Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese deep-sea research ship Zhang Jian returned to her home port in Shanghai after finishing a 74-day scientific research trip to the Southern Pacific. The vessel is the mothership for the Rainbow Fish, a manned submersible capable of diving to 11,000 meters. During its 9,000 nautical-mile maiden voyage, the research vessel travelled across the South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean to reach the New Britain Trench, which is more than 8,000 meters-deep in the Solomon Sea near Papua New Guinea. Chinese scientists onboard the vessel carried out joint ocean environmental research with their counterparts in Papua New Guinea. Captain Zha Dawu said the vessel went through several typhoons, including Meranti and Malaka, and an earthquake, during the journey, which tested the ship's navigation performance and research facilities.

Salvage of the "Sea Worker" is now well underway. Five vessels have now removed a number of smaller pieces of wreckage, which was scattered around the wreck, among them accomodation units, which had brokem off. The salvors also started to cut the wreck into pieces. Large parts of the legs are now cut off and being removed. The wreck has settled quite deep in the seabed, so much of the future work has to be performed by divers. Salvors expected that the work will have to be stopped during the winter months and only resumed in March-April 2017. Currently, five vessels were engaged in the Task, the crane ship "Cormorant" along with salvage vessel "Offshore Beaver", the two tugs "Whalsa Lass" and "Voe Earl", both equipped with cranes for light salvage Tasks which are also involved in the salvage of the smaller detached parts of the wreck, and the supply and guard vessel "Seazip 4".

Two vessels operated by beleaguered shipping giant Hanjin Shipping have called at Singapore's Tanjong Pagar Terminal. The "Hanjin Jebel Ali" berthed at the terminal at 3.35 p.m. on Sep 21, 2016, and it left unberthed at around 3.30 a.m. on Sep 22. The "Hanjin Argentina" berthed at the terminal at 3 p.m. on Sep 22 and was expected to leave on Sep 23 at 5 p.m.

Two vessels operated by beleaguered shipping giant Hanjin Shipping have called at Singapore's Tanjong Pagar Terminal. The "Hanjin Jebel Ali" berthed at the terminal at 3.35 p.m. on Sep 21, 2016, and it left unberthed at around 3.30 a.m. on Sep 22. The "Hanjin Argentina" berthed at the terminal at 3 p.m. on Sep 22 and was expected to leave on Sep 23 at 5 p.m.

Preparations for taking the "Transocean Winner" away from the Western Isles were being stepped up on Sep 22. Salvage teams plan to lift the rig onto the "Hawk" on the weekend. The team on Briggs Environmental’s "Forth Drummer" planned to carry out a boom deployment exercise to test response times ahead of the operation to transfer the rig onto the "Hawk". But the containment boom deployment training exercise has been postponed for at least two days due to windy weather. The training was due to start at 1 p.m. in the location of the "Transocean Winner" at Broad Bay, on the Isle of Lewis. It was due to see 200 m of containment boom deployed. The exercise which was designed to confirm to Briggs personnel response timings.

Police closed the northbound carriageway of the A82 in the afternoon of Sep 22, 2016, after the "Sailing the Farm" ran aground on rocks and tipped over at a precarious angle. It had sailed too close to the wall alongside the Inverness to Glasgow road at Fort William at around 1 p.m. Crew members waded into the water to investigate the problem. They also attached ropes and chains from the yacht to the railings along the top of the promenade close to the West End Car Park in an attempt to hold it steady. A work boat from the nearby Underwater Centre went to their assistance, but it became clear that the yacht would have to stay put until the tide came in last night. The road was closed due to fears that the ropes and chains were under a lot of tension and could snap. The local Coastguard rescue team had been on scene to advise and said they would return at high tide at about 9 p.m. when another attempt would be made to refloat it. Reports with photos: https://www.pressandjourn... https://www.pressandjourn...

The final outcome of an investigation into a collision between the "Erin Wood" and the "Daroja" on Aug 29, 2015, in the North Sea will be revealed in the coming weeks. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) said its assessment has focused on a number of aspects including safety management and emergencyresponse. On the night of the incident the "Erin Wood" had departed from North Shields in England. At the time it was fully loaded with 130 tons of marine gas and oil which was destined for Scrabster. The "Daroja" had sailed from Aberdeen and commenced passage to Lerwick in Shetland the following day. Both the cargo vessel and bunker barge were four nautical miles south-east of Peterhead but “neither watchkeeper was aware of the other vessel approaching”. The two collided with damage to the "Erin Wood" including breaches of the hull which led to significant flooding as well as pollution from the leaking fuel cargo. The "Daroja" suffered minor indentation damage to its bulbous bow. Once the situation on board the "Erin Wood" was under control, it was towed to Peterhead by the trawler "Ocean Endeavour". The "Daroja" also proceeded to Peterhead. Both vessels were subsequently inspected by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, approval was given for Daroja to proceed back to sea, however the "Erin Wood" was detained due to the level of damage sustained. The investigation has been looking to determine the causes and circumstances of the collision. A draft report is now expected to be with key stakeholders in the next two weeks.

The final outcome of an investigation into a collision between the "Erin Wood" and the "Daroja" on Aug 29, 2015, in the North Sea will be revealed in the coming weeks. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) said its assessment has focused on a number of aspects including safety management and emergencyresponse. On the night of the incident the "Erin Wood" had departed from North Shields in England. At the time it was fully loaded with 130 tons of marine gas and oil which was destined for Scrabster. The "Daroja" had sailed from Aberdeen and commenced passage to Lerwick in Shetland the following day. Both the cargo vessel and bunker barge were four nautical miles south-east of Peterhead but “neither watchkeeper was aware of the other vessel approaching”. The two collided with damage to the "Erin Wood" including breaches of the hull which led to significant flooding as well as pollution from the leaking fuel cargo. The "Daroja" suffered minor indentation damage to its bulbous bow. Once the situation on board the "Erin Wood" was under control, it was towed to Peterhead by the trawler "Ocean Endeavour". The "Daroja" also proceeded to Peterhead. Both vessels were subsequently inspected by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, approval was given for Daroja to proceed back to sea, however the "Erin Wood" was detained due to the level of damage sustained. The investigation has been looking to determine the causes and circumstances of the collision. A draft report is now expected to be with key stakeholders in the next two weeks.

The oil sheens that appeared on San Pablo Bay had disappeared by Sep 22. The U.S. Coast Guardwas collecting fuel samples from oil tankers in the area and would send divers to inspect the "Yamuna Spirit" for a possible leak as it tries to track down the source of the spill. There was fast action by their federal and state partners to be able to place the containment boom and get the equipment out on the water to respond to the initial pollution.” Oil spill containment booms were deployed around the "Yamuna Spirit" docked at a marine terminal belonging to Phillips 66 Refinery on San Pablo Bay in Rodeo in the morning of Sep 21. AFter both sheens had disappeared, a smell of crude oil hung in the air near the refinery. Conditions on the bay likely dissipated or evaporated anything that had spilled. The Phillips 66 refinery has also tested transfer lines in and out of the refinery and did not find any problems. The crude oil tanker at the center of the mysterious spill had left Saudi Arabia on Aug. 9, headed to California. Teekay Shipping was working cooperatively with local authorities and through the Unified Command. Report with photos: www.eastbaytimes....

The 15 crew members of the "Spring Bay" were being held by the Mozambican authorities in the southern province of Inhambane until fees owing to the Mozambican state are paid. The ship travelled from India to Maputo, and on the return journey the crew claimed it suffered a serious breakdown off the coast of Jangamo district in Inhambane. The Inhambane maritime administrator, Americo Sitoe, was suspicious of the supposed breakdown. The ship’s call for help was sent at night 95 miles from the Jangamo coast, yet the following morning the “Spring Bay” was just two miles from the coast. This suggested that the ship\s engines were working and that it approached the coast under its own steam. Sitoe believed that the true purpose of the breakdown story was a cover for eventually scuttling the ship off the Mozambican coast, in order to claim over two million dollars on the insurance. The ship was towed away last week by an unidentified tug supposedly for maintenance work at a dock in Madagascar, after which it would continue its journey to India. All the ship’s equipment was turned off. The Mozambican authorities have no way of knowing whether it went to Madagascar or not. The ship also left its crew in Jangamo, and the authorities have decided they cannot leave until the money owing to the state has been paid. The cost of the assistance provided by the authorities since the ship appeared off the Jangamo coast is about 11,950 US dollars. A man claiming to be a ship’s agent gave the authorities two cheques to cover these costs. It seemed that there was not enough money in the account they were drawn on, since the maritime administration was still waiting for the cheques to clear. The “Spring Bay” should not have lifted anchor and left Jangamo before all money owing had been paid as there had been some complicity between the ship’s owners and members of the Mozambican National Naval Institute (INAMAR), since somebody in INAMAR had authorized the ship to leave without observing international shipping norms. Furthermore, the “Spring Bay” had left Maputo without the necessary clearance documents from the customs, immigration, health and maritime administration authorities. In a further violation of shipping norms, the ship’s owners did not make the obligatory deposit to cover any environmental damage it might cause while in Mozambican waters.