Detention of Unseaworthy Ship Reflects Widespread Problem

The ship caught the U.S. Coast Guard’s eye the minute it sailed into Long Beach Harbor last week. But when its inspectors boarded the vessel, what they found virtually defied belief.

“This is the worst ship I’ve seen in my 14-year career,” said Lt. Cmdr. Joe LoSciuto, acting chief of inspections at the Coast Guard station in Long Beach. “I wouldn’t sail on her.”

It’s easy to see why. On the ship’s bridge, the compass and the backup radar didn’t work. Neither did the depth finder. Publications needed for safe navigation were missing and the vessel’s charts had not been updated in 20 years.

On deck, the hatch covers on the empty cargo holds were frozen wide open, conduits through which rough seas could pour in seconds. The lifeboat wasn’t operable, and there was not enough room in the life rafts for the crew. Heavy rust pocked the hull and superstructure; it was so bad in spots that holes could be punched in the deck with a hammer. Seawater was seeping into the holds.

In the crew’s quarters, toilets had backed up. There was no potable water and little food. The Filipino and Pakistani crewmen complained of vomiting and diarrhea, as well as maltreatment by the captain, who had his own supply of fresh, bottled water.

Welcome aboard the cargo ship Fotini, a Greek-owned bulk carrier registered in Panama. The vessel is a type of transport that has one of the worst safety records in the world, according to United Nations studies.

With a tendency to sink rapidly in heavy weather, more bulk carriers are lost than any other type of cargo ship, Coast Guard officials say. About 20 sink every year, some with all hands aboard.

Research shows that transporting high-density cargo such as coal, grain, concrete, scrap metal and fertilizer can weaken the hulls of bulk carriers.

A recent study by the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization found that 70% of the bulk carriers in the world today lack structural integrity and probably would sink if the forward-most hold took on water.

When the captain of the Fotini called on the Port of Long Beach, he intended to stay just long enough to refuel--what mariners call a “gas and go.” But that was before he encountered the U.S. government and the International Transport Workers Federation. Now the Fotini isn’t going anywhere.

The Coast Guard found so many safety and equipment problems on board, it has detained the 575-foot vessel until the owner, World Carrier Corp. of Athens, makes all appropriate repairs and conforms to international shipping standards.

“The crew couldn’t even pass an abandon ship drill,” Lt. Cmdr. LoSciuto said.

Meanwhile, the transport workers federation, which represents seafarers around the globe, has intervened to help the Fotini’s crew. So far, it has provided them with food, water and medical care.

Among other things, officials of the transport workers group are discussing the possibility of removing 32 crewmen, who say they no longer want to serve aboard the ship. Forty people are now aboard the Fotini.

Federation representatives say they are particularly concerned because the vessel is registered in Panama, a so-called “flag of convenience.” Panama has fewer requirements for shipowners than industrialized nations and has refused to sign international labor agreements regulating ship safety. That is one reason more merchant vessels are registered in Panama than in any other country in the world.

“This ship has all the symptoms of a potential maritime disaster,” said Ray A. Familathe, a federation inspector based in Wilmington. “Everywhere you look there is rust. You can punch holes in the deck with a hammer. The living conditions on board are deplorable.”

Representatives of World Carrier could not be reached for comment. Todd A. Valdes, a Long Beach attorney who represents the ship’s insurer, declined to discuss the situation. Coast Guard officials say that the company is trying to make the repairs so the vessel can be released.

The transport workers federation has focused particular attention on two recent disasters in which many lives were lost. In January, the bulk carrier Flare, registered in Cyprus, another flag of convenience, snapped in two in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Twenty-one crew members died. The Leros Strength, also registered in Cypress, sank off Norway last year. The 20-man crew perished.

“These ships were in far better condition than the Fotini when they went down,” Familathe said.

The Coast Guard detained the Fotini under the Port State Control Program, which allows the agency to board and inspect vessels to make sure they conform to minimum standards for safety and seaworthiness.

Since the program began four years ago, the number of substandard vessels, so-called “pig ships,” calling on U.S. ports has declined, Coast Guard officials said.

LoSciuto blamed the condition of the Fotini on a variety of things, from low profit margins for hauling bulk cargo to inadequate or corrupt inspection programs in other countries.

“Not everybody has a Port State Control Program as strong as ours,” LoSciuto said. “In some countries they don’t check as closely as we do, or they don’t check at all.”

According to the Coast Guard and transport federation, the 40 Fotini crew members were crammed into a living space for 25. Although international law prohibits habitation of a ship’s medical department, four mariners were living in the infirmary. Cockroaches were everywhere.

Inspectors noted that 14 of 16 toilets did not work and that the ship’s sewage tank had backed up. They said the galley was padlocked and the little food available was stale.

The ship’s water supply was so contaminated that at least four crewmen came down with urinary tract infections, according to the transport federation.

When inspection teams boarded the ship last weekend, some crew members complained of nausea and diarrhea. Six requested that they be taken to a hospital, Familathe said. One of them had cancer.

“They were screaming for medical attention when we got there,” Familathe said. “We had to force the issue, but we managed to get a doctor for them. It just outraged me and my colleague.”

The Coast Guard also noted that the vessel had no certificate of financial responsibility, which guarantees that the shipowner has the ability to pay for any oil spills or contamination caused by the vessel. So far, no pollution of the harbor has been reported.

If all goes well, the ship could be released in the days ahead. The Coast Guard called on the vessel Friday to see what progress is being made.

“We want to make sure everything on board works properly,” LoSciuto said. “They are doing a lot of work out there. If they pass our inspections, we have no choice but to let them go.”

Even if the ship is brought up to standards, the owners still have the crew to contend with. Transport federation representatives say they are negotiating with World Carrier to improve shipboard safety and obtain three months’ back wages.

Except for the officers, virtually all of the crew members have asked to be taken off the ship, according to the federation.

“Morale is terrible,” said Rudy Vanderhider, another federation inspector. “If they get clearance to leave and the captain asks the crew to weigh anchor, they would probably tell him to do it himself.”