By Mark Edward Nero
US Coast Guard personnel detained the bulk carrier ship Lowlands Kamsar in Seattle on Jan. 4 after an exam detected several significant violations. The crew of the ship was conducting cargo operations at the time of the examination.
During the exam, Coast Guard Port State Control officers discovered that the automatic fire extinguishing system that protects the vessel’s engine room had been disabled by the crew. Additionally, according to the USCG, the vessel’s owner, Misuga S.A., failed to ensure that appropriate corrective action was taken.
The vessel, a 751-foot, Panamanian-flagged ship that was built in 2010, has been ordered by the Coast Guard to remain in Sector Puget Sound’s Captain of the Port zone until the violations are corrected.
“The Port State Control program holds foreign flagged vessels to internationally agreed upon standards to ensure the safety of life at sea,” explained Port State Control Branch, Sector Puget Sound Chief Lt. Kimberly Glore. “Fire detection and extinguishing systems are vital systems that must be ready for immediate use in case of a fire onboard the ship.” Glore said that her branch is continuing to monitor the Lowlands Kamsar and has been working with the bulk carrier’s crew and Panamanian representatives to correct the vessel’s deficiencies.
