Casualty Briefs 21-May 2009

GOLIATH (Netherlands)
London, May 13
Multraship has successfully salved sinking dipper dredger Goliath off the coast of Kent.
The 67-metre Van Oordowned dipper dredger has now been towed to the Moerdijk area for further inspection.
Goliath was under tow from The Netherlands to Ireland by Sea Contractors tug Sea Alfa when she began taking water and sinking off the Kent coast on May 9.
Multraship salvage specialists were called in and advised the tug master to beach the dredger between Deal and Kingsdown to prevent the vessel sinking.
A full salvage spread was then mobilised on the tug Viking and by helicopter from Nieuwpoort.
Working on site with the added assistance of fast response craft Multraship Responder, salvage divers conducted a thorough inspection. The sources of water ingress on both sides and via one vent cover were established and sealed. The vessel was then pumped out, refloated and after a full diving inspection towed to Holland.
The Goliath was unmanned and had 130 tonnes of fuel oil on board. There were no casualties and no spillages.
AUSTRALIS (Cyprus)
Kiel, May 14
Combined chemical and oil tanker Australis (1,921 gt, built 2008) entered the Brevik river on May 13 with the port side anchor chain tangled around the hull and anchor.
The vessel, which was bound for Heroya, stopped off at Trosvik for 45 minutes to clear the obstruction and was assisted by the Norwegian tug Bukken.
After the anchor was cleared, the ship entered port.
PERE CHARLES (Eire)
London, May 14
Demands have been made for the ill-fated fishing trawlers Pere Charles and Maggie B to be moved as they are still in Arklow Harbour, Eire over 18 months after they arrived for a one month inspection.
Arklow Harbour-master James Heaney said that the vessels were initially stationed there for an estimated one month but almost two years later, they are still there.
The trawlers, which were recovered after they sank off the Wexford coast, are in a dreadfully dangerous state and must be moved before another accident occurs, Mr Heaney said.
“We have written to everyone we could think of, the DPP, the Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB), the Gardai (police) and we have been passed from Billy to Jack for months. We are very concerned about safety issues,” he said.
“This is what we want.  We were told to go to the Gardai, but they directed us to the MCIB. We are still awaiting a response from them,” he said.
A spokesperson for the Department of Transport said as the boats are classed as evidence so they cannot be moved until a direction is given by the DPP.
“Following the findings of the MCIB, the Gardai prepared files on both vessels and submitted them to the DPP.
As potential evidence in a crime, the vessels cannot be disposed of until the DPP has decided whether or not to pursue a criminal case,” the statement said.
The Maggie B sank off the Wexford coast in March 2006 with the loss of two lives.
The Pere Charles was recovered after she sank in January 2007. Five men perished in the tragedy.
SCOT ISLES (UK)
London, May 14
A “complacent attitude” to keeping watch contributed to a collision between two vessels in the English Channel, an accident report has said.
Cargo/training vessel Scot Isles lost 60 tons of marine gas oil into the sea in an incident involving bulk carrier Wadi Halfa in the Dover Strait.
The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) said the Scot Isles watchkeeper did not detect Wadi Halfa.
The Wadi Halfa‘s watchkeeper saw Scot Isles but could not stop the collision.
The Scot Isles was heading from Rochester, Kent to Antwerp when the collision took place in the early hours of October 20, 2008.
“As a result of a complacent attitude to bridge watchkeeping on both vessels, safety barriers which would have warned the bridge watchkeeping officers of the risk of a collision were not in place,” the MAIB report said.
“No lookout was present on either bridge at the time of the collision, and the vessels’ radars and other bridge equipment were not used effectively.
“The oil spillage resulted from extensive damage to the starboards side of the Scot Isles, with the vessel proceeding to Dunkirk for repairs.
The Wadi Halfa was damaged, less severely, on the port side and she was able to resume her passage to Bremen in Germany.
Safety recommendations made in the MAIB report highlight the importance of lookouts.
BARGE SUNK, FORCADOS, NIGERIA
London, May 13
A barge laden with thousands of tonnes of stolen crude oil was sunk near Shell’s Forcados oil terminal in Delta State, off the coast of Nigeria, a military spokesman said.
Spokesman of the Joint Task Force (JTF) in the area, Lt. Col. Rabe Abubakar, said last week that the barge was scuttled by her crew who fled before they could be arrested by the security forces.
“None of the crew members was arrested as they had swum to safety before the arrival of security agents,” Lt. Col. Abubakar said.
It was suspected that the crew may have been tipped off that they were being pursued by the military, apparently due to their strong military and political connections.
The Nigerian Federal Government loses billions of dollars of revenue every year to crude oil theft, known as “bunkering.”
The barge, which was said to be carrying 2,000 tonnes of allegedly stolen crude oil, also caused some environmental damage as she sank near the Forcados oil terminal.