Fix ID’d for Cracked MSC Monterey in Newfoundland

MSC Monterey seen Sunday, December 29, as an air evacuation of four passengers onboard was underway. Image: JRCC Halifax

An inspection of a 1.5 meter crack discovered in the main deck and outer hull of the MSC Monterey has shed light (and good news) on just what went wrong and the repairs needed to fix the problem.

An update Friday from the owner of the MSC Monterey, REEDEREI NSB, said that an inspection of the crack has revealed that it was the result of a defective welding seam and that a final repair can be carrier out on-site instead of a provisional repair.

SEE ALSO: 1.5 Meter Crack Discovered in Hull MSC Monterey

Specialists from the Canadian Ministry of Transportation, Germanischer Lloyd and insurance and shipyard representatives were onboard the vessel January 2 conducting ultrasonic testings of the damaged area, leading GL to reject plans for a provisional repair and instead opt for final repair of the crack on-site.

The vessel is currently anchored in St. Mary’s Bay in southern Newfoundland, where it has been since Monday after growing concerns over a crack found in the main deck near the superstructure days earlier was discovered to have grown 30 centimeters into the outer hull.

Four people who were riding as passengers requested to be evacuated and were safely airlifted from the vessel on Sunday.

The update Friday from REEDEREI NSB said that welding repairs will be carried out by a Canadian company and are expected to take 7 days. Following the successful completion of the repairs, the vessel will continue her voyage as part of her charter for MSC probably on January 11, 2014, the company said.

REEDEREI NSB added that the vessel does not pose a danger to the environment and the crack has not resulted in an oil spillage or other hazards. The crack has remained unchanged since arriving in Newfoundland.

The Liberia-flagged MSC Monterey was built in 2007 at Daewoo Mangalia Heavy Industries in Romania and has a TEU capacity of 4,870.

The vessel is engaged in regular transatlantic liner service between Bremerhaven, Felixstowe, Antwerp and Le Havre and U.S. East Coast ports. Prior to the incident, MSC Monterey was expected to call at Boston in early January, followed by New York, Philadelphia, Norfolk and Baltimore.

REEDEREI NSB also happened to own the MSC Flaminia, which caught fire in 2012 while underway in the north Atlantic.

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