DUTCH HARBOR, Alaska — The Captain of the Port, Western Alaska, detained and released two vessels in February and March.The Liberia-flagged container ship Hansa Madgeburg was detained February 20 and the Panama-flagged refrigerated cargo ship Suah was detained March 3 after the Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment (MSD) Dutch Harbor personnel identified multiple detainable deficiencies.
Coast Guard examiners were conducting a port state control exam on the container ship Hansa Magdeburg when a test of the vessel’s oily water separator showed that it was inoperable, potentially allowing improperly treated oily water from the engine room bilge tanks to be discharged overboard. The vessel was detained under the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships and held until the oily water separator was repaired and made fully functional. The vessel was released from detention Feb. 23.
While conducting a port state control exam aboard the cargo ship Suah, Coast Guard examiners discovered an improperly functioning emergency generator, emergency fire pump and oily water separator. The oily water separator that was not working properly would allow oil to be discharged. The vessel was released from detention on March 11, once all of the deficiencies had been cleared.
“In the course of our examination, we determined these vessels presented a risk to the environment and, in the case of the Suah, to the safety of its crew,” said Lt. Christopher O’Connor, Supervisor of MSD Dutch Harbor. “The crews of both vessels worked quickly to correct these deficiencies and we were happy to clear them to return to business.”
MSD Dutch Harbor is responsible for regulatory oversight and enforcement of vessel, facility and waterway federal laws and regulations and, as the sole shore side Coast Guard unit on the Aleutian Islands, MSD Dutch Harbor also provides support to deployed Coast Guard cutters and helicopters, facilitating personnel transfers and delivering logistical support. The unit is an isolated duty-detachment staffed by seven personnel and the only shore side Coast Guard presence for marine safety issues within 600 miles of a major shipping route transited by over 8,000 deep draft vessels per year.