Posted on February 10, 2023 at 12:27 p.m. by
The Maritime Executive
Authorities in Australia have moved to avert a potential environmental incident by ordering a Western Australian port authority to allow a damaged cargo ship to dock for repairs. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said it has issued a legal order to the Albany Port Authority to allow ICS Silver Spirita cargo ship that was suffering from engine failure and at risk of sinking, to enter port for repairs.
AMSA said it had received a report that the Bahamian-registered cargo ship was experiencing reduced speed after anchoring for engine maintenance. The 13,479 dwt vessel remained at anchor for four days and reported to authorities that it continued to have engine problems that required further repairs. The ship had arrived earlier this week anchoring about 12 miles from the harbor entrance.
The ICS Silver Spirit, built in 2006, is a 447-foot general cargo vessel operated by Inco Ships based in Sydney, Australia. The ship left the Netherlands on December 27, making its way through the Suez Canal before arriving in Australia. He went to Hobart.
“We have significant concerns about the state of the ICS Silver Spiritand no one wants to see this vessel stranded,” said Mark Morrow, AMSA’s Marine Emergency Response Commander. “As such, AMSA has taken decisive action to direct the Port Authority to accept this vessel.”
He added that AMSA has been monitoring the cargo ship’s situation over the past few days and will continue to work with all stakeholders, including the Western Australian Government, to ensure the ship and its crew arrive safely in port.
Located about 250 miles south of Perth, Western Australia, the Port of Albany is a bulk product port that handles grain, wood chips and silica sand as the majority of its exports, while fertilizers and fuel are the port’s main imports. The Port Authority which operates the port, which normally handles around 150 ships, said they welcomed the ship which has now docked in Albany. The aforementioned exploration and planning work was underway.
AMSA’s decision to act was partly due to the increased frequency of casualties involving merchant ships. AMSA said it has been watching for the past 12 months. The common denominator contributing to these events is failures of a ship’s power generation and/or main engines, AMSA noted, saying it will continue to focus on planned maintenance of propulsion and auxiliary systems.
