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Environmental Impact and Salvage of M/V Pasha Bulker

June 8th, 2007 · Comments - by John -

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Coal Ship Pasha Bulker

I’m happy to report that all crew members have been rescued from the ship! The two other ships which had made distress calls after dragging anchor, have been successfully towed to sea. Now focus is shifted to environmental concerns and salvage of the ship with reports ranging from optimism to environmental catastrophe. The consensus in the maritime world is that damage from fuel oil can be avoided if the weather allows them to pump out the ship’s tanks prior to any additional structural damage.

Questions do remain however. The company has reported that there was no failure of the anchors, engines and systems also that the crew is not to blame. Then what was the cause? Most frequently these cases are due to human error and failure to act with appropriate speed and caution. If a storm approaches most ships will ready the engines, ask for tug assistance and prepare to lower the second anchor. This is especially the case when a ship, like the Pasha Bulker was at the time, is “light” (not containing cargo) because more of the hull is up out of the water and exposed to the wind and sea.

With photos showing both anchors in a stowed position and no tugs in the area it is apparent that not all the precautions were taken. There were 54 ships in the anchorage so tugs might not have been available in sufficient number and using the second anchor is controversial but, as was the case with similar anchored ship grounding (like the APL Panama, Cape Mohican and Sealand Express incidents), human error always plays a role. The problem is that the people who are lest likely to admit error, the port authorities and shipping company, are also the most frequently responsible.

UPDATE: As we guessed all the facts are not in on the human element. The Sydney Morning Herald tells us:

The Newcastle Ports Corporation radioed 56 cargo vessels queuing to load coal at 5am yesterday and warned them to move out to sea. More warnings were issued on Thursday night. All but 11 vessels heeded the call.

Also of interest The Australian tells us:

The terrified crew of the Pasha Bulker said they had contemplated jumping ship as waves pounded the ship.

The wind turned south-southeast, pushing the Pasha on to the sand at Nobbys Beach, where it lay precariously last night with salvage crews unable to attach tugboats because of the weather.

Two of the ship’s crew had mild hypothermia and one was treated for an elbow injury.

Watch the narrated Slide Show slide show.

UPDATE: Read our other “Pasha Bulker” stories HERE.

Related Links:

John A. Konrad, Master Mariner

John Konrad is a USCG licensed Master Mariner of Unlimited Tonnage currently working as Chief Mate aboard a 865′ ship in the Gulf of Mexico. Since graduating from SUNY Maritime College he has sailed in 4 of the worlds oceans and reports from his ship via satellite.



About The Author

Captain John Konrad is co-founder of Unofficial Networks and Editor In Chief of this blog. He is a USCG licensed Master Mariner of Unlimited Tonnage and, since graduating from SUNY Maritime College, has sailed a variety of ships from ports around the world. He currently lives in Morro Bay, California with his wife and two children.
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Categories: Environment · Lifesaving Incidents · Salvage

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Viewing 28 Comments

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    You nailed that one! Cheers.
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    Great reporting John! I liked your other sotries on this too... http://gcaptain.com/maritime/blog/category/inci...
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    Whilst I was having lunch nearby the doings at Nobby's, there was a woman at the next table whose husband works on the Harbour tugs. We were getting a running commentary for an hour or so.. he reported that it *was* a dragging anchor, and also the failure of the crew to heed the warnings issued the night before, to head out to sea. The whole of Newcastle knew what was coming and battened down... dunno why they didn't.
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    Hmm. BOTH picks still stowed and bow-in. And very light, mebbe 2.5-3m draft, to hook up on Big Ben reef as she has.

    Questions then relate to her place in the queue, because to be so light she had to have pumped ballast. Was she trying to beat the gale to make a loading slot?

    Still, Master's responsibility by the look. Port authority does not extend to ships offshore.

    The photos I've seen indicate that she's grounded at or about No3 hatch. If that is so the strain on her hull girder may be unbearable even for a new ship. Salvage here (if possible) may be very difficult, especially after the longshore current build the sand up around her. Be interesting to see what has happened to her overnight.

    MarkL
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    Canberra: 300 kms inland and 300 kms south of Newcastle. We've had wind from the east for 36 hours now, even seagulls, so must be bad at sea. I'd wait for the dust to settle before judging the captain.

    Every cloud has a silver lining though...Central Coast and Hunter needed rain.

    09JUN
    1930 AEST
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    It appears from the photos that the ballast is not full!
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    Very interesting to consider some more of the technical aspects of the grounding and implications. grandmarnier - media yesterday did report that the ship had reduced ballast - may have been in preparation for entering harbour, not sure. Appears to be "wait on to wait on" situation with reports of further salvage assessment taking place and possibility of some decisions by midday local time. Clear fine day 35 kms north but local rivers rising to serious flooding. 288mm local rainfall during past 72hrs adding to heavy runoff from Hunter Valley streams and rivers.
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    Pasha Bulker Salvage Update
    Salvage specialists saying very little except that they are still in "assessment/planning" stage. They confirm that there is a damage to outer hull on starboard side and some seepage of seawater. They also advise that there is a metre gap between outer and inner hull structures and that fuel and lubricants tanks are not in the same area. A specialised salvage tug has arrived from Sydney and another is due in port from Melbourne on Wednesday. It is surmised that fuel etc will be removed prior to any attempt to drag the ship off. It is interesting that the Pasha Bulker is lying roughly parallel to the causeway that connects to Nobbies head and the resulting beach formed against the causeway. The ship is said to "flat bottomed" and firmly lodged on sand rather than adjacent reef, sand that no doubt complicates possible salvage depending on wind and sea over the next few days.
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    Observations of a relative indicates that the second gale ( which was more from the south and which coincided with a reasonably high tide) pushed her off the reef and 200-300 yards north, into even shallower water.

    This will make life interesting for the salvage effort, as she is now between the shoreline and a line of shallow reefs offshore.

    If this effort succeeds in such an exposed spot in winter, it will be one of those quiet epics of salvage we hear so little about in general media. A joke presently being bandied about Newcastle is that the city should forbid salvage, buy the wreck and convert it into 'apartments with a 360 degree ocean view to sell to idiots from Sydney'.

    The humour of my fellow Novocastrians may be a little forced, at present, with so much of the city damaged, but it remains.

    MarkL
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    We handle many Cape Size with a variety of nationality Masters and Crews. A large percentage are I'm afraid to say operating way out of their comfort zone. This LARGE percentage are unable to make a lee, unable to rig a combination ladder, unable to appreciate the effect of tides, unable to follow or understand VTS advice to stem and await the Pilot.
    Without GPS I wonder if they could locate the Humber Light Float.
    When once the Pilots are on board they show no interest in the Passage inwards to the tugs, if indeed they are even on the bridge and this in dense fog the other day. With the lengthy mooring operation they usually leave the bridge well before their vessel's secure.
    In short I'm amazed there's only one bulker aground.
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    It seems like the hornets nest has now been stirred. Will this make 'our commercial masters' (accountants, MBAs et al) to sit up and realise that it is imprudent to make decisions based solely from a commercial view point. Masters are being blackmailed into accepting unsafe, unprofessional and unethical practices. Vessels are under tremendous pressure to minimise deballasting time at bulk loading ports. This one has hit home in Australia where the terminals are amongst the worst to pressurise vessels into taking unseamanlike short cuts.
    Will there be any changes in the future?
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    Latest comment from Minister for NSW Ports Joe Tripoldi. Two salvage tugs have arrived. One proposal being considered involves sourcing a large anchor handling vessel to position anchors out to sea to enable Pasha Bulker to use their own winches to escape the beach.
    The Minister states that required equipment including pumps, pollution control barriers etc has been gathered from around the country. Also mentioned that there is some mixing of oil and seawater aboard but that it is still proving difficult to assertain extent of hull damage. Fortunately, it appears that there is still no pollution evident in the vicinity. Hull was reballasted yesterday to assist holding in present position and oil is to be moved to higher tanks.
    It appears likely that recovery attempts will be commenced Mon 18 due to predicted king tides that day.
    Minister claimed salvage team is "best in the world"; that they have developed "best contingency plans for oil containment" and that there is a high level of information exchange in both directions with experts from other countries. John would be pleased to hear that they are using some current technology including E-mail "conferencing"!
    One would certainly wish them every success. Carving up the ship and carting it away doesn't bear thinking about.
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    Pasha Bulker Salvage
    Salvage Team spokesman advises that they are still searching for a suitable large anchor handling vessel that will be used with three tugs to undertake the operation. Exact extent of underwater damage remains unknown until they refloat the ship. Salvage now proposed for end of the month during spring tides, but described as "difficult and dangerous with no guarantee of success". More severe weather on the way with predicted gale force winds to 90KPH and heavy surf conditions today. Local WebCam was turned on ship for several days but presently showing adjacent beach at:
    www.coastalwatch.com/templates/default.aspx
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    How did the Pasha Bulker end up on our beach?
    The inquiries have begun with investigators from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau interviewing captains to try and sort out the "messy tangle of liability, ownership and insurance".
    Today's Newcastle Herald has an article headed, "Ban on Slow Boats - Port Moves on Ballast Inefficiences". It raises the question as to Pasha Bulker's management of ballasting prior to the grounding.
    And I quote - "Pasha Bulker is one of about 50 ships that coal loader operator Port Waratah Coal Services no longer wanted to service because they took too long to pump out ballast water....Port regulations which are consistent with international practice, say that coal ships should not discharge ballast water until they are safely tied up at the wharf. The public nature of the Pasha Bulker's beaching on Friday left many experienced waterfront figures commenting on how high she was sitting and how often her propellor was out of the water. (She) had not been scheduled to (berth) until Tuesday, four days after the beaching.....Anecdotal evidence (suggests) some coal ships have been discharging at least some of their ballast water early, trying to make up time after a three week wait to load. An empty Panamax class ship such as the Pasha Bulker could sit 15 metres higher than a laden one" 60 carriers sitting off ourcoast at present.
    My knowledge/experience of big shipping is limited to some yachting and time crewing a 30m motor yacht in the Med some years ago. Never-the-less like so many situations, I'll be surprised if the outcome is limited to a single cause even though the ballasting appears to be an important factor.
    Readers may be interested to check out our local news media: www.theherald.com.au/
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    Wow, I've gotten a flood of emails thanking me for this post... but the thanks go to Ian, MarkL, Pilot, and the rest of the comments published here! Thanks guys, we all appreciate the updates (PS can I talk any of you into writing for this blog?). -John
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    Had a good look at her over the weekend, which had continuing strong winds onshore. The sand buildup around the ship is not as severe as I suspected.

    I am beginning to doubt that they will get her off in one piece. She beached on about 245. Subsequent gales have moved her slightly inshore (maybe a half hull length) and north perhaps 100-150 yards. She now has the Big Ben/Ben Buckler reef right astern of her, and the water appears to be shallowing (sand buildup) between her and the reef, with the possible exception of a scour pit under her stern. Eben this weekend has seen an additional spell of heavy weather, all of which has been onshore.

    The grounding is going to cause a lengthy court case, probably in London I suspect. It is alleged (media and 'talk about town', this is NOT CONFIRMED, it is merely ALLEGED, I cannot stress that enough) that Port Waratah has a 'black list' of ships which will not be permitted to load due to slow deballasting rates. It is further alleged that ships on the list have been deballasting early (prior to entry) to accommodate the stevedoring company in this manner, to either try to get off the black list or avoid being placed on it. If so, then these unconfirmed allegations are rather serious, as they may conceivably imply that a stevedoring organisation is forcing Masters to adopt at best a marginally safe operating procedure at penalty of immediate commercial disadvantage. Allegations are also being made of overly-rapid loading of vessels built of higher tensile steels. If so, this may lead to future ship losses as HT ships, if overstressed, have serious cracking and corrosion problems.

    Remember the loss of bulk carriers in the Indian Ocean in the 80s and 90s? I'd hate to see such a practise confirmed as occurring anywhere, that sort of thing kills mariners ten years down the track.

    This sage bids well for a very long salvage, and an even longer court case.

    MarkL
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    I reckon if her stern should move shorewards any further, we may just see a Sealand Express salvage type operation here where they dredged out along side her and put her back in the water that way.
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    Preparations continue for the attempt to refloat the Pasha Bulker, with three large anchors positioned seaward over recent days. It is suggested that it may involve several attempts and weather permitting, they will coincide with predicted spring tides ranging from 1.85m Saturday 30 June, to 1.88m Monday thence tapering from 1.86m Tuesday.
    Local radio this morning, interviewed 'one of Australia's leading salvage experts', Brett Divine who believes that the vessel has sustained serious damage below water and may not hold up to the stresses involved in hauling her off. It appears that his company is one of several already discussing plans to dismantle the vessel should the refloating effort fail.
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