Broke-in-two - Shipwreck Log

On the morning of February 1, the 32 ton fishing vessel Samgwangho and the 29 ton fishing vessel 33 Manseonho ran aground in stormy conditions near Tokki Island off the coast of Jeju, South Korea. The Korean Coast Guard had received an alarm from the 33 Manseonho which also transmitted its location. The Coast Guard was able to communicate with the vessel and confirm the vessels had run up on the rocks. Six Coast Guard vessels along with one from the South Korean Navy launched a search and rescue mission. Eleven of the crew would be later rescued by the Coast Guard. Two crew members, one from each vessel, were reported missing. A nighttime search was conducted to locate the missing crew.

Reports state also that there were 2 deaths from the incident. Both the captain of the Samgwangho along with a crewmember of the 33 Manseonho suffered cardiac arrest. Both were taken to hospital where they were pronounced dead.

Both vessels sustained heavy damage by the storm as waves pounded the hulls against the rocks. An aerial view over the two vessels found they had broken apart with one missing its stern while the other lost large portion of its forepeak which washed ashore a short distance away. Pollution and debris could be seen along the nearby shoreline. There is no official statement from the owners if the vessels would be salvaged, but it appears the two fishing vessels were a total loss.

Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident. Authorities are also investigating a possible false report of the number of crew on board the vessels. The 33 Manseonho had 8 crew on board while the Samgwangho had 7 crew. Authorities state there was some confusion to how many were reported during the rescue operations. News reports state one of the fishing vessels had suffered engine failure before running aground. No further details reported.

Double Tanker Disaster

December 16, 2024 Paul Hancock

On the morning December 15, the 132 meter long tanker Volgoneft 212 (MMSI: 273333930) and 132 tanker tanker Volgoneft 239 (MMSI: 273354600) would meet disaster in Kerch Strait off the Taman peninsula, Russia. Both tankers were loaded with 4300 tons of mazut, a low grade fuel oil, when stormy conditions caused damage to both vessels.

The Volgoneft 212 would break in two amidships with the bow drifting away and eventually sinking. The stern of the tanker would remain afloat a bit longer allowing the crew to abandon ship. Reports state that 12 of the 13 crew on the Volgoneft 212 were rescued by two tugboats and a helicopter. Two of the crew rescued had suffered severe hypothermia and were taken to hospital in serious condition. One crew man had lost his life during the incident. With the hull failure of the Volgoneft 212, the majority of the cargo of mazut fuel was released into the sea. Due to the stormy conditions and location of the incident, there were no efforts to contain the pollution.

Nearby the Volgoneft 239 sustained damage by the same stormy conditions. The tanker had suffered damage and had gone adrift in the storm. The tanker continued to drift until it ran aground just 80 meters off Volna, Russia. All 14 crew on the Volgoneft 239 were later rescued by authorities. Reports state the tanker sustained hull damage and there had been some pollution released.

Current theories on cause of the incident

Some reports blame the cause of the incidents due to the tankers age. The Volgoneft 212 was built in 1969 while the Volgoneft 239 was built in 1973. Both tankers were built for the inland river/canal waterways during the Soviet era. Neither vessel was designed for heavy seas, but to navigate shallow waters. The Volgoneft 212 had been refitted with it length being altered and welded back together. Several have suggested the Volgoneft 212 broke apart at the welded seam from the refit.

Other reports state there was a large wave the caused the damage to both vessels. That the wave smashed into both tankers causing one to break apart and the other to lose steering/power. This theory has some merit as a third vessel had sunk of Crimea. A floating crane was being towed off Crimea when strong winds caused the crane to roll over and sink.

An unsubstantiated theory states that an Ukrainian sea drones were used to attack the tankers. The lack of explosion or fire along with no sightings of the drones have debunked this theory.

The last theory is that the tanker Voloneft 212 had been caught between waves and broke apart similar to the fate of the cargo vessel Arvin. The Arvin had been at anchor in the Black Sea in January 2021 when it broke apart in rolling seas resulting in the loss of 6 of the vessel’s 12 crew.

Due to the amount of misinformation provided by Russian authorities, the cause of the incident may never be released to the public. Several sources state these vessels were engaged as part of the Russian shadow fleet and engaged in bypassing sanctions placed by the United States and the European Union.

Wakashio

August 16, 2020 Paul Hancock

On July 25, the 300 meter long, 203130 dwt bulk carrier Wakashio ran aground three miles off Pointe D’esny, Mauritius. The Wakashio was on a return voyage to Tubarão, Brazil from Lianyungang, China. The bulk carrier was proceeding with just ballast, 3800 tons of bunker fuel oil and 20 crew on board. The vessel course would traverse the Indian Ocean to pass the capes of South Africa on to Brazil.

As the Wakashio approached the island of Mauritius, authorities attempted to alert the bulk carrier it was on the wrong course. Reports state the vessel had altered the standard course so the vessel could approach nearer to the coast. The course change was to allow the vessel to get a wifi signal while celebrating a crewmember’s birthday. During the celebration, the crew had no one attending the communications. Authorities attempted to contact the vessel for an hour until they finally got through. The master of the Wakashio insisted to Mauritius coast guard that the vessel’s course was safe.

Unfortunately, the Wakashio course drove the bulk carrier up on a reef along Mauritius southern coast. The bulk carrier was firmly aground at the stern while the bow was still floating free. Fully exposed to the weather, the Wakashio began to substain damage over the next days. Several cracks appeared along the hull and the fuel tanks were ruptured. Bunker fuel began to leak out of the vessel and begun to wash ashore. Authorities had placed booms around the Wakashio, but were ineffective in containing the pollution. Authorities and local volunteers were able to remove some 150 metric tons of pollution off the beach. Experts estimate it will take several years to remove the majority of the pollution from the reef and shoreline. Like the MS Olivia or the Rena which both ran aground and released a large amount of pollution, it may take decades before the entire environmental impact can be determined.

By August 6, the Wakashio had released some 1180 tons of fuel forming a 7 mile long oil slick. The remaining fuel and oil on board the bulk carrier was transferred to small tankers by August 12. A few days later the vessel broke-in-two along the No. 8 cargo hold. An additional 100 metric tons of lubricating oil was released. The bow section of the Wakashio is to be towed away and sunk in deep water.