Author: manager

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Master Faces Jail Time and Fines After Crew Reports MARPOL Violation

The master of a UAE-owned product tanker (PS Dream), Abdurrahman Korkmaz, has pleaded guilty to obstruction and violating ship pollution prevention laws in a Louisiana court. The criminal case against both the master and the shipping companies stems from the report of a crewmember who two weeks before the vessel reached New Orleans, reported the incident to the U.S. Coast Guard. This individual and another crewmember blew the whistle and provided evidence, including photos and videos showing oil being pumped overboard and trailing behind the tanker to the Coast Guard. The crew-supplied evidence was presented in court as a key part of the prosecution. Korkmaz faces up to six years in prison and a $250,000 fine for his role in ordering the dumping of oil-contaminated waste into the ocean during the voyage to New Orleans. According to documents and statements filed in court, Korkmaz ordered his crew to pump overboard from the residual oil tank which contained oily waste. A portable pump placed inside the tank and connected to a long flexible hose was used to discharge directly into the ocean without any required pollution prevention equipment or monitoring. The…

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Greek Bulker Hit and Taking Water After Multiple Houthi Attacks

A Greek-owned bulk carrier named Tutor was attacked multiple times by Houthi forces while sailing south in the Red Sea towards India. The ship is now without control and waiting for help from coalition forces. The attack occurred near the northern part of the Bab el-Mandeb strait, about 66 nautical miles southwest of Hudaydah, Yemen. The first attack was by a small surface drone, which struck the stern of the ship. This appears to be the first time the Houthi successfully used such a drone in an attack. These drones carry large explosives capable of causing significant damage. Following this attack, there were reports of a fire in the engine room and that the ship was taking on water. The Tutor, built in 2022 and registered in Liberia, is managed by Evalend Shipping of Greece. U.S. Central Command confirmed the attack, noting that the ship had recently docked in Russia and was headed to India. Later, the vessel was reportedly hit twice by airborne projectiles. The exact number of crew members and any potential injuries are not yet known. The Houthi claimed the ship was targeted due to…

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Houthi Attack Damages Shadow Fleet Tanker Carrying Russian Oil

Shortly after midnight local time May 18 reports began coming in that a tanker had been struck while heading south in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen. They are indicating that there was a fire aboard and damage to the vessel but it received assistance and was proceeding to an unnamed port. U.S. Central Command is identifying the vessel as the Panama-flagged Wind (105,387 dwt) reporting that the crude oil tanker most recently docked in Russia and was bound for China. Databases reflect the vessel with registered owners in Cyprus and managed and operated from Greece. The ship transited the Suez Canal on May 12-13 and its last AIS signal from the midpoint in the Red Sea read “China for Orders” as its destination. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) initially reported the vessel’s position as 76 nautical miles northwest of Al Hudaydah, Yemen but in later reports amended the position to 98 miles south of Al Hudaydah. “The impact of the anti-ship ballistic missile caused flooding which resulted in the of loss propulsion and steering,” reports CENTCOM. “A coalition vessel immediately responded to the distress call…

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