Crew Abandons Stricken Ship Near Chennai Port, Pleads to Court for Help

Published Apr 10, 2013 1:30 PM by The Maritime Executive

Photo Credit: http://www.vesseltracker.com/en/Ships/Osm-Arena-8411334.html

Two foreign sailors appeared at the Madras high court seeking help on Tuesday.

The captain of the OMS ARENA told the judge he had to abandon his ship near the Chennai port due to its instability. Water had flooded the vessel, and it is on the verge of capsizing.

The captain continued by noting that he had joined the ship two months ago with his crew. There was no diesel to run the engine, and there has been a blackout for about a week. The previous owner supplied provisions and stores, but stocks are nearly gone. The crew was starved and managed with dry food for days. The ship is no longer stable as water has entered one of the cargo holds and the engine room. Since the vessel may capsize any moment, the captain gave the call to the 14 crew to abandon the ship.

However, the court ordered three crewmen to return to the ship. The Times of India reported: The judge noted that the ship had been brought for sale by sealed bids. One of the parties, who was a plaintiff before the Calcutta high court, had filed a petition here asking for a stay on its sale. A division bench granted an interim stay. A prospective buyer had sought time to pay off 25% of the amount. Hence, the judge granted time – until May 7th – before hearing the matter further.

The captain, chief engineer and a few crewmembers reportedly reached the shore by a fishing boat. Port officials stated that this was in violation of rules. A spokesperson detailed that coming ashore without immigration clearance and abandoning a vessel mid-sea are serious violations. A case against the sailors will likely be filed.

The captain argues that there was no other option. Without diesel, they could not run the pump to throw out the water or operate the fans. He had been sending distress messages to the port and the vessel owner via laptop and got no responses.

The OSM ARENA has been an issue for port officials since its arrival in February 2010. In December 2011, when Cyclone Thane struck Chennai shores, the ship's anchor broke and it drifted. It was carrying around 400 tons of bunker fuel. The vessel was stranded off Chennai coast in December 2010.