SMALL tankers have been in trouble on both sides of The Ditch over the weekend.
The Dorval SC-operated Golden Mind, a 12,488 DWT, Panama-flagged chemical/products tanker regularly employed on the company’s Australasian services, suffered steering failure – reported by some sources as rudder loss – in wild weather off the southern tip of NZ after departing South Port (Bluff) on 9 September for Melbourne.
The 124-metre vessel, head-owned by the MOL Group, and part-laden with sulphuric acid, took shelter west of Stewart Island in conditions reported as 8+ metres seas and gale-force winds
The AHTS MMA Vision, contracted earlier this year by the NZ Government as an emergency standby vessel for Cook Strait, departed Wellington 11 September under commercial arrangements and reached Golden Mind, which had moved further away from land, yesterday afternoon.
However, Maritime New Zealand this morning said weather conditions would determine when a connection could be established. No mayday had been issued and the crew were safe, it said. The tanker was expected to be towed to Timaru.
Closer to home Jal Siddhi, a 19,805 DWT chemical/product tanker built in 2006 and flagged in Singapore, broke down off the south-west coast of Victoria on Friday (12 September) after sailing from Geelong the previous day for Port Adelaide.
The tanker was attended by Geelong-based tug Svitzer Albatross but the latter was released and Jal Siddhi proceeded at slow speed to anchor off Portland. It is now shown as arriving Port Adelaide on Wednesday.
AMSA told DCN it is aware that the foreign-flagged vessel Jal Siddhi is currently undergoing repairs at anchorage off Portland.
“The Authority is working closely with the ship’s master, owners and other relevant parties to ensure the ship is seaworthy before it moves to its destination port,” a spokesperson said. “AMSA will attend the vessel upon arrival.”
Equasis lists Jaldhi Overseas Pte Ltd of Singapore as owners/managers; under previous name Bow Fuji (2019) it was an intermittent visitor to Australia.