7 Ships Detained in UK Ports Due to Shameful Discrepancies

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) announced today that seven foreign flagged ships were under detention in UK ports during August 2012 after failing Port State Control (PSC) inspection.

Here is the list of those ships, and the outrageous discrepancies found by Port State inspectors…

Vessel name: – Sam Phoenix (Bulk Carrier)
Imo No: – 9588407
Flag: – Hong Kong
Company: – Univan Ship Management Ltd
Classification Society: – Bureau Veritas (BV)
Recognised Organisation: – Bureau Veritas (BV)
Recognised Organisation for ISM: – Bureau Veritas (BV)/ Lloyds Register of Shipping (LR)

Eleven deficiencies including two grounds for detention

• Rescue boat would not hoist unless the brake was physically held down.
• Significant Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) related deficiencies which were objective evidence of a serious failure or lack of effectiveness of implementation of the ISM code on board the vessel.
• Some crew were not meeting the hours of rest requirements
• The means of escape from the main deck was locked from the outside;
• The remote wires operating the four engine room louvres were broken;
• The emergency generator, funnel and air conditioning room ventilators could not be closed; numerous fire doors did not close and latch or the latches were broken.
• In addition the bottom step of the starboard gangway was damaged;
• An electrical connection near the forecastle was unsafe
• Port liferaft overside light and lower foremast light were inoperative.

The vessel was released on 9 August 2012.

DETENTIONS CARRIED OVER FROM PREVIOUS MONTHS

Vessel name: – Terry Siete (General Cargo Ship)
Imo No: – 8405933
Flag: – Panama
Company: – PM Shipping International SA
Classification Society: – International Maritime Bureau
Recognised Organisation: – Panama Maritime Documentation Services Inc (PMDS)
Recognised Organisation for ISM: – Panama Maritime Documentation Services Inc (PMDS)

Forty deficiencies including twelve grounds for detention

• Fire damper was seized
• MF/HF Radio Installation was inoperative.

Significant findings related to the structure and watertight integrity including:

• Significantly corroded and holed bulkhead between the cargo hold and ballast tank;
• Two areas where corrosion had holed accommodation bulkheads;
• Corroded and ineffective closing devices on hold vents and missing focsle hatch cover securing arrangements.
• Corroded and holed access trunking,
• Cargo hold cable gooseneck and focsle hatch cover.

Deficiencies marked as ISM were objective evidence of a serious failure, or lack of effectiveness of the implementation of the ISM Code.

The inspection was suspended and the vessel detained with the requirement that the Master request the attendance of the Flag State or Registered Organisation to oversee repairs and confirm rectification of the noted deficiencies and also carry out additional surveys.

The vessel was still detained at 31 August 2012.

Vessel name: – Henty Pioneer (Oil Tanker)
Imo No: – 8416475
Flag: – Nigeria
Classification Society: – Lloyds Register of Shipping (LR)
Recognised Organisation: – None
Recognised Organisation for ISM: – None

Ten deficiencies including ten grounds for detention. Subsequent visits to the vessel found additional deficiencies amounting to a total of thirteen of which ten were detainable.

The vessel was detained in Liverpool for seventy-nine days because the statutory certificates were not on board (Cargo Ship Safety Equipment Certificate, Cargo Ship Safety Construction Certificate, Cargo Ship Safety Radio Certificate, Document of Compliance (ISM), Safety Management Certificate (ISM), Load Line Certificate, Prevention of Pollution Certificate, International Air Pollution Prevention Certificate and International Ship Security Certificate.

The copies of the certificates were confirmed by the flag state to be forged. Also the crew for the intended voyage, as specified in the minimum safe manning document, were not on board.

The vessel was released on 28 August 2012.

Vessel name: – Fingal (General Cargo)
Imo No: – 8324658
Flag: – Curacao
Company: – Lee Shipping Company
Classification Society: – Germanischer Lloyd (GL)
Recognised Organisation: – N/A
Recognised Organisation for ISM: – Bureau Veritas (BV)

Fourteen deficiencies including five grounds for detention. Subsequent visits to the vessel found additional deficiencies amounting to a total of sixteen of which five were detainable.

• Bulkhead at frame 108 was cracked
• The side shell frame 111 was detached
• The side shell frame 110 was buckled,
• Top of frame 113 and deckhead bracket were missing
• Bulkhead on frame 112 was not repaired as required.

There were a number of deficiencies which were objective evidence of a serious failure or lack of effectiveness of implementation of the ISM code on board the vessel.

Other deficiencies included:

• The identity cards on the inflatable liferafts were not completed;
• The whistle was missing from the bridge lifejacket;
• Air pipe closing devices were not secured properly;
• Stability information provided was not in the working language of the vessel;
• Line throwing appliances were not ready for use and some charts had not been updated.

The vessel was released on 1 August 2012.

Vessel Name: – DYCKBURG
IMO No: – 9195913
Flag: – Antigua & Barbuda
Company: – Werse Bereederungs Gmbh
Classification Society: – Lloyds Register of Shipping (LR)
Recognised Organisation: – Germanischer Lloyd (GL)

Seventeen deficiencies including one ground for detention

Large number of Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) related deficiencies which were objective evidence of a serious failure or lack of effectiveness of implementation of the ISM code on board the vessel.

• The main engine was defective
• Engine room was very oily in some areas
• The five year service on the immersion suit in the engine room had expired
• There was no evidence that the freefall lifeboat had been manoeuvred in the water within the last 3 months also there was no evidence that the freefall lifeboat had been freefall launched within the last 6 months;
• Deck officer was not familiar with launching the starboard life raft by davit.

The vessel was still detained at 31 August 2012.

Vessel Name: – MOST SKY General Cargo
IMO No: – 9389370
Flag: – Panama
Company: – ER Em Denizcilik
Classification Society: – Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RMRS)

Twelve deficiencies including four grounds for detention

• Engine room was very dirty
• There were fuel oil leaks and a major non conformity was identified with respect to the lack of maintenance of the ship and equipment.

Other deficiencies identified included:

• The crew/officers records of rest were not signed;
• The crew accommodation was no longer provided with steam heating;
• The galley needed cleaning;
• Insufficient fruit and vegetables on board;
• The crew showers and toilets were dirty and the shower curtains missing and the laundry washing facilities were inadequate.
• Lifejacket lights were out of date;
• The aft deck was slippery underneath the deck generator and several fire doors were tied open.

The vessel was still detained at 31 August 2012.

Vessel Name: – CIEN PORCIENTO (General Cargo)

IMO No: – 8944446
Flag: – Unregistered
Company: – Open Window Inc
Classification Society: – Unclassed
Recognised Organisation: – Not applicable
Recognised Organisation for ISM: – Not applicable

Thirty deficiencies including seven grounds for detention

• Main fire pump was inoperative and there was no alternative fire pump outside the machinery space.
• There were insufficient liferafts
• The sanitary water system was inoperative
• No fresh running water to the galley, pantry and shower room.
• There were no nautical publications and charts were incomplete for the operational area.
• Insufficient provisions for the intended voyage and medicines were out of date.

In addition the following items were found to be missing:

• Distress flares;
• Line throwing appliances;
• Lifebuoys;
• Life jackets with lights;
• Immersion suits; satellite (Emergency Positioning Indicating Radio Beacon) (EPIRB);
• Fire extinguishers and the fire hose nozzle.

The vessel was still detained at 31 August 2012.