Two killed after boat carried under a barge

     A pleasure boat with 11 people aboard took in water on a strong
current at 1430 6 April and was carried under a barge in the Intracoastal
Waterway in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Two German citizens were killed. A U.S.
Coast Guard vessel was moored 90 meters/300 feet away when the rented
7.6-meter/25 foot vessel went under. It emerged on the other side of the
barge, its engines still operating, and was semi-submerged. The crew of a
tug found the body of Josef Federl, 62. The body of his wife, Maria Anna
Federl, 58, was found under the barge. They were residents of Roth,
Germany.

Fire aboard passenger ship off the Bahamas kills one

     A fire began in a laundry area of the Vistafjord (Bahamian-registry
24,492-gt, 5,600-dwt, 191-meter/627-foot passenger ship built in 1973,
operated by Cunard Line Ltd.) at 0140 6 April, about 32 kilometers/20 miles
south of Freeport, the Bahamas. A short circuit in chemical dispensing
equipment was cited as the cause. Stephen Moeller, a 26-year-old German
waiter, was found unconscious in a cabin on the deck above the fire and
died the morning of 6 April at a Freeport hospital. Another crewmember
suffered a broken ankle and a passenger had a broken arm. The fire aboard
the ship, carrying 569 passengers (about half U.S. citizens) and 422 crew,
was contained about three hours after a distress call. The U.S. Coast Guard
sent a vessel and an aircraft to the ship and three cruise ships in the
area diverted course. The Vistafjord arrived at Freeport at 0520, where
firefighters and the ship's crew finally extinguished the fire. Damage is
limited to a linen locker area on the third deck near the stern. The cruise
was canceled, as damage included the laundry and some passenger areas. The
ship left Fort Lauderdale, Fla., late 5 April for Funchal, Madeira Island,
Portugal. All passengers will receive full reimbursement and a U.S.$1,000
per person travel credit for a future cruise. Aircraft were chartered to
fly passengers home. The Vistafjord was previously scheduled for drydocking
in Malta from 21 April to 5 May and will now sail there early.

Three injured, 10 may be missing as two ships are destroyed

     Fire destroyed two vessels and damaged a third at Zamboanga City, the
Philippines, early 5 April. The wooden-hulled Petron was destroyed when a
fire began after the vessel's engine was started at 0530. Explosions were
heard up to seven kilometers/four miles away. Three crewmembers - Johnny
Abdurahman, Leonardo Balotanan and Chief Engineer Danny Bilangan - suffered
serious burns and are at the Brent Hospital. As many as 10 other
crewmembers may be missing. The fire was fueled by the vessel's cargo,
which included 250 tanks of liquified petroleum gas and 50,000
liters/13,000 gallons each of diesel fuel, gasoline and other petroleum in
drums. A research vessel operated by the Western Mindanao College of
Fishery and Marine Sciences and the Philippine Department of Science and
Technology was destroyed by the spreading fire. The Petron was to sail for
Bongao, Tawi-Tawi, the night of 4 April, but a delay was requested because
the engine room smelled of gasoline. Even though the area still smelled of
gasoline on 5 April, the master ordered the engine started. The Petron sank
at the western end of the port at 0830. Also, a vessel owned by Fortune
Navigation Lines, unloading rice, was damaged. Its crew managed to move the
ship after the fire began.

U.S. Coast Guard crewmember injured off Oregon

     On 1 April, the U.S. Coast Guard's Motor Lifeboat U.S.C.G.C. Intrepid
(52315) responded to a distress call from the fishing vessel Don Pesqually,
which was taking on water 14 kilometers/nine miles west of Cape Blanco,
Ore. During a personnel transfer, one of the Coast Guard vessel's crew was
caught between it and the Intrepid. He suffered severe injuries to his
legs. An HH-65A Dolphin from Coast Guard Air Station North Bend, Ore.,
airlifted the crewmember to a local hospital where he was found to have a
broken pelvis. The fishing vessel was towed to Coos Bay, Ore.

Osung No. 3 sinks off South Korea, cargo creates oil slicks

     The Osung No. 3 (South Korean-registry 786-gt tanker) sank the night
of 3 April after running aground on a reef off Koje Island, South Korea.
The nine crewmembers were rescued 4 April. The Osung No. 3 was carrying 1.7
million liters/440,000 gallons or 1,530 tons of bunker C fuel in eight
tanks. At least 186,000 liters/48,400 gallons spilled. Oil began washing
ashore the afternoon of 9 April on northern Tsushima Island, Japan, between
Kamiagata and Kamitsushima. Another slick was reported about five
kilometers/three miles east of Saozaki, Japan. At least 27 vessels are
working to contain the spill, and authorities on Tsushima provided 900
barrels to put the oil in.

Tug sinks in Mississippi in Louisiana

     The Bayou Black (19-meter/62-foot tug) sank 31 March at mile 120 of
the Mississippi River near Luling, La. The tug was downbound to relieve a
three-barge tow when its bow caught the bow rake of the lead barge. All
four aboard boarded the barge before the tug sank.

One injured in colllision off Japan

     The Woo Yang Friend (Panamanian-registry 1,545-gt, 2,163-dwt dry cargo
ship built in 1993, operated by Woo Yang Shipping Co. Ltd.) collided with
the TA-Explorer (Liberian-registry 17,101-gt ship) off Fukuyama, Japan, at
2330 8 April. Of the 11 crewmembers on the Woo Yang Friend, the chief
engineer suffered slight facial injuries. None of the 22 crew aboard the
TA-Explorer was injured. The Japanese Maritime Safety Agency reported that
the collision resulted from insufficient lookout on both ships.

Three sustain injuries in collision between barge and dragon boat

     A ceremonial dragon boat sponsored by Nike Inc. collided with a barge
in the Willamette River in Portland, Ore., on 1 April. The boat capsized,
with three of the 25 women aboard sustaining injuries that ranged from
hypothermia to a broken hand. The barge was owned by Ross Island Sand and
Gravel Co. The crew of the dragon boat was preparing for annual races in
June in Portland as part of the Rose Festival.

Barge sinking closes section of the Houston Ship Channel

     A barge sank early 10 April near Texas City, Texas, partially closing
the Houston Ship Channel.

Two safe after fishing vessel sinks off Nova Scotia

     The fishing vessel Mona Pearl (Canadian-registry) sank off Digby, Nova
Scotia, Canada, late 8 April. The two crewmembers boarded a liferaft and
were rescued after drifting to shore.

Steering failure results in collision in Elbe River

     The Cis Brovig (Norwegian-registry 1,599-gt, 4,127-dwt containership
built in 1985, operated by Brovig Rederi A/S) collided on 25 March with the
Oriental Bay (British-registry 59,367-dwt containership built in 1989,
operated by Actinor Shipping A/S) in the Elbe River. The Cis Broving had a
steering failure. Both ships sailed to Hamburg, Germany, for repairs.

Rinos suffers fire in Nigeria

     The Rinos (Cypriot-registry 10,672-gt, 15,094-dwt dry cargo ship built
in 1976, operated by Lignes Togolaises S.A.) suffered a fire in its No. 1
cargo hold while unloading general cargo at Apapa-Lagos, Nigeria, on 9
April. The ship had arrived from Antwerp, Belgium.

Fire aboard the Tiger Wave contained

     A fire began on the forward deck of the Tiger Wave
(Singaporean-registry 13,315-gt, 17,226-dwt containership built in 1988,
operated by Odesta Pte. Ltd.) on 6 April, at 08 degrees 00 minutes north,
97 degrees 41 minutes east. The location is in the southern Andaman Sea. It
was quickly brought under control.

Chinese-registry ferry collides with barge in Hong Kong

     The Hai Bin (Chinese-registry 538-gt catamaran ferry), sailing from
Hong Kong to Zhuhai, China, with 193 passengers, collided on 9 April with a
small barge off Shek Kwu Chau Island. The Hai Bin sustained a hole in its
bow and returned to Hong Kong.

Green Flake takes on water, reaches port

     The Green Flake (Maltese-registry 2,688-gt, 1,840-dwt vessel built in
1976, operated by Green Chartering A/S) took on water 10 April at 59
degrees 22.1 minutes north, 02 degrees 01.7 minutes west, northwest of
Scotland. The ship was carrying frozen fish from Inverness, Scotland, to
Iceland. After a helicopter dropped pumps to to the ship, the flooding was
contained and the Green Flake was escorted to Kirkwall, Scotland.

Louisiana docks damaged by Cypriot-registry vessel

     The Tzanetis (Cypriot-registry 26,500-dwt bulk carrier built in 1980)
allided with the CII Carbon docks in Chalmette, La., late 1 April. While
the ship sustained minimal damage, the docks suffered severe damage.

Salvage vessel runs aground in Cyprus

     The Skip (Cypriot-registry 233-gt salvage vessel) ran aground in high
winds off Cyprus 6 April, at 34 degrees 59 minutes north, 33 degrees 43
minutes east. The vessel was working on a desalination facility and was not
damaged.

Belize-registry ship aground off Turkey

     A Belize-registry vessel ran aground 10 April in the Black Sea off
Turkey.

Edward L. Ryerson disabled in Lake Michigan, towed to Milwaukee

     The night of 7 April, the Edward L. Ryerson (U.S.-registry 12,170-gt,
7,637-nt, 220-meter/730-foot "classic Laker"-design bulk carrier built in
1960 by Manitowoc Shipbuilding Inc. at Manitowoc, Wis.; owned and operated
by Inland Steel Co.) suffered a turbine failure due to boiler problems,
eight kilometers/five miles off shore between Milwaukee and Port
Washington, Wis. The ship was sailing to Indiana Harbor, Ind., with 26,066
tons of taconite. Emergency generators were activated. The Superior
(U.S.-registry 147-gt, 1,640-brake horsepower tug built in 1953, owned and
operated by Great Lakes Towing Co.) towed the ship to Milwaukee, arriving
early 8 April, where the tow was assisted by the California (U.S.-registry
98-gt, 1,200-brake horsepower tug built in 1951, owned and operated by
Great Lakes Towing Co.). Some boiler operation was restored by the time the
ship docked at the liquid terminal in the outer harbor, with aid from the
Washington (U.S.-registry 98-gt, 1,200-brake horsepower tug built in 1951,
owned and operated by Great Lakes Towing Co.). The ship was repaired and
left 1030 9 April.

Update on the Cita

     The Cita (Antigua and Barbuda-registry 3,083-gt, 3,900-dwt, 241-TEU
dry cargo vessel built in 1976, owned and operated by Reederei Gerd A.
Gorke; classed by Germanischer Lloyd), which ran aground early 26 March
west of St. Mary's off Newfoundland Point in the Isles of Scilly, slipped
off the rocks and into deeper water on 9 April in bad weather. The ship was
carrying containers from Southampton, England, to Belfast, Northern
Ireland. Smit Tak B.V., using the vessel Salvage Chief, has recovered 98
percent of the petroleum and paint aboard the Cita. Smit Tak is now waiting
for word on what to do with the ship, which has been declared a total
constructive loss by its hull insurers.

Fishing vessel master distracted by D.G.P.S. at fault in collision

     A court in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, recently suspended the license
of a fishing vessel master after he was found at fault in a collision with
the Sea Merit (Maltese-registry tanker) in April 1996. The Dutch master was
aware of the anchored tanker, but while adjusting a differential global
positioning system, apparently forgot about the ship due to the
distraction. The court also found that the Sea Merit did not maintain an
effective watch. The Filipino officer first sounded an alarm when the
fishing vessel was 250 meters/820 feet away.