28 comments

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  Pete

  2 years ago

  You nailed that one! Cheers.
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  Matt E

  2 years ago

  Great reporting John! I liked your other sotries on this too... http://gcaptain.com/maritime/blog/category/inci...
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  kyte

  2 years ago

  Whilst I was having lunch nearby the doings at Nobby's, there was a woman at the next table whose husband works on the Harbour tugs. We were getting a running commentary for an hour or so.. he reported that it *was* a dragging anchor, and also the failure of the crew to heed the warnings issued the night before, to head out to sea. The whole of Newcastle knew what was coming and battened down... dunno why they didn't.
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  MarkL

  2 years ago

  Hmm. BOTH picks still stowed and bow-in. And very light, mebbe 2.5-3m draft, to hook up on Big Ben reef as she has.
  
  Questions then relate to her place in the queue, because to be so light she had to have pumped ballast. Was she trying to beat the gale to make a loading slot?
  
  Still, Master's responsibility by the look. Port authority does not extend to ships offshore.
  
  The photos I've seen indicate that she's grounded at or about No3 hatch. If that is so the strain on her hull girder may be unbearable even for a new ship. Salvage here (if possible) may be very difficult, especially after the longshore current build the sand up around her. Be interesting to see what has happened to her overnight.
  
  MarkL
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  Chris Payne

  2 years ago

  Canberra: 300 kms inland and 300 kms south of Newcastle. We've had wind from the east for 36 hours now, even seagulls, so must be bad at sea. I'd wait for the dust to settle before judging the captain.
  
  Every cloud has a silver lining though...Central Coast and Hunter needed rain.
  
  09JUN
  1930 AEST
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  grandmarnier

  2 years ago

  It appears from the photos that the ballast is not full!
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  Ian

  2 years ago

  Very interesting to consider some more of the technical aspects of the grounding and implications. grandmarnier - media yesterday did report that the ship had reduced ballast - may have been in preparation for entering harbour, not sure. Appears to be "wait on to wait on" situation with reports of further salvage assessment taking place and possibility of some decisions by midday local time. Clear fine day 35 kms north but local rivers rising to serious flooding. 288mm local rainfall during past 72hrs adding to heavy runoff from Hunter Valley streams and rivers.
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  Ian

  2 years ago

  Pasha Bulker Salvage Update
  Salvage specialists saying very little except that they are still in "assessment/planning" stage. They confirm that there is a damage to outer hull on starboard side and some seepage of seawater. They also advise that there is a metre gap between outer and inner hull structures and that fuel and lubricants tanks are not in the same area. A specialised salvage tug has arrived from Sydney and another is due in port from Melbourne on Wednesday. It is surmised that fuel etc will be removed prior to any attempt to drag the ship off. It is interesting that the Pasha Bulker is lying roughly parallel to the causeway that connects to Nobbies head and the resulting beach formed against the causeway. The ship is said to "flat bottomed" and firmly lodged on sand rather than adjacent reef, sand that no doubt complicates possible salvage depending on wind and sea over the next few days.
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  MarkL

  2 years ago

  Observations of a relative indicates that the second gale ( which was more from the south and which coincided with a reasonably high tide) pushed her off the reef and 200-300 yards north, into even shallower water.
  
  This will make life interesting for the salvage effort, as she is now between the shoreline and a line of shallow reefs offshore.
  
  If this effort succeeds in such an exposed spot in winter, it will be one of those quiet epics of salvage we hear so little about in general media. A joke presently being bandied about Newcastle is that the city should forbid salvage, buy the wreck and convert it into 'apartments with a 360 degree ocean view to sell to idiots from Sydney'.
  
  The humour of my fellow Novocastrians may be a little forced, at present, with so much of the city damaged, but it remains.
  
  MarkL
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  pilot

  2 years ago

  We handle many Cape Size with a variety of nationality Masters and Crews. A large percentage are I'm afraid to say operating way out of their comfort zone. This LARGE percentage are unable to make a lee, unable to rig a combination ladder, unable to appreciate the effect of tides, unable to follow or understand VTS advice to stem and await the Pilot.
  Without GPS I wonder if they could locate the Humber Light Float.
  When once the Pilots are on board they show no interest in the Passage inwards to the tugs, if indeed they are even on the bridge and this in dense fog the other day. With the lengthy mooring operation they usually leave the bridge well before their vessel's secure.
  In short I'm amazed there's only one bulker aground.
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  grandmanier

  2 years ago

  It seems like the hornets nest has now been stirred. Will this make 'our commercial masters' (accountants, MBAs et al) to sit up and realise that it is imprudent to make decisions based solely from a commercial view point. Masters are being blackmailed into accepting unsafe, unprofessional and unethical practices. Vessels are under tremendous pressure to minimise deballasting time at bulk loading ports. This one has hit home in Australia where the terminals are amongst the worst to pressurise vessels into taking unseamanlike short cuts.
  Will there be any changes in the future?
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  Ian

  2 years ago

  Latest comment from Minister for NSW Ports Joe Tripoldi. Two salvage tugs have arrived. One proposal being considered involves sourcing a large anchor handling vessel to position anchors out to sea to enable Pasha Bulker to use their own winches to escape the beach.
  The Minister states that required equipment including pumps, pollution control barriers etc has been gathered from around the country. Also mentioned that there is some mixing of oil and seawater aboard but that it is still proving difficult to assertain extent of hull damage. Fortunately, it appears that there is still no pollution evident in the vicinity. Hull was reballasted yesterday to assist holding in present position and oil is to be moved to higher tanks.
  It appears likely that recovery attempts will be commenced Mon 18 due to predicted king tides that day.
  Minister claimed salvage team is "best in the world"; that they have developed "best contingency plans for oil containment" and that there is a high level of information exchange in both directions with experts from other countries. John would be pleased to hear that they are using some current technology including E-mail "conferencing"!
  One would certainly wish them every success. Carving up the ship and carting it away doesn't bear thinking about.
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  Ian

  2 years ago

  Pasha Bulker Salvage
  Salvage Team spokesman advises that they are still searching for a suitable large anchor handling vessel that will be used with three tugs to undertake the operation. Exact extent of underwater damage remains unknown until they refloat the ship. Salvage now proposed for end of the month during spring tides, but described as "difficult and dangerous with no guarantee of success". More severe weather on the way with predicted gale force winds to 90KPH and heavy surf conditions today. Local WebCam was turned on ship for several days but presently showing adjacent beach at:
  www.coastalwatch.com/templates/default.aspx
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  Ian

  2 years ago

  How did the Pasha Bulker end up on our beach?
  The inquiries have begun with investigators from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau interviewing captains to try and sort out the "messy tangle of liability, ownership and insurance".
  Today's Newcastle Herald has an article headed, "Ban on Slow Boats - Port Moves on Ballast Inefficiences". It raises the question as to Pasha Bulker's management of ballasting prior to the grounding.
  And I quote - "Pasha Bulker is one of about 50 ships that coal loader operator Port Waratah Coal Services no longer wanted to service because they took too long to pump out ballast water....Port regulations which are consistent with international practice, say that coal ships should not discharge ballast water until they are safely tied up at the wharf. The public nature of the Pasha Bulker's beaching on Friday left many experienced waterfront figures commenting on how high she was sitting and how often her propellor was out of the water. (She) had not been scheduled to (berth) until Tuesday, four days after the beaching.....Anecdotal evidence (suggests) some coal ships have been discharging at least some of their ballast water early, trying to make up time after a three week wait to load. An empty Panamax class ship such as the Pasha Bulker could sit 15 metres higher than a laden one" 60 carriers sitting off ourcoast at present.
  My knowledge/experience of big shipping is limited to some yachting and time crewing a 30m motor yacht in the Med some years ago. Never-the-less like so many situations, I'll be surprised if the outcome is limited to a single cause even though the ballasting appears to be an important factor.
  Readers may be interested to check out our local news media: www.theherald.com.au/
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  Capt. John

  2 years ago

  Wow, I've gotten a flood of emails thanking me for this post... but the thanks go to Ian, MarkL, Pilot, and the rest of the comments published here! Thanks guys, we all appreciate the updates (PS can I talk any of you into writing for this blog?). -John
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  MarkL

  2 years ago

  Had a good look at her over the weekend, which had continuing strong winds onshore. The sand buildup around the ship is not as severe as I suspected.
  
  I am beginning to doubt that they will get her off in one piece. She beached on about 245. Subsequent gales have moved her slightly inshore (maybe a half hull length) and north perhaps 100-150 yards. She now has the Big Ben/Ben Buckler reef right astern of her, and the water appears to be shallowing (sand buildup) between her and the reef, with the possible exception of a scour pit under her stern. Eben this weekend has seen an additional spell of heavy weather, all of which has been onshore.
  
  The grounding is going to cause a lengthy court case, probably in London I suspect. It is alleged (media and 'talk about town', this is NOT CONFIRMED, it is merely ALLEGED, I cannot stress that enough) that Port Waratah has a 'black list' of ships which will not be permitted to load due to slow deballasting rates. It is further alleged that ships on the list have been deballasting early (prior to entry) to accommodate the stevedoring company in this manner, to either try to get off the black list or avoid being placed on it. If so, then these unconfirmed allegations are rather serious, as they may conceivably imply that a stevedoring organisation is forcing Masters to adopt at best a marginally safe operating procedure at penalty of immediate commercial disadvantage. Allegations are also being made of overly-rapid loading of vessels built of higher tensile steels. If so, this may lead to future ship losses as HT ships, if overstressed, have serious cracking and corrosion problems.
  
  Remember the loss of bulk carriers in the Indian Ocean in the 80s and 90s? I'd hate to see such a practise confirmed as occurring anywhere, that sort of thing kills mariners ten years down the track.
  
  This sage bids well for a very long salvage, and an even longer court case.
  
  MarkL
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  Glenn Towler

  2 years ago

  I reckon if her stern should move shorewards any further, we may just see a Sealand Express salvage type operation here where they dredged out along side her and put her back in the water that way.
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  Ian

  2 years ago

  Preparations continue for the attempt to refloat the Pasha Bulker, with three large anchors positioned seaward over recent days. It is suggested that it may involve several attempts and weather permitting, they will coincide with predicted spring tides ranging from 1.85m Saturday 30 June, to 1.88m Monday thence tapering from 1.86m Tuesday.
  Local radio this morning, interviewed 'one of Australia's leading salvage experts', Brett Divine who believes that the vessel has sustained serious damage below water and may not hold up to the stresses involved in hauling her off. It appears that his company is one of several already discussing plans to dismantle the vessel should the refloating effort fail.
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  Ian

  2 years ago

  Minister for Ports Mr Joe Tripodi has advised that weather permitting, the first attempt to refloat the Pasha Bulker will take place Wednesday 26 around predicted high tide of 1.62m at 1729hrs. Very little detail of process available beyond expected use of three tugs and cabling from sea anchors to ship's winches. Questions have been raised re salvage team's decision to reposition fuels and oils to higher tanks rather than removal. Team has claimed that removal would have presented greater risks and that they are happy with ship's structural soundness.
  Video and/or audio coverage may be available through following sites:
  www.abc.net.au/streaming/
  www.nbntv.com.au
  www.primetv.com.au/i-cms.isp
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  Ian

  2 years ago

  Pasha Bulker salvage team advise they are not ready for Wed 27. Refloat attempt postponed until Thur 28, weather permitting.
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  Ian

  2 years ago

  The first of what is expected to be several attempts to free the vessel was made tonight. Commentators reported that the salvage crew is pleased with progress; that the vessel floated on this evening's high tide and that they have managed to swing the bow about 7 degrees seaward as planned. They have said on a number of occasions that the salvage would probably take several tides to complete. Their particular challenge would appear to be that the stern is on reef and no doubt they will be aiming to contain any further damage. If successful and the Pasha comes off suitably seaworthy, it is suggested that she will be towed to Brisbane for initial drydocking. If the weather stays favourable, it appears further attempts will be made over the next four to five days.
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  Ian

  2 years ago

  0734hrs local time. A lot of movement of Pasha Bulker's bow evident this morning. Second of attached cables broke this morning.
  Good WebCam pictures at:
  http://www.coastalwatch.com/camera/NobbysBeach.htm
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  Ian

  2 years ago

  Local radio reports that the Pasha Bulker has been successfully refloated and is moving out to sea. Pasha Bulker no longer visible on the WebCam thus story appears to be true!
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  MarkL

  2 years ago

  A very well done to the salvage team. I am pleasantly surprised that they got her off. Having seen her position first hand, I admit to having had considerble pessimism on that matter. I suspect that a HT ship might not have been so fortunate, but her hull girder was able to withstand a very powerful turning moment during the rotation 180 degrees to place her bow out to sea. There may be something very good to be said of ships built with heavier scantlings of more ductile steel, which I understand Pasha Bulker to be..
  
  The Newcastle coastline does not really need another permanent 'decoration' like the Sygna. I hope she is repairable, and that the hull has not been over stressed.
  
  MarkL
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  Capt. John

  2 years ago

  Thanks everyone for helping with this amazing story!!
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  Garry T.

  2 years ago

  Well done!
  I have enjoyed reading the comments etc. on this site re. Pasha Bulka. How refreshing to here from practical Seamen rather than the so called media experts-Mess Deck Lawers.
  Cheers- Gazza --R.A.N. retired.
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  cababmlskw

  2 years ago

  Hello! Good Site! Thanks you! tgrypthifoxwyg
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  John

  1 year ago

  For those interested I've written an article on new developments to this story:
  
  http://gcaptain.com/maritime/blog/pasha-bulker-...
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