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"Overlooking Runway 25 - Right, at Los Angeles International Airport"

"Taken For Granite"

Feature Date: July 4 2010

Event Date: June 16 2010

MV Zhong Xing

Countryman & McDaniel

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"Overlooking Runway 25 - Right, at Los Angeles International Airport"

On The Scene -- In The Port of Tampa

 A 2010 Countryman & McDaniel

Cargo Nightmare Prize Contender

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Other Great Disasters of our Time

The Cargo Letter Photo Gallery of Transport Loss - Items Below Are Only A Sample

"Coaling On The Great Barrier Reef" - April 3 2010

"Poor Margaet, She's Just Blasted" - March 8 2010

"The Prisoners of Bothnia" - March 6 2010

"Getting Gil?" - M/V Ady Gil & High Seas Adventure - Feb. 7 2010

"Bear Eats Cub" - Jan. 30 2010

"Life & Death At Port -au-Prince" - Jan. 12 2010

"Royal Air Flight 988 Down - But Why?" - Jan. 5 2010

"Miracle At Kingston" - Dec. 31 2009

"Did You Hear That?" - Dec. 26 2009

"Star Crossed" - JDS Kurama - Dec. 1 2009

"General Motors Increases Training" - Nov. 28 2009

"Singapore Sling" - M/V MSC Kalina - Nov. 12 2009

"Road Warrior" - Important Moments In Transport History - Nov. 2009

"The Bridge On The River Shetrumji" - India Road Trip - Nov. 2009

"Make 25 Knots, Then Sit" - M/V Marko Polo - Nov. 2009

"Reefer Madness" - M/V Vega Gotland - Oct. 2009

"Meet Me At The Roundabout" - M/V MCS Nikita - Sept. 2009

"Auckward Straddle" - Sept. 2009

"Death of M/V Ioannis N.V." - August 2009

"Big Bunch 'O Black Barges - Beached" - Barge Margaret

"Walvis Wollover" - June 2009

"Pacific Mis-Adventure" - May 2009

"MV Maersk Alabama - 206 Year Deja Vu" - April 2009

"The Retaking of M/V Maersk Alabama" - April 2009

"Miracle At Schiphol" - Flight TK 1951 - March. 2009

"Do Not Chill" - FedEx life with the ATR-42 - March. 2009

"Miracle On The Hudson" - Flight 1549 - Jan. 2009

"The Attack On M/V Zhen Hua 4" - Dec. 2008

"The Taking of MT Biscaglia" - Jan. 2009

"M/V Ciudad de Ushuaia Stuck At The Pole" - Dec. 2008

"The Taking of M/T Sirius Star" - Somalia Pirates Take Supertanker - Stakes Raised - Nov.- Jan. 2008

"Fedra Backs In" - Death of M/V Fedra" - Oct. 2008

"Tank You, From The Somali Pirates" - Somalia - M/V Faina - Sept.- Jan. 2009

"The Death of Hercules" - Nov. 2008

"JAXPORT Jumble" - August 2008

"Callsign Connie: 44 Tragic Days" - July 2008

"Too Little Runway - Too Much Plane" - TACA Flt 390 - June 2008

"Recurring Dream" - M/V Norwegian Dream - May 2008

"Paradise & Pirates" - S/V Le Ponant - April 2008

"The Light At The End of The Tunnel" - M/V Zhen Hua 10 & 23 - Mar. 2008

"Mess At Manzanillo" - M/V CMA CGM Dahlia - Mar. 2008

"Big Battered Banana Boat" - M/V Horncliff - Feb. 2008

"Back To The Beach" - M/V Riverdance - Feb. 2008

"Glider Operations At Heathrow" -- B-777 Crash - Jan. 2008

"Fighting Fires On Mars"- Martin Mars - Dec. 2007

"Steeplechase"- A340 - Nov. 2007

"Explorer Ship Down" - M/V Explorer - Nov. 2007

"Kwanyang Crane Kaboom" - Nov. 2007

"Den Den Done" - M/V Denden - Sept. 2007

"For The "L" of It" - M/V Action Alpha - August 2007

"Stack Attack!" - M/V Ital Florida - July 2007

"Pepito Flores Did Not Need To Die " - OUR INVESTIGATION RESULTS

"Riding Down The Marquis" - M/V Rickmars Dalian - June2007

"Carrying Coal To Newcastle" - M/V Pasha Bulker - June 2007

"Between A Yacht & A Hard Place" M/V Madame Butterfly - May 2007

"Boxing Up The Rhine" M/V Excelsior - April 2007

"Best Worst Laid Plans?" M/V Republica di Genoa - March 2007

"Crack'n On The Sidmouth" - M/V MSC Napoli - Jan. 2007 - Disaster In Real Time

"Full Speed Ahead" - M/V Alva Star - Nov. 2006

"Where The Trade Winds Blew" - Oct. 2006

"Singles Only" -- Our One Photo Disasters

These Are Only Examples

"Maersk Montevideo Melee!" - M/V Leda Maersk - Oct. 2006

"Laying Down On The Job" - M/V Cougar Ace -- Aug. 2006 -- Amazing !

"Vine Ripened Tires" - M/V Saga Spray -- May 2006 -- Amazing !

"Mis-Fortune" - M/V Hyundai Fortune - March 2006

"Scheldt Snafu!" - M/V Grande Nigeria - Feb. 2006

"A Day A The Beach - M/V APL Panama - Jan. 2006 - OUR EPIC COVERAGE

"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

"Taichung Tumble" - May 2009

"World's Most Stupid Pirates" - May 2009

"LAX Lunch Deja Vu" - May 2009

M/T Vicuna Explodes - for Jan. 2005

"Unstacked" - overboard & Dr. Beach - Nov. 2004

"Coal Face" - the cargo was danger - July 2004

"Super Loss" - March 2004

"On A Wing & A Prayer" - Jan. 2004

"Stepping In It" - Dec. 2003

"Angel Fire" - Nov. 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 M/V Hanjin 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

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!

The Complete Cargo Letter Photo Gallery of Transport Loss

 

 

A Cargo Nightmare Prize Contender

The Date: June 16 2010

The Time: 9 am

The Place: In The Port of Tampa

The Cargo: Granite

 

"Taken For Granite"

M/V Sophie Oldendorff

On The Scene At The Port of Tampa

June 16 2010

 

M/V Sophie Oldendorff - In Better Days

Note The 259 Foot Long Unloading Boom

M/V Sophie Oldendorff

Flag:Liberia

Type: Cargo -Self Unloading Bulker

Clasification:DNV +1A1

Built: 2000

Length: 225.00 meters

Beam: 32.18 meters

DWT: 70,034 tons

M/V Sophie Oldendorff

Draft: 14.42 meters

Bow Thruster: 1,325 kW

Total Hold Capacity (including hatches): 66,333.24 meters

Length of Boom: 79.00 metres

Discharge Rate

-Coal: 4,000 tons/hr

- Ore: 6,000 tons/hr

Cargo For This Voyage: Granite

At The Port of Tampa. Where There's Smoke, There's ..........

Over 100 Tampa Firefighters Respond To A Four Alarm Blaze

The Fire Crews Are Along Side 742-foot Liberian-flagged M/V Sophie Oldendorff Which Was Discharging Her Cargo of Granite.

M/V Sophie Oldendorff Burns In Port of Tampa. But How Does Granite Catch Fire?

Twenty-four Fire Trucks & The Tampa's Fire Boat Spewing 6,000 Gallons of Water A Minute Onto M/V Sophie Oldendorff

 

Tampa*s New Fire Boat Patriot Pumps 13,500 Gallons of Water Per Minute On M/V Sophie Oldendorff

This Is A First Major Vessel Fire For Patriot During Her 9 Months On The Job 

Port Tug Uses Fire Suppression Equipment Along Side M/V Sophie Oldendorff

Tugs & Fire Boat Patriot Work Along Side M/V Sophie Oldendorff

M/V Sophie Oldendorff Crew Fight The Fire Aboard Their Ship. Why Is The Cargo of Granite Burning?

The Fire Is Traced To The Vessel's Massive 259 Foot Long Unloading Boom. Overheated Rollers On The Rubber Conveyor Belt Is The Problem.

The Cargo Was Not Burning, But We Took It For Granite You Already Knew That!

M/V Sophie Oldendorff Afire At Port of Tampa - June 16 2010
A set of conveyor belts on M/V Sophie Oldendorff unloading granite gravel at the Port of Tampa caught fire this morning, sending up clouds of smoke visible for miles.

It took 100 firefighters &endash; about three-quarters of the number on duty citywide on a typical day &endash; roughly four hours to bring the blaze under control.

Twenty-four fire trucks and the city's fire boat spewing 6,000 gallons of water a minute battled the stubborn blaze aboard the 742-foot M/V Sophie Oldendorff, which began unloading its cargo June 15 night, said Tampa Fire Rescue Capt. Bill Wade.

Five firefighters were transported to local hospitals with heat exhaustion, but no other injuries were reported. The firefighters were expected to be treated and released today.

The Liberian-flagged ship's 32 crew members, all of whom are from abroad, were kept in their quarters well away from the fire. The vessel's last port of call was in Canada.

The fire was caused by a mechanical failure of the conveyor belt system, U.S. Coast Guard officials said. It will cost more than US$1M to repair the conveyor belt arm. The ship, valued at more than US$50M, wasn't damaged.

The Coast Guard placed restrictions on the port channel during the fire. Ships were allowed to enter and exit the channel but were required to notify firefighters on the city's fire boat Patriot.

A dockside sulfuric acid pipeline was shut off and crews kept the pipeline cool in case it contained residual acid, Wade said.

A power line fell on a fence and the acid pipe, complicating the firefighting work.

The fire department received the call about 9 a.m. When the first fire trucks arrived, the ship's crew was trying to extinguish the flames.

Wade said members of the ship's crew noticed the belts smoking but quickly realized the fire was beyond their ability to fight and called the fire department.

Firefighters used foam and water but were hampered by the excessive heat and by the large metal housing enclosing the row of three conveyor belts, which stretch as wide as two houses. Firefighters had to spray water on the fire through openings in the metal housing.

Foam was used because the melting rubber and plastic belts create a flammable material, Wade said.

A portion of the row of belts collapsed about 10:15 a.m. The belts stretch into the ship's cargo hold and extend at least 70 feet from the ship to the dock.

All the ship's hatches and doors were closed to allow the water being sprayed on the fire to drain from the vessel's scuppers and to keep the ship from listing, Wade said.

The department sent a large contingent of firefighters to allow it to rotate crews because of the intense heat. The heat index in Tampa this morning was more than 100 degrees.

"It is one of the hottest fires I've been in as far as the temperature outside," said Brian Duke, a firefighter for 12 years.

The Conveyer Belt Within The Unloading Boom Will Cost Over US$1M To Repair


"Coming To Tampa"

 

Tampa's Fire Boat -- The Patriot
The fire aboard M/V Sophie Oldendorff at the Port of Tampa could have been much worse, but a new high-tech boat made fighting the blaze a lot easier.

It was the rubber in several conveyor belts that caught fire, making the flames tough to put out.

Tampa Fire Rescue only got the multimillion dollar vessel, the Patriot, last fall and were still training on it when the fire broke out. Though it is still considered a training vessel for the time being, putting the Patriot into use really helped in the battle.

The firefighters on the dock were having a difficult time getting the blaze under control, Captain Bill Wade said and using the vessel on the water side made it possible to attack the flames from two different angles.

"With this vessel, the way that it's built, it's set up not only as a fire fighting vessel but also as a command and control vessel," Wade said. "The firefighters on this vessel had the ability to see what's going on with this ship that is burning, they can control the situation from their side and make sure that fire crews are acting safely, because fighting a ship is much different than fighting a fire in a building."

There is one hose on the top of the Patriot, along with two in front and two at the back of the vessel. They can pump a total of 13,500 gallons of water per minute. Captain Wade says that is about the equivalent of nine fire trucks.

 A Team From The U.S. Coast Guard Looks On As A Worker With Towboat USA Runs After A Loose Rope

Trying To Dislodge Tampa Fire Rescue's Newest & Largest Fireboat From Vilano Beach.

The Towboat Albert Pike Prepares To Rescue The Rescuer

Aboard The Patriot- Sept. 24 2009
Tampa Fire Rescue's largest boat ran ashore on Vilano Beach late Sept. 23 night, and crews worked Sept. 24 to get it back on the water.

Its the same story that it ever was. It is probably safe to assume that the captain and crew were unfamiliar with the dynamic environmental conditions that prevail in the waters around our nation's oldest port. And so around 11 p.m. the 69' vessel found itself stranded near Porpoise Point at the north end of the inlet, as have ships for centuries attempting to make safe harbor in St. Augustine.

The area known as the North Shoals have seen many vessels come to grief, including a number of shrimp boats during the heyday of St. Augustine shrimping earlier in the 20th century. In previous centuries, when the mouth of the inlet was further south, similar breakers and shoals caused the same problem for ships attempting to enter our port. The historic submerged landscape was even more dynamic before the stabilizing actions of jetties and dredging maintained since the 1940s by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Confederate privateer Jefferson Davis ended up stranded on the North Breakers in 1861, a location that today is offshore and north of the relict inlet, around 2 miles south of our present-day inlet

Bill Wade, Tampa Fire Rescue spokesman, said he and a crew of six were sailing the 69-foot vessel from Canada down to Tampa. The group planned to stay in St. Augustine for the night, but about 11 p.m. they hit ground while navigating through the channel near Porpoise Point, Wade said.

"We like St. Augustine so much we decided to stay here," he said with a laugh.

No one was injured and the boat was not damaged when it grounded.

The towboat Albert Pike pulled the Fire Rescue vessel off the shore about 1 p.m. Sept. 24.

U.S. Coast Guard LT. Commander Mark Gibbs and several other Coast Guard members oversaw the process. He said they were ensuring it did not impact the environment.

Wade said the boat is Tampa Fire Rescue's largest and it can pump the same amount of water as 10 fire trucks. For the last five years, it was being built in Ontario, Canada, where a crew began their trip sailing trip on Sept. 11 back down to Florida.

"If this is the worst thing that happens in its lifetime that's not too bad," Wade said.


Shippers Must Have Quality Marine Cargo Insurance ........ Because......... "Ship Happens! ©"

To Repeat -- No Matter How Careful You Are -- Or Who You Hire ....... "Ship Happens! ©"

Get Your "Ship Happens! ©" Gear!

Visit The Cargo Law Ship's Store For Great Industry Gift Ideas!


The Dedication of This Feature Is Simple: To The Crew of MV Zhong Xing and to the familes of the Torres Strait Islander Flag


SPECIAL NOTE: The historic dangers of carriage by air & sae 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 very dangerous out there.


INDEX TO OUR "Taken For Granite" PAGE SPECIAL FEATURES:

Important Links To Our Feature:
Video of The Fire

MetalCraft Marine - builders of Patriot

Patriot Video

Our Daily Vessel Casualties - stay informed

"Singles Only" - visit our individual moments of transport crisis for more.

The Greatest Container Losses Of All Time - these are the grand fathers -

M/V OOCL America

M/V APL China

M/V APL Panama - The EPIC

"Great Misfortune"- M/V Hyundai Fortune - March 2006


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 very dangerous out there.


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.  

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