Bow-Lind

The NSRI Durban was alerted by the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA), on July 22, 2017, around 10 a.m., requesting assistance to the "Bow Lind", sailing from Durban to Rotterdam, reporting their 35 man life-raft was lost overboard but had remained attached to the ship by cables approximately 50 nautical miles off the Transkei Coast. Considerations were made for NSRI Durban to dispatch a sea rescue craft to assist with the life-raft recovery but in favourable sea conditions the "Bow Lind" was requested to sail closer to Port St Johns where NSRI Port St Johns duty crew dispatched the Offshore Africa Charter boat Offshore 1 to investigate at around 11.30 a.m. They rendezvoused with the ship 12 nautical miles off-shore of Port St Johns and at the captain's request the NSRI boarded the life-raft which was found to have some damage but not significant damage. A crew member was sent down to the lifeboat "Offshore 1" which assisted thim to board the life-raft which was cut loose and towed to the stern of the ship. A second crew member was then taken aboard the "Offshore 1" and taken to the life-raft. Cables and ropes were lowered from the tanker, and a harness was constructed so that the life-raft could be secured to the ship with buffers to prevent damage to the life-raft and to the ship. Once the life-raft was secured, the NSRI’s assistance was no longer required and the tanker captain reported that they would head for either Durban or to East London to make further repairs and to recover the life-raft properly.

Singapore-based shipping company Odfjell Asia has pleaded guilty to federal pollution charges and agreed pay a $1.2 million fine in relation to yet another “magic pipe” case onboard one of their ships. A statement from the U.S. Justice Department said that Odjfell and one of its senior crewmembers pleaded guilty Monday in federal court in Hartford, Connecticut for violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS). The crewmember faces up to 6 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. According to court documents and statements made in court, Odjfell operated the M/T Bow Lind, a 577-foot, 26,327 gross ton petroleum/chemical tanker, which in November 2012 was discovered by U.S. Coast Guard inspectors to have discharged oily bilge water directly into the sea by way of a so-called “magic pipe”.