On the afternoon of June 11, the bulk carrier 'Kaye E. Barker' (IMO: 5097450,) went alongside her fleetmate 'Hon. James L. Oberstar' to take on her cargo of limestone. Until the evening the offloading had not started. The crew of the 'Hon. James L. Oberstar' used their self-unloading boom to transfer the cargo of 29,000 tonnes of limestone onto the 'Kaye E, Barker'. A crane barge was also on scene to assist. The ship had suffered unspecified bottom damage after grounding near Johnson Point in the East Neebish Channel. It has a total maximum capacity 108,000 gallons of fuel and other products. There were no reports of pollution in the water or surrounding area of the Hay Lake Anchorage. The Coastguard cutter 'Spar' and other smaller USCG vessels, as well the tug 'Wm. Boyd' and a barge, wee also on scene as part of a Unified Command Coast Guard operation. Anti-pollution equipment has been deployed around the vessel’s stern. The operator Interlake Steamship was working with the Coast Guard, a third-party spill response company, and commercial salvors to resolve the situation. No injuries or pollution have been reported, and the vessel was a stable condition. It has an estimated 108,000 gallons of fuel and oil products on board, and the Coast Guard was conducting periodic overflights to monitor for any leaks.
News
ARATERE
The 'Aratere' broke down on its way to Wellington on the night of June 11. The ferry left Picton at about 8.50 p.m., but then experienced an issue with its propulsion drive. Seven commercial vehicle drivers and four foot passengers were on board the ferry while it was anchored for hours, waiting for a specialist electrician to arrive. The issue was fixed at about 1 a.m.. and the vessel resumed its trip to Wellington, with a new ETA as of June 12, 5 a.m. Kiwirail had to cancel the 6.15 a.m. departure from Wellington to Picton and the 11.00 a.m. crossing from Picton to Wellington and also the 4 p.m. sailing, as the search for the cause of the problem was continued. Interislander's customer service teams were amending bookings due to these cancellations. All affected customers were offered an alternative sailing. If the alternative sailing was not suitable, passengers could reschedule for no additional cost.
MORNING MIDAS
The first of three salvage teams arrived at the location of the 'Morning Midas' around 220 miles south of Adak Island, Alaska, on June 11. But, apart from watching the burning hull from the tug 'Gretchen Dunlap', there was little they can do. Operated by Fort Lauderdale-based Resolve Marine, the vessel was the first of three tugs due on scene as the Zodiac Maritime car carrier drifed northeast at about two nautical miles per hour. It will be several more days before the second tug arrives and more than a week until the third reaches the scene. As lithium-ion battery fires generate a range of toxic gases, the tug teams will have to remain to windward of the vessel. The fire could eventually burn itself out, allowing a tug or tugs to take the hulk in tow. A more likely scenario, however, is that burnt-out components within the vessel shift, causing a list, and eventually the car carrier sinks. The ship was laden with 3,048 cars including 70 fully electric cars and 861 hybrids. If the vessel sinks, there is a significant pollution risk. The 'Morning Midas' has more than 300 tonnes of marine gasoil on board, and about 1,500 tonnes or very low sulphur fuel oil in its tanks.
SBJORN HELGE INGSTAD
On June 2, 2025, the Spanish shipyard Navantia, which built the 'Helge Ingstad', will avoid a lawsuit after the loss of the ship in 2018. A new settlement meant that the Norwegian state will receive a discount on future maintenance tasks, although at a value far from what the state originally demanded. After almost seven years of legal dispute over responsibility for the sinking of the frigate,, the Norwegian state and the Spanish shipyard Navantia have reached a settlement that closes a significant part of the compensation case. The agreement means that Navantia will provide a discount of 47.5 million euros on future maintenance and upgrade work on Norway's remaining five Fridtjof Nansen-class frigates. This is a fraction of the total claim of 15 billion Norwegian crowns, that the Norwegian state raised after the accident report's conclusions about a critical design flaw. Since the sinking in 2018, the Norwegian Ministry of Defense has waged a long-running battle to assign technical responsibility for the accident, in which the 'Helge Ingstad' collided with the tanker 'Sola TS' and subsequently sank. The accident report determined that water quickly entered the ship due to hollow propeller shafts, a defect that, according to the Norwegian Defense Ministry, was crucial to the frigate's inability to be saved. Against this background, the Norwegian state demanded a total of 15 billion Norwegian crowns in compensation from both the shipyard Navantia and the classification society DNV GL. However, with the settlement, the state now acknowledges that the case against the shipyard will not be taken to court, and that financial compensation will instead be provided in the form of a discount over the next six years. Navantia has long sought access to previously secret documents, which, according to the shipyard, could nuance the assessment of technical responsibility and the role of the Norwegian Defense in the accident. The shipyard has publicly criticized the Norwegian Ministry of Defense's decision to withhold internal documents that could potentially shed a different light on the case. Navantia believes that the Norwegian state's secrecy has prevented a full technical investigation. However, with the settlement, the parties choose to put the case behind them, without the shipyard formally acknowledging responsibility.
MSC ELSA 3
The Director General of Shipping has issued a formal notice to the MSC Ship Management for gross negligence in salvage operations of the 'MSC Elsa 3' off the Kochi coast and imminent threat to the marine environment and the coast line. The progress made in this operation was grossly inadequate and continued to fall short of the timelines and operational commitments previously provided by the owners and salvors. Should the extraction of oil not commence within next 48 hours, the government shall be left with no alternative but examine all avenues against the ship owners and salvors under applicable Indian legislation for the continuing threat posed to Indian waters and the coastal environment, a notice said. Despite repeated instructions and coordination meetings, the response from salvors has been consistently delayed and insufficient. The lack of prompt action has resulted in a continued and serious risk to marine environment and coastline, particularly affecting Kerala’s coastal region. The local communities in the region have already suffered extensive loss of work and income due to the prolonged presence of the sunken vessel, floating debris, oil sheen and ongoing pollution risks. The salvors not only delayed the required diving support vessel and personnel, but also failed to file visa applications for saturation divers from 11 countries, even after the Indian government facilitated diplomatic support for their clearance. The vessel, which lies at the depth of 51 metres, requires saturation diving for oil recovery. However, only limited air diving has been conducted so far, insufficient for the safe and complete extraction of oil trapped in the tanks. Capping of vents was still being conducted at present. The extraction of oil, originally scheduled to commence around June 5, has not even begun as of this date. The Directorate General of Shipping placed the owners and salvors on formal notice that any further delay beyond the specified period will be treated as wilful and deliberate noncompliance, and the government shall proceed to exercise its full legal rights and remedies without further reference. A Division Bench of the High Court has directed the Vizhinjam Port Authority to detain another MSC vessel, the 'MSC Manasa F'. The directive came in response to a petition filed by the Cashew Export Promotion Council. The petition stated that the 'MSC Elsa 3' was supposed to reach Vizhinjam with a cashew cargo on board, alleging a loss of ₹6 crore due to the accident. The court ordered the detention of the 'MSC Manasa F' and that the ship will be released upon presentation of a demand draft of ₹6 crore to the court. The High Court will reconsider the petition on June 12 at 1:45 p.m..