Cargo Vessel Damage: Rough Handling Leads to Extensive Repairs

On December 26, 2022, at 1500hrs, the vessel was delivered from Western Bulk to Cargill Ocean Transportation, Singapore, at DLOSP Bell Bay, AU, Tasmania. Its purpose was to undertake a voyage from New Zealand to Rizhao, China, carrying timber. The vessel loaded 21,066 metric tons of timber in Nelson, New Zealand, from December 31, 2022, to January 5, 2023. Subsequently, it proceeded to New Plymouth and loaded an additional 16,884 tons of timber from January 6 to January 9, 2023.

During the loading process on January 8, the captain issued a protest letter, stating that the workers' rough handling and failure to follow the crew's instructions had caused damage to the vessel. The captain declared that further inspections would be conducted after discharge. On January 9, 2023, the vessel departed from the loading port, en route to the destination port of Rizhao. The cargo was discharged in Rizhao between January 29 and February 5. Throughout the discharge process, the crew continuously inspected the condition of the cargo holds and subsequently signed the Letter of Protest (LOP). From February 1 to February 3, the captain signed a total of 19 LOPs, which indicated damage to ladders, platforms, protection bars, and sounding pipes in all cargo holds.

After completing this voyage, on February 5, 2023, the vessel was delivered to the next charterer at DLOSP Lanshan. The charterer was Cargill Ocean Transportation, Singapore, and the voyage involved cargo discharge from Japan to Australia. The off-hire survey was conducted in Rizhao, while the on-hire survey took place in Japan. Both surveys revealed significant damage to the outfittings in the cargo holds. Upon arrival in Australia, the vessel received a warning from local safety inspectors, who mandated prompt rectification of the identified issues. The crew managed to repair some of the damaged handrails. Additionally, the shipowner arranged for a classification society inspector to assess the damage, and the inspector requested that the repairs be completed before September. Ultimately, the repairs were scheduled to be carried out in Yantai. The shipowner duly notified Western Bulk, our principal, as well as sub-charterer Cargill Ocean Transportation, Singapore, and the voyage charterer, Tenco, about this voyage.