The Captain and Chief Officer of an Isle of Man-flagged bulk carrier have been fined in New Zealand for giving false information to authorities after a crew member passed out in the ship’s hold. Captain Walter Damian and Chief Officer Ian Dingaling pleaded guilty in court last week to providing false information to Maritime New Zealand officials and fined $13,500 and $ … [Read more...]
New Zealand Charges Captain Over Unsafe Working Practices
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...]