On 5th October the 9,618gt/2008 built and 12,742dwt general cargo vessel BBC Colorado experienced severe engine issues in the Gulf of Alaska. With a storm approaching the Master requested assistance from the Coastguard and the USCGC Morgenthau went to the scene to ensure safe transit of the vessel and her 12 crewmembers. The 1,058gt/1978 built ocean going tug Resolve Pioneer then reached the ship on 8th October and set up a tow to take her to safety.

During the early hours of 20th October the 39,043gt/1989 built car carrier Silver Sky caught fire at a dock in Antwerp (above). Firefighting teams were not able to enter the vessel for several hours and instead used water jets from the quayside and from three tugs to cool the ship’s hull. A total of 24 crewmembers were evacuated from the Silver Sky and given accommodation ashore. The ship was loaded with her usual cargo of used cars at the time of the fire, intended for export to Africa. Records show that in March authorities in Antwerp detained the Silver Sky for a period of five days for deficiencies related to fire safety, in addition to concerns regarding the condition of her main engine, electrical systems and navigation equipment.

Maestro Shipping’s 22,872gt/2015 built bulk carrier Maestro Diamond ran into trouble in the Baltic Sea, off the coast of Gedser, Denmark during the evening of 7th October. The Coastguard authorities dispatched the 473gt/2008 built tug Kiel to assist with the salvage operations; however, the work was hampered by inclement weather conditions. The 36,920dwt ship, laden with 30,000 tonnes of fertilizer, was hard aground and had been en-route from Klaipeda to New Orleans, USA.

On 13th October the heaviest tow that Yarmouth’s Severn Class Lifeboat (17-25 Eric & Susan Hiscock-Wanderer) had ever handled was tackled in the Solent. The 27m long/10.5 metre beam and 105t wind farm support trimaran Cable Bay had experienced a complete power failure off Lymington. The SWATH hulled vessel, built by Australian fast craft builder Austal, is under the care of Berthon’s in Lymington since arriving in February and is for sale. Local reports stated that the Cable Bay was the heaviest tow for Yarmouth Lifeboat but the previous Arun Class lifeboat had handled all manner of vessels including Coasters.

On the night of 28th October the 156,914gt/2003 built and Greek flagged VLCC Australis collided with a Chinese fishing vessel, the Zhe Ling Yu 91002, in the East China Sea near Zhoushan. Six crew from the fishing vessel fell overboard and were missing.

On 2nd November 26 people lost their lives in a series of explosions aboard an oil tanker which was being dismantled at the Gadani shipbreaking yard in Pakistan (above). Out of the 60 workers who were injured in the accident, 15 were in a critical condition at the hospital in Karachi whilst other workers were still trapped inside the Floating Production Tanker formerly known as the Federal I. More than 100 workers were inside the 88,122gt ship at the time of the explosion and a fire raged for four days. The vessel was sold to the ship breakers by the Indonesian company Sinar Mentari Prima PT. in August and was beached on 15th October. Initial reports indicated that welding works were being undertaken on board the ship prior to the series of explosions. The final death toll was expected to surpass 100.

Teekay’s 94,822gt/2004 built Galicia Spirit was attacked by Pirates off the coast of Yemen in late October. However, initial reports of an RPG attack on the ship were declared incorrect with Teekay, along with contracted security partners, then revealing that the skiff that approached the gas carrier and fired small arms at it was also containing a “substantial amount of explosives”. Security experts are now warning ships transiting the Bab al-Mandab waterway at the entrance of the Red Sea to be on heightened alert. While the intentions of the attackers and the use of the explosives is unknown, the investigation findings indicate that the explosives would have been sufficient to have caused significant damage to the vessel. The area has witnessed two waterborne suicide attacks in the past 16 years. Naval ships have also come under rocket attack off the Yemen coast.

Having been the subject of a dramatic salvage exercise in the Bay of Biscay in February when she developed a list in excess of 40 degrees, the 33,831gt/2001 built car carrier Modern Express of CIDO Shipping arrived at Aliaga under tow of the 1,374gt/2011 built tug VB Hispania in October. One wonders if the call of the scrap beaches is the result of the incident or if her career was already in doubt beforehand.