Mauritius

[vic mcclymont]

The bulk carrier which ran aground a few weeks ago on Mauritius, is now leaking oil.
Vic

[Doc Vernon]

Spoiling the very pretty and beautiful Island too Vic
Hope that they can get all that muck under control
Cheers

[Ivan Cloherty]

When you consider that there are circa 55,000 commercial vessels sailing the world's oceans, the incidents of accidents are thankfully minimal, which shows basically two things, one the professionalism of those serving on those vessels and, two the self preservation of said seafarers as no seafarer deliberately runs their ship aground to endanger their own lives. It is sad that this vessel has run aground in an idyllic location and is causing pollution, but we have to keep things in perspective, as is our wont as seafarers and not fall into the trap of the media of making out it is a global disaster which is happening every five minutes and probably calling for a ban on shipping. At this time we do not know the reason why the vessel ran aground, so we as seafarers should keep an open mind and not castigate anyone, I doubt that non professionals are put in charge of 200,000 tonne vessels.

Whilst typing this the BBC has just described it as a tanker, so it must be true as she has about 9 hatches you can pour the oil into.

[happy daze john in oz]

Ivan, you are lucky our ABC said she was a container ship.

But they did say the oil was from the engines so maybe they got something right.

[vic mcclymont]

The bulkier is now breaking up, according to BBC news.
Vic

- - - Updated - - -

In the early seventies Mauritius had a large going tug station at Port Louis.
The tug had been bought by the Island Government, not long after arriving at her home she went on her fist mission. She rescued a ship and the Salvage claim paid for the cost of the tug.
Has the Island abandoned the idea of a Salvage tug based at Port Louis?
Vic

[Ivan Cloherty]

From the latest photos it looks like the vessel's hull is bending two hatches for'd of the bridge. Underwriters are going to be facing one big invoice.

Rescue tug I think was withdrawn over 20 years ago (I stand to be corrected) and a rescue tug was based at Capetown. There used to be one at Port Elizabeth, but that was withdrawn also as it was deemed the one at Capetown would suffice to cover the East Coast. I think that some shore person looks at a map and says the coast is only 30cms long !

[Doc Vernon]

https://portagent.mu/port-facilities/tugs

[Des Taff Jenkins]

When she first went ashore it looked like it was a soft landing, but apparently its on a reef. She was on the way to South America for iron ore,
Maybe the captain was worried about the extent of the virus there, as where he grounded surly wasn't near his track to tha area.
Des

[Ivan Cloherty]

, as where he grounded surly wasn't near his track to tha area.
Des

She was reportedly on passage to Brazil as I've read it from EC India, if she had bunkered in Colombo, Sri Lanka, a usual bunkering port for hundreds of vessels, then she was right on track when passing Mauritius to round the Cape for Brazil. The weather in that area can be very unpredictable, but we will have to wait and see what initiated the incident.

[Ivan Cloherty]

#11 I don't think any of us are in a position to hang anyone before we know the full circumstances leading to the incident, stating the obvious isn't always the cause of the incident. Just my view