of the remaining cargo, only 887 containers have provided security, which suggests that most of the remaining cargo is uninsured.
UPDATE April 15: Undamaged cargo has been restowed on the Yantain Express, and the ship is due to depart Freeport at the end of the month. only 1500 containers have provided salvage security, so this may delay the departure.
UPDATE May 2: The latest update from the GA Adjusters is Below. The Yantain Express will finally be headed for Halifax mid month.
The Yantain Express is finally bound for Halifax. the Latest Update from the GA Adjusters is Shipowners have advised that repairs to the vessel are nearing completion. Dependent on final technical approval of the classification society and refitting of hatch covers, the vessel is likely to depart from Freeport, Bahamas during the first half of May 2019 with the remaining cargo onboard.The vessel shall then proceed to Halifax, Nova Scotia for delivery of remaining onboard cargoes. The shipping lines will advise the exact date once the forwarding schedule and terminal arrangements have been finally concluded.
UPDATE May 13: Hapag-lloyd issued another update today – the ship is due in Halifax May 19, with all cargo aboard. From Hapag-Lloyd:
Reloading of all containers previously discharged ashore for inspection has now been completed. Accordingly all cargoes, whether security has been provided or not, are now on board the MV “Yantian Express”.
Dependent on final technical approval of vessel class, arrival of spare parts and conclusion of repairs, MV “Yantian Express” is now tentatively scheduled to depart from Freeport, Bahamas on May 15, 2019 with an ETA to Halifax, Nova Scotia on May 19, 2019.
For those customers who have arranged salvage and General Average security, their cargo will be delivered in the usual way under the relevant contract of carriage. However, all other customers are kindly reminded, that: the salvors will not permit delivery of the cargo until salvage security has been put in place.General Average security needs to be provided in addition prior to delivery of cargo
As of may 13th, 2497 containers have provided security.
sister ship Cougar Ace at Autoport. COugar ace developed a list off Alaska, but was saved.
The PCTC Sincerity Ace caught fire Dec 31, 1800 nautical miles west of Hawaii. The crew attempted to fight the fire, but has since abandoned ship. 16 were picked up safe, 3 were found deceased in the water, and 2 are missing.
A car fire is a job by itself. Put that car fire in an enclosed space, with additional vehicles in very close proximity, and the fire has the potential to become very large very quickly. A photo posted to social media shows the ship with significant damage to the side of the ship reaching from the upper part of the Blue section, right to the top of the vessel. This suggests multiple decks are involved. – the area of the fire would be where the ramps between decks are located, providing a channel for fire spread.
Controlling the fire will likely prove to be very difficult, as there will be limited direct access to the flames without boarding the vessel. the fire will probably need to burn itself out, then the salvagers can put out any hot spots.
General Arrangement of the Cougar Ace, showing deck layout.
Burning Car Carrier Sincerity Ace Abandoned in Pacific Ocean; Two Missing, Three Fatalities Confirmed https://t.co/h2OjFErAHK
The ship was built in 2009, and is part of the MOL car carrier fleet. The ship called at Autoport once in February 2013.
UPDATE: Jan 4/19
Sincerity Ace is reportedly still on fire and listing to starboard. the search for the one remaining unaccounted for crew member has been called off.
USCG Photo from Dec 31
Fires on Car carriers are not a new Issue. Last year the Honor caught fire after a recalled part in a car aboard the ship triggered the blaze. Another Ship, Courage had a similar fire in 2015.
