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Here’s episode 02 of Messing About In Ships, your new maritime podcast.

This week’s topics include;

• Listener Comments
  • Antarctic Cruise Ship Sinking
  • Sinking of the Texas Clipper
• Pasha Bulker Incident Report - Photos HERE
• 9 Days on raft after losing keel

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The ship that made gCaptain famous is back in the headlines. The M/V Pasha Bulker, a 76,741 deadweight ton Panamax bulk carrier launched in 2006, is the subject of a new report from NSW Maritime of Australia. The enormous vessel first made world headlines after running aground on a popular Australian beach in June of this year and since that time rumors to the cause of here dramatic grounding have been circling the media. Today the official report has been issued. Our friend and deputy gCaptain reporter Ian points us to NSW Maritime’s Press Release;

The Pasha Bulker ran aground during the once-in-thirty year storm that struck the Central Coast and Newcastle on June 8.

The same storm took nine lives and caused damage estimated to cost $1.35 billion.

Ports Minister Joe Tripodi said the investigation found the grounding of the Pasha Bulker was caused by a combination of horrendous weather conditions and poor seamanship by the Master of the vessel.

The poor seamanship involved his actions leading up to and on the morning of June 8. Continue Reading…

We will be working with veteran maritime incident reporter Bob Couttie to keep you updated on this important news item. For those new to this site, be sure to look back at the amazing photos and some of our previous posts on this amazing story.

PASHA BULKER INVESTIGATION REPORT – FACT SHEET [Continue Reading →]

In a post unusually harsh for gCaptain standards I asked some tough questions about actions taken by the captain of the doomed ship, Pasha Bulker. Here’s a recap;

…did the crew used their satellite comms to discuss the weather patterns with meteorologists or did they simply ignore the port authority’s warnings? Did the captain use his AIS to identify the surrounding ships and call fellow captains via GMDSS to discuss the situation? Did they have access to and use real-time weather data or wait for a 2-dimensional weather fax?

(read the full article HERE)

Today in a leaked version of the incident report the answer is clearly no.

In a candid interview with investigators the vessel’s captain disclosed his actions in the critical moments between weighing anchor and the ship’s grounding. Take a deep breath as you may find this hard to believe. He was eating breakfast! In the galley!!

Here’s a rundown of events as report by The Sydney Morning Herald (full article located HERE)

The trail of mistakes and incompetence began on the evening of June 7 when warnings about an approaching storm were issued to 56 ships anchored off Newcastle. The Pasha Bulker, waiting to load 58,000 tonnes of coal, was one of 10 ships whose captains chose to stay at anchor about 200 metres off Stockton Beach to assess the situation overnight.

At 5.30 the next morning authorities tried again, but the Pasha Bulker stayed at anchor. It was not until 7am, in a sea whipped up by 100kmh winds, that the captain realised he had to move, and move quickly.

46 ships decide to leave port to avoid dragging anchor in an unprotected harbor and the Pasha Bulker stays, while this action is questionable the decision is not necessarily breaking the rule of prudent seamanship. The next morning Port Authorities “try again” to evict the remaining ships. I do not have details on the warning but it’s normal procedure to give the availability of tug boats that could help a ship in danger. Either way rescue tugs never showed and were apparently not requested by the captain.

At this point the captain became a danger to the vessel and crew. A master’s disagreement with port authority suggestions is understandable and the choice to ignore the warnings are his prerogative but one necessary step was not taken; vigilance. This is the time for a captain to ask himself the questions mentioned above, this is the moment to question your own decision, this is your chance to solidify a bridge team management plan and put the crew on high alert.

The story continues;

As the Sea Confidence, a nearby vessel facing the same predicament began moving out to sea with its anchors still dragging, the Pasha Bulker stayed and attempted to weigh anchor before moving. Mariners say it is standard practice for a boat (sic) to be moved forward slowly to help raise the heavy chain from the seabed while it is being hauled in. It meant the ship would have already moved through the surf in the 10 minutes it would have taken to get the anchor aboard.

In an emergency, such as the one brewing by the 30-year storm, the anchors should be cut and left behind.

Instead, the captain ordered the engines to remain idle while the chain, up to 200 metres long with links each weighing 100 kilograms, was winched aboard. As a consequence, the ship was still in the danger zone an hour later when the anchor was finally shipped.

Here I take exception to the article. While the Chief Mate might have been able to release the anchor brake and allow the chain to fully pay out (the more appropriate action), there is no quick and simple way to cut an anchor chain the size of the Pasha Bulker’s. The decision made aboard Sea Confidence would have been more appropriate to the situation. While some shiphadling ability is lost if the anchor is left down (due to a movement of the vessel’s pivot point forward) the Pasha Bulker has plenty of reserve power and steerage to overcome any serious problem.

It was now just after 8am. With the winds and seas continuing to rise and the engine only just beginning to move the ship, the captain called the chief engineer and invited him to breakfast. Both were Korean in a 22-man crew otherwise made up of Filipinos. They met in the dining room while others were left in charge of moving the vessel through the dangerous conditions.

The Pasha Bulker, now in the hands of less experienced crew, was shunted north along the coast toward Port Stephens, unable to make much headway against the waves. It had traveled about three kilometres before the captain reappeared on the bridge and took command of his ship, which was now out of control.

Was the captain called by the mate on watch when his inability to make positive headway was identified? If the mate on watch was exceptional and the answer to the question is no… the captain might not have been reckless in making this bad decision.

At 8.30am the ship had been looped in almost a full circle by the power of 18-metre waves and was now headed toward Nobbys Beach on the outside of the southern entrance to the port.

The captain, in a panic as he told investigators in the offices of a Newcastle law firm, made one last desperate attempt to save his ship, but again made an error. Instead of swinging it hard to starboard, he ordered it go full astern, literally backing up into the pounding waves that were breaking over its decks. The stern was lifted above the waves, its rudder useless and the propeller spinning madly in the air. The 225-metre vessel then virtually surfed to the beach and hit a rock shelf called Big Ben Reef.

Ships are designed for forward motion. For example, the rudder is placed aft of the ship’s screws in order to benefit from the propeller wash pushing against it. When a ship backs down, however, the propeller wash is pushing against nothing and the rudder must rely on the vessel’s motion through the water to grab hold of water and turn the ship. When the ship transitions from froward to “reverse” motion there is a period of time the rudder is totally ineffective. This is why ships need tugboats when departing a dock… until they reach the minimum speed needed for the rudders to be effective (know as bare steerage) the tug must hold the bow on course.

More importantly an unladen ship with forward momentum and an engine working on an order of full ahead can turn quickly. It is important to note this rate of rotation is a critical factor. If a ship turns slowly (as happens during a reverse maneuver) the ship will have difficulty turning through the wind and can get stuck at a heading beam to (perpendicular from) the wind.

The collision broke the back of the ship - hogging, as it is called. It bent the ship into an inverted U-shape that could be seen by onlookers from the beach as ripples in the hull. The captain panicked again and ordered the ship to be abandoned even though there was no chance of it sinking, having already run aground, and needed at least a skeleton crew to minimize damage and monitor the hull to avoid an environmental disaster. They were taken off by helicopter.

Panic is enemy number one in an emergency situation. While some have more difficulty than others avoiding it a captain should never panic. This is a primary reason it takes 10 years of sailing experience and school to obtain a master’s license. I these 10 years you will be exposed to situations at sea that test your panic trigger, if you are unacceptable to panic or indecision at the time if crisis you should not take command of a ship. Many mariners face difficulty getting promoted to second mate for this very reason as this officer position is the highest pay grade obtainable without the need for making life threatening decisions in the face of danger. I have met few captains to which the Peter Principal applies.

For these reasons I find the report nearly unbelievable.

John Konrad is a USCG licensed Master Mariner of Unlimited Tonnage currently working as Chief Mate aboard a 835′ship in the Gulf of Mexico. Since graduating from SUNY Maritime College he has sailed 4 of the world’s oceans and reports from his ship via satellite.

Our top commenter from down under, Ian, has sent me a wrap-up of the Pasha Bulker story:

“PB left our shores several weeks ago under tow to an Asian shipyard. She was minus her rudder that apparently came off during re-floating attempts. It has been retrieved and presently sits in a local scrap yard. Given the surge in tourism generated by the grounding there has been considerable debate about erecting a permanent memorial to the events. The present difficulty is one of cultural difference with the Japanese owners wishing the embarrassing reminder of the grounding into the melting pot just as locals see the rudder as a very appropriate reminder of their affection for the Pasha Bulker. Negotiations are continuing!

Meanwhile, a report has surfaced suggesting that the Pasha Bulker was one of 50 ships advised two weeks before the grounding that they would no longer be able to use port facilities because of the time it was taking for them to de-ballast. Hence another airing of the allegation that ships were de-ballasting prior to entering port and the possibility of subsequent handling difficulties. Still no sighting of conclusions from several inquiries that have taken place. Meanwhile at any given time there will be up to 80 carriers waiting off-shore from Newcastle and that will certainly not be the last that we will see of similar weather that nearly brought us an ecological catastrophe.”

Of particular interest to me is the rudder. I agree with Newcastle in thinking it will serve as a good reminder and give the tourists something to look at. I also wonder if the ship will suffer the same penalty as the Exxon Valdez; banishment to foreign service through no fault of her own.

If you are new to this story check out our photo slideshow of the incident.

Say goodbye to the Pasha Bulker. The ill fated ship that ran up on an Australian beach last month is finally under tow on her way to an unkown shipyard. Towing her is Nippon Slavage’s “Koyo Maru“, a powerful 86 meter salvage tug with a 132.5 ton bollard pull capability.

Many thanks to the local Newcastle photographers, pilots, salvage experts and the 5,819 individual Australian readers who helped us take the lead in reporting this remarkable story!

As a final run down memory lane visit gCaptain’s all time most popular post: Pasha Bulker - A Photo Slideshow

It’s officially we’ve had reports from our resident reporters Ian & MarkL, fellow bloggers and the “real” media all confirming that the coal ship Pasha Bulker has been freed from Nobby’s Beach.

If anyone has any video of the final salvage effort please send them to tips {at} gcaptain.com otherwise check out the webcam footage from the beach and keep an eye out for updates to our Pasha Bulker Slideshow.
[Continue Reading →]

The Sydney Morning Herald brings us this update:

THE Pasha Bulker has budged but is still stuck fast on the reef at Nobbys Beach, Newcastle. Damage to the environment from oil spilling from the ship remained unknown early today.

Critical response teams swung into action late last night as joy again turned to despair during the attempt to refloat the Pasha, stranded since June 8.

With three powerful tugs straining, the giant red hull was swung around and pointed seawards last night. The ship now sits with its stern still stuck fast on the reef but her bow pointed out to sea.

The Ports Minister, Joe Tripodi, had said earlier that oil had leaked from the vessel but it was unknown how severe the spill was. He said the ship was only a couple of degrees off the point where it could be towed out to sea.

Mr Tripodi said grinding noises had been reported from the ship during last night’s salvage attempt. He said these might be rock grinding on the ship’s bottom.

About 1pm yesterday a response team was deployed after a minor oil leak was detected. Mr Tripodi said a sheen of oil a micron (0.001 of a millimetre) thick was seen on the water surface at the stern of the carrier, but dissipated within an hour of being discovered.

Industry sources have estimated that the Pasha Bulker salvage operation has cost between $200,000 and $300,000 per day.

Read the Full Story: Pasha swings round then gets stuck again, spilling oil

For more on this story check out our previous Pasha Bulker coverage. For the latest pictures of her go to our Pasha Bulker Slideshow.

We have been receiving a lot of comments and interaction regarding our coverage of the Pasha Bulker story. There are many stories to cover on the seven seas and we hate to dwell on one topic but it’s hard for us to ignore ay story that gets the amount of positive response this story has received. So keep the questions, comments and tips coming on the stories you enjoy and we’ll keep the coverage rolling.

To recap; the coal vessel Pasha Bulker ran aground last month on a popular Australian beach during an impressive storm. We have been covering the event with photos, videos and commentary much of which has been either suggested or provided directly from our readers. One such reader is Ian of Seaham who has been giving us near daily updates on one of our early posts (LINK). He has some interesting questions about the salvage attempt so I’m going to provide some equally interesting answers… at least that’s my plan.

If your on our homepage click “read more” for his questions, if your on the story page simply scroll down. [Continue Reading →]

Here is a random selection of the best (and worst) photos of the coal ship “Pasha Bulker” grounded on Nobby’s Beach courtesy of Flickr.
Created with Paul’s flickrSLiDR.

Also Try: FULL SCREEN VERSION

For those unfamiliar with the infamous ship that ran aground on a popular beach in Newcastle, Australia read our past Pasha Bulker stories HERE .

If you liked this then see our similar “Best Ship Photos Slideshow” or our “Most Outrageous Ship Photos” post. The second link is not a slideshow but has some fascinating pictures none-the-less.

*Note, these are updated live from Flickr, therefore we can’t prevent wrongly tagged photos. If your browser doesn’t support the show try this.

Go Back to gCaptain’s Homepage, Blog, Forum or News Discoverer.

….and for our favorite Pasha Bulker photo:

Pasha Bulker

In an interesting turn of events the salvage team working to remove the Coal Ship that ran aground on a popular Australian beach believe Pasha Bulker is damaged worse than predicted. The Herald Sun tells us:

A salvage expert and marine engineer said the cost of refloating the ship and fixing its damaged hull was so close to the vessel’s $41million replacement price it was financially unviable.

If the Pasha is labeled a “total constructive loss”, the ship could be dismantled on site - a task that would take six months, plus time for planning and approval.

If this plan to scrap the vessel happens a new team of experts will arrive to build a pier out to the ship and pump out all remaining fuel oil. Then “big thermal lances and other heavy hi-tech cutting equipment to cut it to pieces, crane it away on trucks and dispose of it.” This process will need to get various environmental and safety approvals before the shipwrecking teams can begin.

Update:

Our readers have been providing quality “Pasha Bulker” updates on this post. The latest (24 July 2007) post from our number one local reporter Ian states:

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.

Read our past “Pasha Bulker” posts.
View our Pasha Bulker Slide-Show.