Maritime authorities in New Zealand have brought charges against the captain of a Panama-flagged bulk carrier for allowing his crew to work at height without the use of proper safety equipment. Maritime NZ charged Jianxi Chen, Captain of the Spinnaker SW, with permitting dangerous activity involving ships or maritime products under section 65(2) of the Maritime Transport Act … [Read more...]
Man Overboard Uses Jeans to Survive Hours Lost at Sea
WELLINGTON, March 12 (Reuters) - Knocked overboard in rough seas off New Zealand, a German yachtsman credited his jeans with saving his life after fashioning them into a make-shift life jacket that kept him afloat for over three hours before his rescue by coastguards. Arne Murke, 30, was sailing with his brother in Tolaga Bay, on the east coast of New Zealand's north island, … [Read more...]
Asleep at the Wheel: Fatigue Led to Capsize of Fishing Boat and $27,200 Fine
The vessel ran aground January 11, 2018 after the 17-year-old helmsman fell asleep at the wheel. Crew fatigue led to the grounding and loss of commercial fishing vessel Jan and its owner, Wild Fish (NZ) Limited, being fined $27,200 following prosecution by Maritime NZ. Maritime NZ Northern Regional Manager, Neil Rowarth, said the sole helmsman at the time of the grounding, … [Read more...]
MV Rena Wreck No Longer a Hazard to Navigation
The wreck of the MV Rena on Astrolabe Reef no longer poses a hazard to navigation nearly four and a half years after the containership ran aground resulting in New Zealand's worst maritime environmental disaster. The news comes as Director of Maritime NZ withdrew two statutory notices that declared the wreck a hazard to navigation (under section 100A of the Maritime … [Read more...]
MV Rena Owner Allowed to Abandon Wreck
The owners of the MV Rena will be able to abandon what remains of the shipwreck on New Zealand's Astrolabe Reef but will need to pay for ongoing costs under a strict court order. The ruling was handed down Friday by panel of Commissioners following a five-week hearing that ended last October to determine whether Rena's owner, Diana Shipping, could abandon the remains of the … [Read more...]