554-Foot Thai-Flagged Bulker Loses Power and Effects Repairs in Bering Sea

A 554-foot, Thai-flagged bulk carrier is on its way again to Japan after suffering a major engine failure in the Bering Sea, ultimately passing just 110 miles from the island of Attu, Alaska. The U.S. Coast Guard responded to a call for assistance from the disabled freighter, when it was said to be about 180 nautical miles northeast of Attu. According to a U.S. Coast Guard Command Center spokesman, “the M/V ‘Mathawee Naree’ lost power to both of its diesel engines due to burnt out lube oil pumps.”



The Mathawee Naree became disabled late Monday night with a full cargo said to consist of approximately 28,000 tons of copper concentrate on board. The vessel remained without power for about 24 hours while its crew effected repairs. During that time, the Coast Guard monitored the situation and dispatched the Cutter Jarvis to the scene. They additionally launched a Coast Guard C-130 to examine the situation. At the time of the incident, weather conditions were very poor, with 20-foot seas and 50-knot winds. According to the Coast Guard spokesperson, “We were initially concerned for the safety of the crew.” The vessel has 24 people on board and carries 760 metric tons of fuel.



With the vessel reporting that repairs had been completed and with its position moving farther out to sea on its way to its eventual discharge port in Japan, the Coast Guard stopped monitoring the vessel’s progress on Thursday morning. Before that time, the Juneau Coast Guard Command Center kept a 2-hour communication schedule with the ship in order to monitor the continuing operation of the freighter.



Previously, the M/V Matthawe Naree had called upon the ports of Vancouver, BC and before that, Portland, Oregon, according to Coast Guard sources. A Coast Guard spokesman told MarEx on Thursday that the vessel had undergone a port state control inspection in Portland on December 11, 2007, but no deficiencies had been found by the inspecting team. Before that, the vessel’s last recorded inspection in U.S. waters occurred at Wilmington, NC in August of 2005. There were no recorded deficiencies during that inspection. The 28,364 DWT vessel, according to Coast Guard records, is classed by NKK.