Southeast : GETTING UP STEAM

The Giurgiu’s ship hasn’t quite come in, but it is at least in sight.

Things are looking up for the Romanian vessel, stranded in the Port of Los Angeles since it docked Feb. 21 out of fuel, food and money and in need of numerous repairs. It detoured here on its way to China from Peru with fish meal for cargo. The Coast Guard detained it, citing 22 safety violations.

But over the weekend, an owner’s representative finally arrived with some cash, and repairs have begun on a failing generator, a faulty fire-extinguishing system and leaky decks.

The ship’s Long Beach agent, Sunrise Shipping Agency Inc., has been reimbursed for most of its outlay for tug service, docking fees and a week’s supply of food. Provisions for the voyage to China have been delivered, said Sunrise’s Chris Koutsoyanopulos, and the Giurgiu plans to sail by Saturday.

Still to be addressed, however, is the problem of two months’ back pay for the crew of 24, said Ray Familathe of the London-based International Transport Workers Federation. Already, seven sailors requesting repatriation have been flown home to Romania. The rest are waiting for the ship’s owner to receive money from the owners of the cargo, American Shipping Co. in New Orleans, he said.

Meanwhile, morale on board has improved, Familathe said, “but they still want the wages they’ve worked for. They all have families at home.”