"Overlooking Runway 25 - Right, at Los Angeles International Airport"
M/V Springbok Vs. LPG Carrier M/T Gas Roman
Feature Date: May, 2003
Event Date: February 27, 2003
The Air & Ocean Logistics- Customs Broker Attorneys
"Overlooking Runway 25 - Right, at Los Angeles International Airport"
On The Scene -- at Singapore!
The 2003 Countryman & McDaniel
Cargo Nightmare 4th Place Prize Winner
Details Below
|
|
Our Staff Attorneys & Law Firm Profile The Cargo Law Network - Correspondent Lawyers In The U.S. & Most Major Trading Nations Library & Search Engine of The Cargo Letter Search Engine For This Internet Portal - Find Everything You Need Transport Reference Desk - Virtual Transport Library |
24 Hour Int'l Vessel Casualties & Pirates Database The Photo Gallery of Cargo Loss - Photos & Lessons Learned Transport Law Navigator - all air, ocean, motor & customs laws Library & Search Engine of The Cargo Letter Mega Portal of Trade & Transport References And Services General Reference Desk - virtual public library |
TRANS CAMS © - over 490 Transport Cams, 40 Satellites, Streaming Video, Transport Sounds, Short Wave Radio & Air Traffic Control! CLICK HERE |
Use The Search Engine Here:
|
|
|
"Ship-To-Shore-Onto Ship" - Nov. 2007 "Scheldt Snafu!" - M/V Grande Nigeria - Feb. 2006 because Ship Happens© "A Day At The Beach" - M/V APL Panama - Jan. 2006 "Curse of The Pequot" - M/V Maersk Holyhead - Jan. 2006 "NO Rails" - destruction of New Orleans - Dec. 2005 "Backhaul !" - for July 2005 "The Boeing Tri-Motor" - for April 2005 "Catch of The Day" - for March 2005 "One Brick Short of A Runway" - for Jan. 2005 M/T Vicuna Explodes - for Jan. 2005 "Unstacked" - overboard & Dr. Beach - Nov. 2004 "Coal Face" - the cargo was danger - July 2004 "Sea (to) Land Express" - May 2004 "Super Loss" - March 2004 "Rocknes Monster" - Feb. 2004 "On A Wing & A Prayer" - Jan. 2004 "Stepping In It" - Dec. 2003 "Angel Fire" - Nov. 2003 "Pelican's Peril" - collision on River Scheldt - Aug. 2003 "Broken Spirit" - M/V Tasman Spirit - Aug. 2003 "Denise & Polargo" - a love story - July 2003 "Columbia River Round Up" - June 2003 "Keel Hualed" - M/V Hual Europe - May 2003 "Thrice Bitten" -- M/V Tricolor - Jan. 2003 "Ramp-Age" - Feb. 2003 "Piñata" - breaking the box - Jan. 2003 "Halifax Hash"--M/V Maersk Carolina - Jan. 2003 |
"Thar She Blows!" - M/V Hanjin Pennsylvania - Nov. 2002 "T-E-U Bar-Be-Cue" - aftermath of the Pennsylvania "Container Pool" - a mystery - May 2002 "Strangers On My Flight" -- by Frank Sinatra - don't blame us - we only report this stuff! "Dropping In On The Trucker" - it happened again - April 2002 "UNDER Achiever" - tell your friends ! - March 2002 "Singles Only" -- Our One Photo Disasters Tell It To The U.S. Marines! - A Symbol of Our Day of Infamy - Sept. 11 Heavy Metal - lifting the un-liftable object - Disaster at Monrovia July 2001 Rail Mate -- an Egyptian rail loss - Tragedy At Ain Sokhna July 2001 Meals: Ready To Explode - Navy container barbecue at Guam! June 2001 America West Kisses Concrete M/V Ville De Orion - stack shift at LAX U.S. Navy EP- 3 -- China Hostage Situation - Spring 2001 Attack On USS Cole (DDG-67) - - Dramatic Photos! M/V OOCL America - Feb. 2000 M/V APL China - world's greatest container disaster - Nov. 1998 M/V New Carissa - the ship that would not die - 1999 M/V Tampa Maersk "on a dock diet" Hanjin's Bad Stab - Under The Dock At Pusan, Korea - Exclusive Photo! |
|
"T-Boned" On The Scene At Singapore In The South China Sea |
|
M/V Springbok Vs. LPG Carrier M/T Gas Roman |
The Time: 12.06 am LT
The Date: February 27 2003
The Place: Approach To Singapore
"T-Bone" (te bone) A NOUN
"A thick porterhouse steak taken from the small end of the loin & containing a T-shaped bone.Also called "T-bone steak."
ALSO A VERB - "The action of one conveyance striking another conveyance at a perfect angle of 90 degrees."
M/V
Springbok
Vs. M/T
Gas Roman Vessel:
M/T Gas
Roman Built:
1990 Registry:
Panama Vessel Type:
LPG Gas Carrier Tonnage:
55,000 dwt Length: 230
Meter Beam: 36.60
Meter Injuries:
0 Cargo: 44,000
cbm of natural gas Trade Lane:
Kuwait for discharge in South Korea Vessel:
M/V
Springbok Built:
1979 Registry:
Singapore Vessel Tyupe:
Timber Carrier Tonnage:
15,000 dwt Length: 144
Meter Beam: 20.40
Meter Injuries:
1 Cargo: 4000
cbm of sawned timber Trade Lane:
Sarawak for discharge in South Africa
PROLOG >> It's early Thurs., 27 Feb. 2003 -- just after midnight -- two merchants are 31km - N.E. of the Horsburgh Lighthouse on Pedra Branca, as M/V Springbo & M/T Gas Roman approach the mega-port of Singapore.
It's all quiet on the two command bridges -- perhaps some coffee is served for the late watch. All bridge officers & crew are mindful that they are crossing an area of recent, fateful history -- a tragic loss
-- also occurring in the dead of night, early on Jan 3, 2003.
FROM: The Cargo Letter -- "Singapore Navy 500gt anti-submarine patrol RSS Courageous (built 1996) & merchant M/V ANL Indonesia, for South Korea, in collision off Pedra Branca, an islet claimed by both Singapore & Malaysia late Jan, 3 -- injuring 8 navy crew & trapping 4 in warship sleeping quarters located aft where most severe damage sustained. Efforts ongoing to free 4 female cew sleeping in quarters at time of collision. Situation does not look good. One body found." (Fri. Jan. 3 2003) (UPDATE>> The 4 trapped, died -- loss of 4 women navy personnel. Sat. Jan. 4 2003)
After Paying Their Respects, The Bridge Crews of M/V Springbo & M/T Gas Roman Returned To Their Late Watch Work --
FIRST the deafening sound of metal hulls crushing into each other.
THEN -- a jolting shock greater than an earthquake -- smashes the crews against steel.
Sounds & violence that will probably stay in the minds of the crews of these vessels forever.
M/T Gas Roman collided bow on 90 degrees into the portside of the No 4 cargo hold of M/V Springbok just feet away from the superstructure. It was an exact 90 degrees "T" in shape.M/V Springbok suffered massive damage to her mid-section near crew's quarters at No. 4 cargo hold.
Damage is severe & the ships are still stuck to each other, leaving salvage experts to ponder how to separate the ships. The M/T Gas Roman's bulkhead appeared to be fused to the mid-section of M/V Springbok.
How was that last cup of watch coffee?
M/V Springbok was laden with 4000 cbm of sawned timber from Sarawak for discharge in South Africa, while M/T Gas Roman carried 44,000 cbm, of gas from Kuwait to Korea.Semco Salvage & Marine PTE Ltd was awarded the LOF 2000 salvage on same day as the crash -- 27 Feb. 2003 -- by owners of M/V Springbok, Kudu Shipping. On receiving this news the 3000 hp salvage tug M/V Salvirile was immediately despatched to the location about 16nm NE of the Horsburgh Lighthouse.
SMIT Salvage was awarded the LOF 2000 salvage by owners of M/T Gas Roman the following morning, Feb. 28 2003.
NOTE: In this early 27 Feb photo, M/T Gas Roman is seen making turns in an attempt to withdraw -- but she is quite stuck.
One week after the collision, both ships are still stuck together & drifting in the vicinity of the South China Seas. Both crews were unhurt & have been evacuated. The salvage teams are now faced with a complex situation.TWO STUCK VESSELS >> HOW TO "UNSTICK" WITHOUT SINKING BOTH?
The 2 salvage companies, Semco Salvage & Marine Pte Ltd and SMIT Salvage BV, have been given a 'blank check to perform salvage operations -- but they will only be paid if the operations are successful.
With the bow of M/T Gas Roman impaled almost midway to the centreline, the salvage team led by senior salvage master Capt Dave Betts knew that any separation without properly stabilizing M/V Springbok would only invite disaster, in that the vessel could well capsize. Stability calculations done later confirmed that this would be the case if the Gas Roman was pulled out. In any case, it was found that the bottom plating of the Springbok had sliced through into the bulbous bow of M/T Gas Roman.
The timber cargoes from M/V Springbok Nos 2, 3 & 5 holds were discharged onto deck cargo barge Sea Conquest. Two gangs of stevedores were mobilized from Singapore to the location to assist. With the lower holds of 2 & 3 found flooded with contaminated fuel water, salvage divers were sent into these holds to patch up the leaks on the bulkhead separating them.
The two vessels (still connected T ñ shape) vessels were allowed to drift southwards towards more sheltered waters, finally arriving at location east of Pulau Binting, in Lat 00 43 North Long 104 38 East, where conditions for safe discharge work and separation could be met. This condition where safe separation could be met was reached in the early afternoon of 2 Mar 2003 at about 1345 hrs Singapore time. The separation operation was completed after the successful offloading & patching (the mounting of steal plates onto the damaged hull) activities onboard the Springbok. All work was performed under close guidance of a marine chemist. Both vessels separated rather easily and there was no pollution although pollution control measures were taken.Over the next 3 days, work was focus on temporarily strengthening the damaged hold of the Springbok with 3 x 75 ft 12 - "I" beams across it including laying of a 12m x 2m steel fencing across the gaping hold to keep the cargo inside from coming out during the voyage to Singapore.
Now, time for another cup of coffee, or someting quite stronger.
SPECIAL
NOTE: The historic dangers of
carriage by sea continue to be quite real. Shippers must be
encouraged to purchase high quality marine cargo insurance from their
freight forwarder or
customs broker. It's
dangerous out there.
INDEX TO OUR
"T-Boned"
PAGE SPECIAL
FEATURES:
Horsburgh LighthouseHorsburgh Lighthouse Tide PredictionsSemco Salvage & Marine PTE Ltd
SMIT Salvage - 160 years of service
SMIT Salvage participated in raising & salavage ofthe Russian nuclear submarine Kursk from May 18 to Oct.23, 2001Specical Smit Salvage page for this loss
The following Semco vessels & Personnel Were Involved In This Salvage :
Salvage tugs M/V Salvirile & M/V SalvaletAssist tugs M/V Salvictor 6 & M/V Salvictor 7
Accommodation / Cranebarge L88
Flat top barge L65
Deck cargo barge Sea Conquest
Fast launch Salvern
The salvage team of Semco Salvage & Marine PTE Ltd was led by senior salvage master Capt Dave Betts, assisted by salvage masters Mr. Then Divet & Mr. Mike Toh and also a team of divers & riggers.
The Historic Ro/Ro Ferry Disasters -
M/V Herald of Free Enterprise car ferry disaster in 1987 near Zeebrugge harßbor.M/V Estonia ferry distaster in 1994
Estonia - what really Happened?C/F Express Samina - ferry disaster in 2000
M/V Modern Drive - Our Feature May 2001
M/V Modern Drive Page 2M/V La Joola - ferry disaster in Snegal, 2002
M/V Tricolor - "Thrice Bitten" feature, 2003
M/V Jolly Robino - Our Feature 2003
The Historic Container Disasters --
M/V OOCL America - Feb. 2000M/V APL China - world's greatest container disaster of all time - Nov. 1998
NOTE: Please Provide Us With Your Additional Information For This Loss.
EDITOR'S NOTE FOR SURVEYORS, ATTORNEYS & MARINE ADJUSTERS: The Internet edition effort of The Cargo Letter now celebrates it's 8th Year of Service -- making us quite senior in this segment of the industry. We once estimated container underway losses at about 1,500 per year. Lloyd's put that figure at about 10,000 earlier this year. Quite obviously, the reporting mechanism for these massive losses is not supported by the lines. News of these events is not posted to the maritime community. Our new project is to call upon you -- those handling the claims -- to let us know of each container loss at sea-- in confidentiality. Many of you survey on behalf of cargo interests with no need for confidentiality. Others work for the lines & need to be protected. As a respected Int'l publication, The Cargo Letter enjoys full press privileges & cannot be forced to disclose our sources of information. No successful attempt has ever been made. If a personal notation for your report is desired -- each contributor will be given a "hot link" to your company Website in each & every report. Please take moment & report your "overside" containers to us. If you do not wish attribution, your entry will be "anonymous." This will will benefit our industry -- for obvious reasons! McD
NOTE: The Cargo Letter wants you to know that by keeping the identity of our contributors 100% Confidential, you are able to view our continuing series of "Cargo Disasters." Our friends send us materials which benefit the industry. The materials are provided to our news publication with complete and enforceable confidentiality for the sender. In turn, we provide these materials to you.
| Cargo law Main Page | The Freight Detective | Law Navigator | Claims Calculator |
| The Freight Detective General Investigations | The Freight Detective Transport Investigations |
| The Logistics Chain | Photo Gallery of Cargo Loss | Our Staff |
| Trans-Cams | Forwarder/Broker Industry Chat & Issue Discussion Board |
The Law Offices of Countryman & McDaniel
Eleventh Floor LAX Airport Center
5933 West Century Boulevard
Los Angeles, California, 90045
(310) 342-6500 Voice
(310) 342-6505 Fax
to The Law Offices of Countryman & McDaniel