The Panama-registered bulk carrier Ikan Sudip was detained by the U.S. Coast Guard after an inspection on Saturday in Astoria, Oregon. Significant environmental and safety violations were found by the inspectors on board of the cargo vessel.
At the time of its entrance to U.S territorial waters last Monday, the 2004-built bulk carrier experienced two separate propulsion losses within 24 hours due to fuel related issues. The propulsion failure fully disabled the vessel at sea. Temporary repair works have been made by the crew to regain a minimal propulsion and the port’s captain expelled the cargo ship from U.S. waters, prohibiting its re-entry till the full repair of the main engine’s fuel system.
On Saturday, all failure issues on the fuel propulsion system were corrected by ship’s crew members and other machinery technicians, which allowed the vessel to enter the Columbia River. The cargo ship was escorted by the Somer S towing vessel.
When the ship was anchored in Astoria, the Marine Safety inspectors of the Portland Unit boarded the vessel. A safety and security inspection was conducted, identifying multiple machinery discrepancies along with environmental violations.
Among the violations found during the inspection were:
- a failure to use engineering procedures required by US and international law, which guide the vessel’s crew through fuel management and vessel propulsion requirements;
- a lack of crew familiarity with emergency rescue drills, specially the structural fire boundary doors designed to prevent fire spreading;
- an inoperable lifesaving equipment;
- a severe corrosion all over the vessel’s machinery piping systems, posing a significant threat to the vessel and crew members.
In order the vessel to be repaired and set to sail safe, the inspectors of the U.S. Coast Guard are working with the Ikan Sudip’s flag state and Nippon Kaiji Kyokai, which is the vessel’s classification society responsible for certification of the vessel’s construction and engineering. The cargo ship owner, the Grace Hawk Shipping, the vessel’s managing company and vessel’s crew members are included in the repair works as well.
According to Ikan Sudip schedule, the vessel has to load potash in Portland and after to depart for Brazil, when all the safety issues have been fixed.
This is the second detention of the vessel by the USCG for less than a year. Last November, Ikan Sudip detained in Longview for discrepancies related to the poor condition of various piping systems in the machinery spaces and deteriorated and inoperable fire hoses.
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