Sun

On Sep 1, the Russian Seafarers' Union (SUR) reported that its Black Sea branch had pursued compensation for the death of the 2nd engineer of the 'Sun' (IMO 9293117). Like many Russian shadow fleet vessels, the tanker did not have a valid insurance policy, and the owner refused to pay any compensation to the seafarer's family. Not only was the amount of compensation for death not specified in the contract, but there was no information about insurance at all. In addition, it turned out that the insurance policy on the tanker was invalid. The union got involved in the matter at the family's request, and it reached out to the flag registry of Antigua and Barbuda. However, the registry said that the 'Sun' was no longer flagged in Antigua, so it could not assist. The 'Sun's paperwork now declared that it was flagged in Benin, but this declaration was false, which is a common shadow fleet practice. Without help from the insurer or the flag state, the SUR reached out to the 'Sun's owner. By the union's account, the ship owner ignored all requests and only got in touch when the union contacted the flag state. Then the owner brought in Turkish lawyers to negotiate, without success. At last, a representative of the ship owner in Russia joined the negotiations, and the SUR settled on a final payment of $125,000 for the family. The 'Sun' departed from the Russian port of Primorsk on Aug 27, bound to Port Said with an ETA as of Sep 13.

Konig & Cie have sold their four Suezmax, “Cape Bari” & “Cape Bastia” & “Cape Bonny” & “Cape Brindisi”, all 159/2005 Hyundai, Korea with SS/DD 04/2020 & 06/2020 & 09/2020 & 10/2020 respectively to Greek buyers for USD 74 mill enbloc.

German owner König & Cie continues to downsize its fleet, having listed four of its suezmax tankers for sale. According to shipbroking sources, the company is inviting offers for 2005 South Korean-built suezmax tankers Cape Bari, Cape Bastia, Cape Bonny and Cape Brindisi.

Two oil tankers are racing toward the southern tip of Argentina in a bid to be the first to ship U.S. crude to Japan since a longstanding ban was lifted late last year. One of the vessels, a Suezmax booked by Japanese refiner Cosmo Oil, is carrying West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude, a source familiar with the matter said on Thursday, indicating for the first time what variety of oil was aboard. http://maritime-executive.com/article/two-tankers-in-a-race-for-first-us-oil-to-japan