Sema III

Sema III

Sema III
Photo: facebook
On November 7, the 25.5 meter long tugboat Sema III (IMO: 8858441) sprung a leak in the Bight of Bonny approximately 30 nautical miles off the coast of Mbo, Nigeria. The Sema III was headed to Calabar from Malabo, Equatorial Guinea when it suffered uncontrolled water ingress.  The tugboat would partially flood causing a list to starboard. The crew sent out a distress call with the Nigerian Navy responding.  A gunboat would arrive on scene a short time later and evacuated the 10 crew off the Sema III.  A dewatering pump was deployed which was able to control the water ingress.  Reports state several crew members suffered from mild hypothermia.  No further details reported.

 

Jacob H.

Jacob H.

Jacob H

Reports state the 190 meter long, 57001 dwt bulk carrier Jacob H (IMO: 9452634) ran aground in the Gulf of Gabon while loading cargo near Libreville, Gabon. The bulk carrier was loading a cargo of 52,000 tons of manganese ore when struck bottom. The vessel requested assistance from a local private pilot which was able to refloat the vessel.  No reports of injuries, damage or pollution released.

News accounts stated the Jacob H left port on the night of November 6 failing to pay the pilot and following navigation rules requiring a vessel to be guided out of port by a pilot. Details of the incident are not clear as the Jacob H declared it had all the necessary paperwork to leave port.  There was some speculation that the master of the bulk carrier received an extremely costly bill for the refloating and that was the reason for the vessel to leave during the night.

 

Finnwave

Finnwave

Finnwave
Photo: theargus.co.uk

On the morning of November 12, the 217.5 meter long, 14509 dwt ro-ro cargo vessel Finnwave (IMO: 9468932) caught fire in English Channel approximately 11 nautical miles southeast of Eastbourne, England. The Finnwave was headed to Zeebrugge from Rosslare when a fire broke out in the vessel’s engine room.. The crew was able to extinguish the fire, but the vessel had lost engine power. The crew sent out a distress call with the RNLI responding. The RNLI lifeboat arrived on scene and stood by while the Finnwave dropped anchor.  No reports of injuries. The Solent Coastguard stated they would monitor the cargo vessel while repairs were carried out.