VLCC MT Tai Hung San suffered severe heavy weather damage

Subject: Incident Sharing for Heavy Weather Precautions.

Good day Captain/Chief Engineer,

Recently, one of our VLCC MT Tai Hung San suffered severe heavy weather damage to the electrical equipment located in the forward store while passing through a low pressure region in the Altantic Ocean with Gale force condition.

The vessel was fully loaded with Arabian crude to 21.0 m draught and on a maiden voyage to US Gulf for discharge.

The forward hydraulic windlass and mooring system were completely out of order as the three electric starter panels for the hydraulic pumps located in the forward store were physically damaged by impact of heavy items. The starboard pilot ladder winch had dislodged from its position and had caused damage to the surrounding hand railing, COW line connection and other electrical cables tray on deck.

Investigation of the incident is still ongoing. Initial findings by our office personnel onboard revealed that some of those heavy items in the forward store had came loose from the lashing during the three days of heavy weather that the vessel was subjected to. Luckily there is no crew injury and oil pollution arising from this incident.

Upon receipts of these initial findings, we had send out a message to other VLCCs to take a picture on their securing arrangement of the two P/V valves and intermediate pipe connection. We are very disappointed with the attached photos of the securing arrangement received from most of our vessel. Obviously, most of our ship crew had not taken heavy weather precaution seriously and history will repeat itself if one of our vessel is subjected to heavy weather again especially in the Altantic Ocean region.

Master reading in copy ….. Please conduct an extraordinary safety meeting immediately upon receipts of this message to highlight and implemented the requirements of heavy weather precaution for your ship specific. The crew should not leave all these heavy items loose and secured only when there is a pre-warning. When the pre-warning came it maybe already too late for the crew to react as what had happened to MT Tai Hung San. It is obvious that the crew did not anticipate the consequence as a result of their incompetence. Please emphasize to your crew that their own personal safety is also at stake if one of these heavy items had hit them when they are trying to secure those loose items in the midst of the heavy weather.

 Subject: Heavy Weather Precautions for Sea Voyage

Good Day Captains & Chief Engineers,

This is to bring to your attention regarding the Incident for Heavy Weather Precautions.

Yesterday, we experienced another incident onboard one of our Aframax vessel at Indian Ocean during her sea voyage, where noted water ingress into the bosun store & chain locker.

Would like to recall our earlier "Incident Sharing for Heavy Weather Precautions" (as attached) which was sent to all our fleet vessels on 27 January 2013 & also discussed during our Superintendent's onboard safety meeting from August 2013.

We had that major heavy weather damage incident on our vessel Tai Hung San on 2013, resulting loss of seaworthiness and very high damage repair cost.

Recurrence of similar incident onboard our fleet vessel is unfortunate & very much un-wanted.

Therefore would like to instruct all our vessel to take note of this incident very seriously & carry out the followings to prevent recurrence:

1) As per our SMS procedure (OT-TK-4-22), once vessel schedule to leave port for a sea voyage, fill-up the "Heavy Weather Checklist (OT/S/D/0513/027)" as soon as possible & submit to office with photo evidence including Anchor Spurling pipes covered up & cemented to prevent water ingress into the chain lockers, securing arrangement for ETA chain, etc.

2) At your earliest opportunity, test the chain locker water tightness:

   - Check bilge eductors, gaskets & seals of chain locker manhole & bitter-end connection (Reference photo attached).

   - To hydro test, fill-up the chain lockers with sea water till top of the Spurling pipes.

3) Test all the water-tight doors, & vent heads/hatch covers/similar openings by hose test.

Please discuss "Heavy Weather Precautions" during your Monthly Shipboard Safety & Management Meeting with all your crew for safe voyage.

Please acknowledge safe receipt of this message.

Thanks & Regards

Baten
Technical Department