Paris MOU Gray List - What does it mean.

[cmjeff]

John normally does a great job bringing things down to my level but I'm still a bit confused on this one;

American Flag Turns Gray - New Paris MOU Rankings Target US Ships


So what does this mean for the average US Merchant Mariner?

[c.captain]

The Paris MOU is basically a list maintained by the worlds major port states that indicates which flag states have the safest (white list), average (gray) and worst (black) ships. The northern European nations and Japan are always on the white list as was the US for many years but with such an antique fleet we have fallen into the position as most other nations in the world but at least we aren't blacklisted like North Korean ships! (at least not yet anyway...)

What this means for the average joe on some US flagged containership in say Singapore is a better chance that ship will be boarded by port state control authorities especially if that ship has not been to that port ever before or at least for a long time.

I've sailed on a few which were on MSC charter and the only way we avoided being chained to the dock for numerous violations is that we were working for the Navy and in effect immune from being black listed. Can you say WWII vintage ship still sailing 50 years later with the original booms? Still I loved that old bucket and would sail on her again in a heartbeat except that she is now rebar in some buildings foundation!



DAMNED RUST!

Btw...check out this site to see some real blacklisted "Ships of Shame"

[cmjeff]

Btw...check out this site to see some real blacklisted "Ships of Shame"

Nice find!

[RkyMtn Paul]

First real merchant I sailed on was the Coastal Eagle Point (fall 1990), an old stretched, split house T2 tanker. Exxon had retired it, and Coastal Corp bought it on the cheap ($15mil?) 5 years after it laid up. I was chipping the deck aft of the forward house with a 'knuckle buster', and chipped through the deck!!! Mind you, we were carrying crude in the wings and asphalt in the centers. What did we do, you ask? Covered it with red-hand!! LOL Another run, we had a leak in one of the steam lines in the #2 center tank w/asphalt in it. Blew through the riser relief valve and covered the forward deck and most of the house. What a fun clean up that was!

[cmakin]

First real merchant I sailed on was the Coastal Eagle Point (fall 1990), an old stretched, split house T2 tanker. Exxon had retired it, and Coastal Corp bought it on the cheap ($15mil?) 5 years after it laid up. I was chipping the deck aft of the forward house with a 'knuckle buster', and chipped through the deck!!! Mind you, we were carrying crude in the wings and asphalt in the centers. What did we do, you ask? Covered it with red-hand!! LOL Another run, we had a leak in one of the steam lines in the #2 center tank w/asphalt in it. Blew through the riser relief valve and covered the forward deck and most of the house. What a fun clean up that was!

While you have somewhat accurately described the COASTAL EAGLE POINT with regard to her condition in the 1990's, she was not a stretched T2. She was originally built as the ESSO BALTIMORE in 1960.

[RkyMtn Paul]

I stand corrected. Thought I remembered someone telling me that. I do remember that it was bell to bell, and hard work- but, I got in great shape! I did learn a lot, especially coming from the Navy, thankfully, I signed on as an OS,even though I had time for AB limited. Did paint over a lot of rust, especially when office types were coming on. Great crew, outstanding feeder.

[cmakin]

I stand corrected. Thought I remembered someone telling me that. I do remember that it was bell to bell, and hard work- but, I got in great shape! I did learn a lot, especially coming from the Navy, thankfully, I signed on as an OS,even though I had time for AB limited. Did paint over a lot of rust, especially when office types were coming on. Great crew, outstanding feeder.

I was only onboard on a trip from Houston to Puerto Rico, doing a close up survey. Agreed on the crew and the food. I believe it was back in '96 or '97.

[W7LV]

Did some Network cobbling for Coastal on COASTAL MANATEE and rode from Aruba to Florida. Very congenial ship, but Coastal was about to do away with the R/O billet due to GMDSS.