The 220 meter long, 75123 dwt bulk carrier Rapallo went aground off Anholt Island, Denmark. The Rapallo was proceeding with a cargo of coal from Ventspils, Latvia to Algeciras, Spain when it went aground. The vessel was unable to refloat itself under its own power. Anti-pollution vessels were dispatched to the scene to monitor the situation. No reports of injuries. Reports state the vessel was proceeding without a pilot which was discouraged by Danish authorities.
The 153 meter long, 21317 dwt bulk freighter Rich Forest became disabled in the Pacific Ocean near Guam. The bulk carrier was en route to China from the Solomon Islands loaded with timber. The vessel was sailing in heavy seas with 4 meter waves and 20 to 30 knot winds when it suffered a leak. The Rich Forest suffered uncontrolled water ingress in the engine room and the vessel’s pumps were unable to keep up with the flooding. The crew requested assistance with two USCG cutters responding, one from Guam and the other near Saipan. Aircraft were dispatched to the scene and four other vessels (AMVER) diverted course to aid in the rescue. The bulk freighter C.S. Sunshine arrived on scene first and the crew of the Rich Forest abandoned ship. All 24 crewmen from the Rich Forest were rescued by the C.S. Sunshine. No reports of injuries.
Last report stated the Rich Forest was still slowing sinking by the stern, but was still afloat. The vessel owner was working on establishing plans for the Rich Forest salvage.
The 166 meter long bulk freighter Rickmers Dubai reported colliding with another vessel off Dungeness, England. The bulk carrier had struck another vessel during the night and contacted the Dover Coastguard of the incident. The other vessels involved was the 113 gt tug Kingston which was towing the barge Walcon Wizard. The RNLI launched lifeboats to the scene finding all three vessels in stable condition. Luckily, the Rickmers Dubai had passed between the tug and barge causing minimal damage to the tug and barge. The barge crew dropped its anchor and waited until it could be towed to Dover harbour later the same day. There were no injuries on any vessel involved. The Kingston was able to proceed under its own power back to port. The Rickmers Dubai anchored off Newhaven while authorities investigated the incident. No reports of pollution released.
