Americas News
Ship Detained on U.S. West Coast
The U.S. Coast Guard says last week it detained a vessel on the U.S. West Coast due to fire hazards.
The 618-foot Stargold Trader was held in Portland, Oregon after a routine inspection revealed excessive oil leaks in the engine room machinery, disrepair of the firefighting system, and other safety violations, most of them related to the possibility of a fire.
"In the engine room, the vessel's incinerator and auxiliary boiler were actively leaking and accumulating flammable liquids near the hot machinery," the Coast Guard said.
"On deck, the steel trunk from one of the vessel's watertight cargo holds was found to be severely deteriorated and the hold's watertight integrity compromised.
"A mooring line holding the vessel's bow to the pier was rotten and in danger of parting."
The ship, which is owned by Golden Management Company, will correct the problems before loading copper in Vancouver, Washington and departing for Vancouver, British Columbia.
"The Coast Guard is committed to rigorously enforcing U.S. and international safety, security and environmental standards in our waterways," said Capt. Bruce Jones, Coast Guard captain of the port.
"The economic vitality and security of our region depends on the efficient operation of the Columbia River's maritime transportation system.
"A vessel's failure to meet the minimum safety standards established under the International Safety of Life at Sea Convention can threaten that efficient operation."
The ship's owner is based in Japan, and the ship was built in 1994 by Shin Kurushima Onishi Shipyard in Imabari, Japan, according to Shipspotting.com.
