1997  
November 
December 

1998 
January 
February 
March 
April 
 

1.] 1 May, M/T Four Seas (Cayman Islands-registry) and M/V Tong Hai (Chinese-registry operated by COSCO Shanghai) ran aground in the Western Scheldt of the Netherlands while trying to avoid a collision following rudder damage to the Tong Hai; 

2.] 2 May, More than 80 people were injured  after a passenger hydrofoil hit an underwater object near Hong Kong's new airport off Lantau Island while sailing to Macau. Twelve people were hospitalized in satisfactory condition, some with broken arms and legs.

3.] 2 May, Part of the Rhine River near Dusseldorf, Germany, was closed after an empty tanker exploded and caught fire after colliding with two other vessels. Two crewmembers suffered slight injuries. The collision occurred in heavy fog and a hatch aboard the tanker was blown into a camping ground in the Kaiserswerth area of the city. No one was injured. The river was reopened the same day

4.] 2 May, The Cayman Islands m tanker FOUR SEAS (43,493 gross), loaded with gasoline, and the Chinese m bulk carrier TONG HAI (17,119 gross), loaded with coal,  nearly collided and both vessels ran aground yesterday afternoon while trying to avoid each other after Tong Hai sustained rudder damage. Four Seas grounded in the Western Schelde near buoys 63/65. She refloated by her own means yesterday and is now at Flushing awaiting inspection.  Tong Hai grounded in the Western Schelde near buoy 58.  She was refloated today with tug assistance and is now proceeding to dockage 224/6.

5.] 4 May, eighteen stowaways from Morocco were found in containers at the Port of Rotterdam. The men hit the walls of containers aboard M/V Rendsburg (German-registry containership) as the ship neared the port entrance. Local police listened outside 133 containers before finding all the men. Earlier during the ship's voyage, 32 stowaways were found during a call at Casablanca, Morocco; 

6.] 4 May, M/V Spring Dream (ro/ro operated by Cool Carriers A.B.) has been towed to Cape Town, South Africa, by the John Ross (St. Vincent and the Grenadines-registry tug). The 25 crew abandoned the ship on 17 April after it caught fire about 104 miles west of Port Nolloth, South Africa. The crew boarded a fishing vessel after a fire that began in the generator room & spread to the rest of the ship. Damaged areas reportedly include the bridge;
 
7.] 5 May, the tug Towing Wizard (St. Vincent & the Grenadines) and M/V Anangel Honour (Greek-registry) collided just before 0100, seven miles east of Dover, England. The Towing Wizard was sailing from Tilbury, England, to the Black Sea and was badly damaged especially around the starboard bow. It towed to Dover and 4 crew were hospitalized. The empty Anangel Honour has severe port side damage including a large gash that breached the hull;
 
8.] 5 May, - military cargo - 4 crew of the Royal Australian Navy's Underway Replenishment Ship H.M.A.S. Westralia (O 195) were killed & another 9 were injured in a fire during a naval exercise near Rottnest Island, Western Australia. The engine room fire began and spread through a lower deck of the ship while a ruptured fuel line was being repaired. The vessel lost power soon after and the fire took 1.5 hours to extinguish. The dead were 3 men & 1 woman. H.M.A.S. Westralia is home ported at Fremantle, Australia; 

9.]5 May, Ro/ro container vessel Petra (5,608 gt) collided with bulk carrier PELJESAC (40,260 gt) , while overtaking in the Mobile Ship Canal May 1. Petra sustained damage to starboard side while Peljesac sustained damage to hull, gangway and supporting stanchion to boat deck on portside. Both vessels proceeded to berth.

10.] 6 May, Nine people are missing after a fishing vessel capsized following a collision with M/V Vishva Parimal (Indian- registry dry cargo ship) in the East China Sea at 1900 hrs. The fishing vessel, with a crew of 11, flooded about 81 miles off Cheju Island (Ed: one of the most beautiful places on earth), South Korea. Two crew were rescued. Vishva Parimal was sailing from India to Busan, South Korea; 

11.] 7 May, Twelve bodies have been found near Sabah, Malaysia, and at least one has been identified as crew of M/V Virgin Pearl (Philippine-registry). The vessel sank 4 April near Balut Island, Philippines, after rough seas damaged the ship & it lost.  It had been reported that all 24 people aboard, including the 15 crew, were rescued by M/V Chongket. That report is now seriously questioned. The Virgin Pearl was sailing from Manado, Indonesia, to Davao.

12.] 13 May, The Hong Kong mv ANDES CHALLENGER (18,391 gross), Durban for Luanda, experienced engine-room flooding off Port Elizabeth May 11. She developed an 18 degree list before she was able to bring the situation under control with her own pumps. She arrived Port Elizabeth later same day. (Wednesday 1998)

13.] 15 May, The Netherlands Antilles m LPG carrier ETAGAS (7,314 gross), bound Braefoot Bay empty, and the Panamanian m chemical/wine tanker POINTE DE LESVEN (2,123 gross), bound Amsterdam, were in collision in lat 52 00.9N, long 02 56.3E, early today. Etagas sustained a 25 metre long dent on her port side amidships.  Pointe de Lesven sustained damage to her port side railing. No injuries or pollution reported. Both vessels have proceeded.

14.] 21 May, The Panamanian m ro-ro/container vessel HAKATA (7,586 gross), Inchon for Busan with plywood and steel pipe, and the Belize mv AMUR (743 gross), Ube for Inchon with steel billets, were in collision in dense fog off Sangbaek Island, off Yosu, on May 19. Hakata sank at the scene. 21 crew were rescued. 2 other crew found dead. Slight leakage of oil from Hakata which is now being cleared. Amur sustained bow damage and is proceeding to Yosu for Police investigation.

15.] 22 May, The Maltese m bulk carrier SEAFARER I (29,542 gross), outward from Algeciras with bauxite, and the Cyprus m bulk carrier FEDRA (22,094 gross), inbound for Algeciras with cement, were in collision in Algeciras Bay today. Seafarer I sustained a hole in way of her No.6 hold and is taking water. She has developed a list of 10-20 degrees. Fedra sustained bow damage. 

16.] 26 May, The Pakistani bulk carrier DELTA STAR (19,568 gt), Durban for Chittagong with 30,000 tons of bulk wheat, grounded at Chitagong Alpha anchorage 25.

17.] 28 May, The Bermudan m bulk carrier NORTHERN ENTERPRISE (37,721 gross), Trombetas for Port Alfred loaded, reported damage in her No.3 double bottom ballast tank in lat 49 30N, long 63 30W, on May 23. She diverted to Halifax, where she arrived May 25. A 40 cm crack has been repaired and she has been cleared to proceed.

18.] 29 May, The Cypriot ore/oil mv VENI (88,279 gross), Antwerp for Tubarao, while entering the Berendrecht Lock contacted the southside lock wall on May 27. The vessel sustained a 10 meter tear on her port side at anchor height and a 3 by 4 metres hole above the waterline. She was escorted by 2 tugs back to Buoy 342 West , where she is currently anchored.

19.] 30 May, The Norwegian mv SEA WAVE (1,223 gross), with steel coils, grounded in lat 55 40.5N, long 12 40.2E, on May 27. Subsequent attempts to refloat her with tug assistance have so far been unsuccessful. Her Owners are now considering the situation.

NOTE: Due to seasonal weather there were many, many more cargo vessel groundings, barge losses, fires & other disasters we had no room to report. Large loss of life was reported in the fishing fleets and on ferries, but it does not involve cargo and is nor reported. It was another BAD month at sea. We mourn the many vessels lost.