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Master of wrecked bulk carrier off Gibraltar faces jail time 

The Syrian master of the wrecked OS 35 bulk carrier could face two years in jail, after pleading guilty at a court in Gibraltar this week. Sentencing is due in the middle of June.

The ship came into contact with LNG carrier Adam LNG while manoeuvring to exit the port of Gibraltar on August 29 last year. The aft of the ship grounded, and a gash opened up on the starboard of the hull and in the following weeks the ship lost its structural integrity. Tricky salvage operations to remove the wreck are ongoing. 

The captain of the OS 35 pleaded guilty to three charges related to the operation of the vessel. His lawyer said he will seek a suspended jail sentence and fine, saying the accident was a “professional misjudgement” and that wind and tides played a part. 

Sam Chambers

Starting out with the Informa Group in 2000 in Hong Kong, Sam Chambers became editor of Maritime Asia magazine as well as East Asia Editor for the world’s oldest newspaper, Lloyd’s List. In 2005 he pursued a freelance career and wrote for a variety of titles including taking on the role of Asia Editor at Seatrade magazine and China correspondent for Supply Chain Asia. His work has also appeared in The Economist, The New York Times, The Sunday Times and The International Herald Tribune.

Comments

  1. Unusual combination of wind and tide. The most common excuse. When is the wind and tide exactly the same every day?

  2. Very interesting that’d they lay the blame on the tide and wind. I’m not buying that!!

    1. Who cares if you are buying it or not? If he’s guilty he is guilty. But the wind is also possibility, as well as the tide. That’s gibraltar, the entrance into the ocean. It’s not a pond or something.

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