A post-panamax bulk carrier that sat stranded for months in a central Queensland port has been towed back out to sea and banned from Australia.
The KMAX Leader arrived at the Port of Gladstone in October last year and was set to take a shipment of coal to Southeast Asia.
arrived at the Port of Gladstone in October last year and was set to take a shipment of coal to Southeast Asia.However, mechanical issues saw it moored at the port while repairs stalled for almost four months.
The ship is now being towed back to the Philippines for repairs.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) on Thursday banned it from re-entering any Australian port for 12 months.
“The lack of information forthcoming from the owners of KMAX Leader has been very disappointing,” AMSA executive director of operations Michael Drake said. “AMSA expects all ship operators and Masters to engage promptly, transparently and meaningfully.”
“International standards exist to protect the lives of seafarers, and our precious marine and coastal environments. They are not optional,” he added.
The KMAX Leader, owned by Porto Mare in the Phillipines according to VesselsValue, is the 10th vessel to have been banned from Australian ports in the past year.
Recently Isle of Man, Cyprus and finally Liberia. Chequered history.
Dangerous ships like this exist because the IMO does not have direct power to enforce SOLAS and its other Conventions. Instead, this function falls to flag states but often fails due serious conflicts of interest when a shipowner’s Class Society also acts as a Recognised Organisation (ROs) for flag state inspections. This IMO approved but farcical arrangement needs to be stopped. But flag of convenience interests at IMO dictate it won’t be. Port State Control (PSC) and the no nonsense ship banning approach of AMSA is therefore to be applauded and encouraged worldwide.