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Melbourne reporters May 09, 2008
A REPEAT of the Pasha Bulker fiasco ¿ when a large bulk carrier beached off the east coast for almost a month last year - was averted today after a container ship ran aground in Melbourne's Port Phillip Bay.The 160m-long vessel was stranded in sand at Hovell Pile, off Rosebud in the south of the bay, for a couple of hours after coming to grief at 6am. The Sydney-bound container ship Francoise Gilot lost power and drifted out of the shipping channel and onto sand in the south of the bay. Two tugboats were sent to help the stricken ship but it managed, under its own power, to pull free of the sand near Macrae. “She's free and she's making her way up to the north of the bay on her own steam,” Port of Melbourne Corporation spokesman Peter Harry said. Mr Harry said the two tugboats would meet the cargo ship and escort it back to anchorage in Melbourne where it would undergo a full assessment. He said the cause of the incident would be investigated, most likely by Marine Safety Victoria. “We think that she may have lost power and as a result that compromised the steerage of the vessel.” Early indications were that the ship's hull was undamaged and the pilot reported no breaches to the integrity of the ship, Mr Harry said. Victoria Police spokeswoman Marika Fengler said the ship would dock at the inner anchorage, about 3km south of Williamstown. “The Water Police will meet the ship, they'll board the ship and they'll breath-test the captain and crew as per usual procedure,” she said. The Pasha Bulker spent almost a month on Nobbys Beach, near Newcastle, last winter after running aground in severe weather.
1 comment:
And this will be the last we will hear about this even if the captain was drunk. Where do these captains get their licenses from? A Weeties packet? Yes, before everyone jumps on that comment, I am saying that there are too many mishaps lately and I want to know the cause but it is never shown. They are responsible for the lives of their crew, the ship itself and the surrounding environment and should be brought to task for these. Was it just a mistake, yes mistakes happen, but responsibility is a major question here.
The consequences of these captains actions should be the same as an airline pilot as they are putting the lives of people at risk, maybe not from immediate death but from contamination of the environment which should be a major responsibility for these captains and loss of life could occur from their actions.
Did he know how deep the channel was? Did he step out for a smoke? Did he have a nip of alcohol while he was having a look at the view?
These captains should be brought before a tribunal and demanded a full report the same as a court martial in the armed forces. Responsibility for their actions.
Justaconsumer
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