Update: Ship Grounded off Australia's Coast Ignored Warnings

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See update at the bottom of the story.

gCaptain brings us this update to matte's story:

More information is starting to emerge from Australia on the coal ship Pasha Bulker

From the Sydney Morning Herald:

At least two more ships are at risk of running aground
in Newcastle, after a bulk carrier ran aground at a city beach, forcing
the evacuation of crew members by helicopter.

A rescue operation is in full swing with three helicopters
airlifting the crew off the stricken, fuel-laden vessel, the Pasha
Bulker, which is just 20 metres off the sand.

One News of Australia tells us:

The empty Pasha Bulker had been anchored off the coal port of Newcastle awaiting entry when waves as high as four meters and gale force winds swept it onto a reef

“We have a rescue operation under way with a tug boat hoping to pull the ship back out to sea,” said a police spokesman.

“There is 21 crew on board and no one has been injured.”

Newcastle Port authorities said there were currently 58 ships anchored offshore. The ships will supply coal to power stations in Asia, especially Japan, but also Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong.

NSW Maritime chief executive Chris Oxenbould said the bulk carrier
was understood to be carrying 700 tonnes of fuel oil, 38 tonnes of
diesel and 40 tonnes of lube oil.Read More of our coverage HERE

For Pictures visit gCaptain's story:
Update: 2 more ships at risk of grounding.

UPDATE CONTINUED:

I'm happy to report that all crew members have been rescued from the ship! The two other ships, which had made distress calls after dragging anchor, have been successfully towed to sea. Now focus is shifted to environmental concerns and salvage of the ship with reports ranging from optimism to environmental catastrophe. The consensus in the maritime world is that damage from fuel oil can be avoided if the weather allows them to pump out the ship's tanks prior to any additional structural damage.

Questions do remain however. The company has reported that there was no failure of the anchors, engines and systems also that the crew is not to blame. Then what was the cause? Most frequently these cases are due to human error and failure to act with appropriate speed and caution. If a storm approaches most ships will ready the engines, ask for tug assistance and prepare to lower the second anchor. This is especially the case when a ship, like the Pasha Bulker was at the time, is "light" (not containing cargo) because more of the hull is up out of the water and exposed to the wind and sea.

With photos showing both anchors in a stowed position and no tugs in the area it is apparent that not all the precautions were taken. There were 54 ships in the anchorage so tugs might not have been available in sufficient number and using the second anchor is controversial but, as was the case with similar anchored ship grounding (like the APL Panama, Cape Mohican and Sealand Express incidents), human error always plays a role. The problem is that the people who are lest likely to admit error, the port authorities and shipping company, are also the most frequently responsible.

Read more of gCaptain's coverage of the events HERE

UPDATE 2:

Ship Ignored warnings that drove all but 11 of the 54 ship fleet to sea the morning of the incident. See the complete story HERE

UPDATE 3:

Environmental Catastrophe Possible Averted as M/V Pasha Bulker Salvage Operation Continues

John Konrad is a USCG licensed Master Mariner of Unlimited Tonnage currently working as Chief Mate aboard a 865′ ship in the Gulf of Mexico. Since graduating from SUNY Maritime College he has sailed in all 4 of the worlds oceans and reports from his ship via satellite.