SST
The 183 meter long, 42512 bulk freighter SST was reported aground near Singapore. Salvagers were contacted to help refloat the vessel. No further details reported.
Quest
The 52 foot long fishing vessel Quest sent out a distress call to the Coast Guard while off Westport, Washington. The Quest had suffered water ingress and the pumps on board were not able to keep up with the flooding. The crew of four donned survival suits and were preparing to abandon ship. The coast guard dispatched a helicopter along with the 47-foot motor lifeboat to the scene. The helicopter arrived on scene with three of the crew in a liferaft and one in the water. The helicopter hoisted all four men safely and were flown to shore where the crew were examined by medical personnel. No reports of injuries. The Quest later sank with some 250 gallons of diesel fuel on board. The motor lifeboat arrived on scene and pulled the vessel’s EPIRB from the water and checked for released pollution.
Seawind Abandoned and Lost
The 101 meter long, 3639 dwt freighter Seawind sank near the port of Fortaleza, Brazil. The Seawind had been at anchor when it suffered water ingress. The water ingress was uncontrolled and eventually flooded the vessel until it sank in 10 feet of water. The vessel’s superstructure and bow remained above the waterline. No reports of injuries.
The vessel had been at Fortaleza since May 2011 when the vessel had suffered a failure in the engine’s cooling system. The crew headed to the nearest port which was Fortaleza where it dropped anchor. The vessel stayed in Fortaleza, but was seized by authorities as collateral for a debt. The crew remained on board until October 2011 when they gave up on receiving back pay leaving the vessel abandoned with some 40 tons of granite cargo still on board.
An oil spill was spotted around the vessel shortly after the vessel sank. The Brazilian Navy dispatched a vessel to the scene and placed a boom around the Seawind to contain the pollution. Divers were called in to inspect the hull and found damage near the stern. No word on salvage attempts.
