The only specialised marine publication in Oceania that focuses on the maritime industry, from super yachts to small craft to large commercial ships, including coastal shipping, tugs, tow boats, barges, ferries, tourist, sport-fishing craft
Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaleditions.com/i/91629
MAULED BY THE JAGUAR BY R LEA CLOUGH In the last issue Lea Clough wrote about the acquisition of a controlling interest in the vessel MV Baldur by the Chatham Islands Enterprise Trust. As a follow-up, he now writes about the other vessel engaged in the Chathams service, MV Rangatira, and the difficulties her owner has encountered. A s indicated in my previous article, Kelvyn Leslie, the owner of Leslie Shipping, Timaru, operated in the Chathams trade through the early years of this century. To solve the perennial problem of livestock shipping's seasonal nature, he decided to expand by acquiring another ship to cope with the peak demand for shipping space. This second ship could then trade on the main New Zealand coast for the remainder of the year. He found MV Statesman, a 68m ro-ro vessel, fitted for the Bass Strait livestock trade. She was built to Australian coastal rules, but, although she was brand new, with engines that had done 272 hours running, and would be operating in comparable conditions, Maritime New Zealand would not allow her into the country. After two years and considerable expense Kelvyn abandoned the project. This all sounds rather strange in the light of words from Maritime NZ at the Annual Conference of the New Zealand Federation of Commercial Fishermen in May this year, where there seemed to be a policy of harmonising New Zealand qualifications and rules with those of Australia. Further, this writer has delivered fishing vessels from Australia to New Zealand that were simply modified on arrival, to meet New Zealand survey requirements. Kelvyn's next find, through the same Danish broker who had supplied Rangatira, was MV Jaguar. At 66m, 1044 GRT and with 2 x 8 tonne derricks, she had been employed in Europe and 54 Professional Skipper November/December 2012 the Caribbean. Kelvyn went to Cartagena, Colombia, where she was in floating dock, undergoing intermediate survey by Lloyds. Her rudder had been removed and the shaft withdrawn, and other fittings had been removed, all for inspection as part of the survey. She looked good, so Kelvyn commenced negotiations to buy her. The deal stipulated that she would change hands fully surveyed, with no conditions of class, no visas or work to be done. A classification company may issue a certificate of survey with these caveats attached, requiring certain work to be carried out to certain deadlines. Lloyds had been surveying her for eight years and she had been "in class", i.e. fit for purpose, with everything up to date during that time. The International Class Survey, covering such things as the hull, propulsion and other machinery, had been carried out by Lloyds. The Statutory Survey, covering emergency equipment, communications, ballast tanks and firefighting gear etc, is on behalf of the flag state, Colombia. Maritime NZ was asked to approve Lloyds as the survey company to do this to New Zealand requirements, although these rules are more or less comparable around the world. This was done. On November 4, 2008, Lloyds in Cartagena handed Kelvyn certificates to show that all surveys were completely up to date, inferring that the vessel was perfectly seaworthy and reliable. He then bought the ship for US$1.6 million. The following day she sailed from Cartagena and broke down 20 minutes after leaving the wharf. The main engine fuel pumps had failed, could not be made to function again and were found to be beyond repair. Jaguar was towed to an anchorage where she lay for three weeks until parts arrived from Denmark. The eight-man delivery crew remained on board, on full pay. On December 2, 2008, she arrived at Colon, Panama. Kelvyn was so concerned at various issues that had manifested themselves during the 27 hour passage from Cartagena that he contacted Lloyds, Panama, to reinspect the ship. This produced a substantial list of deficiencies, big enough to lay the ship up in Panama for