19 comments

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  SBegally

  2 years ago

  Thanks for pulling the blindfolds off on this story, you have the only information I can trust on this issue.
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  Bob Distler

  2 years ago

  "Should the refloat be successful, I wonder where they would take the ship for any required temporary repairs – does Australia have dry docking facilities big enough?"
  
  YES
  
  The graving dock at Garden island - Sydney
  is 1,140 ft (345 m) by 147 ft (45 m).
  
  The MV Pasha Bulker
  is 738 ft (225 m) by 105.6 ft (32.2m).
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• 

  Ian

  2 years ago

  Many thanks John for your comprehensive answers to difficult questions.
  
  "The graving dock at Garden island - Sydney
  is 1,140 ft (345 m) by 147 ft (45 m)."
  
  Thanks Bob, as you may have heard, it has been reported that the vessel is "booked into" and will be towed to the Dry Dock facility in Brisbane if successfully refloated. Another attempt due tonight around the 1.85m tide at 2013hrs.
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  pez

  2 years ago

  a story at http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,... says they have put it off another day to allow enough daylight hours for attaching chains/cables
  
  don't forget the webcam http://www5.coastalwatch.com/camera/NobbysBeach... in case it hasn't been mentioned before :-)
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  Jeff Manning

  2 years ago

  Well that certainly makes more sense than the crap murdoc and friends are feeding us.
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  Ian

  2 years ago

  WebCam shows and local radio reports that Pasha Bulker has been repositioned towards sea, "a few degrees away from required angle". Deballisting of tanks towards the stern being undertaken at present. Downside is that more oil has been detected on both sides of ship. Response team presently accessing.
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  pez

  2 years ago

  hehehe that was funny, just watching sbs and the station reporter is asking the on-the-spot reporter what's happening. the reporter was oblivious until the station reporter told her it was moving behind her
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  pez

  2 years ago

  it's gone-ski. good work salvage people. appears to have been very professional and smart to boot
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  pez

  2 years ago

  sorry for triple posting, the oil leak (from sunday night) was reported by the salvage people as lube oil from the propellor shaft. of course the salvage people want to report he least, and the media the most, but anyone who has seen oil on the water knows how little you need to make a sizeable slick. if it was any volume, it would have been bigger than ben hur by now.
  of course, i don't want to see any environmental damage, hopefully all was good tonight
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  Capt. John

  2 years ago

  Thanks for the updates guys!
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  Bob Distler

  2 years ago

  Here is a link to a 'news' page with video links
  
  http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/07/03/1...
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• 

  Ian of Seaham

  1 year ago

  Pasha Bulker Postscript
  It's reported this morning that the Pasha Bulker will be towed out tomorrow to be hooked up to the powerful Kyo Maru (spelling?) for towing to Asia for repairs. During the past three weeks temporary repairs have been made to the rudder and propeller along with splinting to both sides of the hull. Rumours suggest that she is headed for either Japan or Vietnam. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau and the NSW Maritime Board inquiries continue with possible conclusion in August.
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  Pete

  1 year ago

  Pasha Bulker due to sea Thursday 25th July 2007. According to the Port of Newcastle website. The tug Koyo Maru is due to sea at 7.30am where she'll anchor off. Pasha Bulker will leave her berth at West Basin at 11.00am and be towed up the river and out to sea where she'll attach to Koyo Maru and head for Asia
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  Capt. John

  1 year ago

  Thanks for the updates guys. I'll try to do a story post by the end of the week.
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• 

  Welsh Dog

  1 year ago

  Has anyone got any idea who the insurers are for this ship? I'm assuming Lloyds of London but it may well not be.
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  Ian

  1 year ago

  Pasha Bulker Postscript Two
  PB left our shores several weeks ago under tow to an Asian shipyard. She was minus her rudder that apparently came off during re-floating attempts. It has been retrieved and presently sits in a local scrap yard. Given the surge in tourism generated by the grounding there has been considerable debate about erecting a permanent memorial to the events. The present difficulty is one of cultural difference with the Japanese owners wishing the embarrassing reminder of the grounding into the melting pot just as locals see the rudder as a very appropriate reminder of their affection for the Pasha Bulker. Negotiations are continuing!
  Meanwhile, a report has surfaced suggesting that the Pasha Bulker was one of 50 ships advised two weeks before the grounding that they would no longer be able to use port facilities because of the time it was taking for them to de-ballast. Hence another airing of the allegation that ships were de-ballasting prior to entering port and the possibility of subsequent handling difficulties. Still no sighting of conclusions from several inquiries that have taken place. Meanwhile at any given time there will be up to 80 carriers waiting off-shore from Newcastle and that will certainly not be the last that we will see of similar weather that nearly brought us an ecological catastrophe.
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  John

  1 year ago

  Great update, thanks again Ian. Particularly interesting is the rudder. I agree with Newcastle in thinking it will serve as a good reminder and give the tourists something to look at.
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  Harry

  1 year ago

  What does 'Pasha Bulker' mean?
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  John

  1 year ago

  Harry, "Pasha Bulker" is simple the name of the ship that ran aground.
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