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Master and Chief pleaded guilty for accident in Tauranga

Two crew members of the 'Funing' which was disabled in the Port of Tauranga on July 6, have pleaded guilty and been fined for the incident which happened when the log carrier was departing the port bound for China due to a power loss around 12.30 a.m. The vessel drifted to the edge of the channel at the base of Mauao and made contact with a marker buoy in the channel. The Master, Liang Guang Hong, and Chief Engineer, Chameekara Prasad Nanayakkara, both entered guilty pleas in the Tauranga District Court, on Sep 10, to charges brought by Maritime NZ under the Maritime Transport Act 1994. A Maritime NZ investigation found the ship lost power and passed over a channel marker and the propeller became caught in the marker chain, before making contact with a sandbar in the Tauranga Harbour channel. Liang pleaded guilty to one charge of operating the vessel “in a manner which caused unnecessary danger or risk to other persons or property, including the passengers and crew of the MV Funing." Nanayakkara admitted to one charge of causing or permitting the ship to be “operated, maintained, or serviced, in a manner that caused unnecessary danger or risk to any other persons or property, including the passengers and crew of the MV Funing”. Both were fined $3250 and $130 court costs, the maximum penalty for both charges was 12 months imprisonment or a $10,000 fine. After a number of checks, a problem was found with the fuel quantity pistons. “The problem started when one of the engine’s fuel quantity pistons indicated an error, which means that if this isn’t addressed, the engine’s power will be reduced, which is power it needs when exiting the narrow harbour entrance.” Abbott said the Chief Engineer tested the affected parts a number of times, each time triggering an alarm suggesting the problem had not been rectified. The decision was then made to override the mechanism that automatically slows down the vessel in the event of a problem with the engine, as an attempted precautionary measure. The pilot came aboard around midnight and the Master gave him a pilot card indicating there were no issues affecting a safe departure. However, as the ship tried to increase speed on leaving port the Chief Engineer realised there was still a problem and the engine was not responding with the shift to full power. The tugs were called by the pilot to assist the ship at 12.43 a.m. At 12.47 a.m. the main engine stopped after the propeller became entangled with the channel marker while the stern swung around and came into contact with the sand bank. “The tugs then turned the vessel into the deeper channel water and held it there until it could be towed into safer anchorage. There it remained until July 14 when it was towed into port. The vessel was towed out of Tauranga on Sep 6 bound to Singapore by the tug 'Skandi Emerald' (IMO: 9447639), with an ETA as of Oct 15.

Disabled bulkcarrier towed to Tauranga

The 'Funing', after having been stuck in the Tauranga harbour for more than a week after a power loss, has been towed into the port for repairs by the offshore tug 'Pacific Runner' (IMO: 9257527) on July 14 at 3.50 a.m. Further investigations and repairs could take about 14 days. Dive inspections have found damages to the propeller and rudder. The 20 crew members will remain on board during the repair period after which the ship was due to set sail to Lanshan.

Power loss off Tauranga

The 'Funing', being loaded with timber, lost power on July 5, 2020, at 2.40 p.m. while leaving Tauranga bound to Lanshan with a pilot on board. The ship dropped anchor in the Tauranga Channel with assistance of two tugs. Six hours later, it was relocated to a deep water outer anchorage and moored in pos. 37° 36.53' N 176° 11.78' E to undergo divers inspections, because it was thought to have contacted a buoy in the incident.