THE DORVAL SC-operated chemical tanker Golden Mind, which became disabled off the far south of New Zealand during a voyage from Bluff to Melbourne in mid-September, will be towed to a repair yard later this month.
The 12,488 DWT, 124-metre, Panama-flagged tanker, head-owned by the MOL Group, is regularly employed on Dorval SC’s Australasian services. After departing South Port (Bluff) on 9 September, part-laden with sulphuric acid, Golden Mind reported steering difficulties and 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, on 14 September. However, the extreme conditions initially prevented the establishment of a tow connection.
Maritime New Zealand said at the time no mayday had been issued and the crew were safe.
The tanker was expected to be towed to Timaru, where it duly arrived around 0900 on 19 September assisted by local tugs. It was confirmed that Golden Mind had lost its rudder.
On 4 October the Nippon Salvage deepsea tug Koyo Maru departed Moji, Japan for Timaru, where it is expected to arrive next Wednesday [22 October] to tow Golden Mind to an Asian shipyard for rudder replacement.
The 80.64 x 15.5-metre, 2,906 GT, 2024-built Koyo Maru is claimed to be Japan’s most powerful tug and has a bollard pull of almost 166 tonnes. It is capable of 14.5 knots and can carry 57 people.