Posted - February 17, 2014 - gCaptain
Classification society Lloyd’s Register has warned that the
fire-scorched chemical tanker Maritime Maisie is in danger of breaking
up more than 50 days after
a collision with a car carrier off Busan, South Korea.
A screenshot of the Maritime Maisie following the December 29 collision and fire off Busan.
An update from Lloyd’s Register said that the maximum bending moment
for the ship currently exceeds estimated damage strength limits, adding
that the vessel is in serious danger of breaking up if subjected to
either worsening weather or a long ocean tow.
The Hong Kong-flagged Maritime Maisie was carrying an estimated
30,000 tons of the highly flammable chemical acrylonitrile when it was
involved in a collision with the car carrier Gravity Highway near the
port of Busan on December 29, causing the Maritime Maisie to catch fire.
Damage to the Maritime Maisie
Now, more than 50 days since the collision and a month since the fire
was extinguished, there is growing concern over the structural
integrity of the tanker. The ship has spent the last seven weeks held at
sea by tugs with Japan and South Korea unwilling to give it refuge even
though they risk a wider environmental disaster if it breaks up and
sinks.
SEE ALSO: Maritime Maisie Tanker Shows Flaws in Safe-Haven Rule
Lloyds Registers Ship Emergency Response Service (SERS) has been
working with the ships managers, Singapore-based MSI Shipmanagement, to
develop a plan to best manage the casualty and help ensure the ship can
be taken to a secure anchorage where the remaining cargo can be
transferred safely.
Calculations show that should a complete structural failure occur,
both halves of the ship will remain floating and upright. However, if
sheltered water can be found then further calculations have shown that
the ships remaining cargo can be offloaded without exceeding estimated
strength limits, Lloyd’s Register said. Thus, Lloyd’s Register says, the
call for the Port of Refuge is most critical.
“Continued exposure to seas will weaken the ships structure at some
point it is likely to fail,” commented Wijendra Peiris, SERS Team
Leader, Lloyds Register. “Maritime Maisie needs to be taken to a safe
haven and offload its cargo as soon as possible. We would be very
concerned if the ship is towed for a lengthy period in the open ocean or
remains where she is for an extended period.”
Of the 30,000 tons of cargo the ship was carrying when the collision
occurred, an estimated 4,000 tons was lost to the sea, atmosphere or was
consumed by fire, meaning an estimated 26,000 tons of cargo could
remain on the vessel.
The Maritime Maisie incident was noted as one of the catalysts for
a recent call to action
from shipowners, salvors and insurers for the implementation of
international measures to provide a Place of Refuge for stricken
vessels where casualty vessels have been delayed or denied in accessing a
safe harbor.
Post to be found at:
http://gcaptain.com/maritime-maisie-chemical-tanker-in-danger-of-breaking-up/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gcaptain+%28gCaptain.com%29
ShareThis
