Following the Stellar Daisy incident of sinking, off Uruguay, on March 31, the vessel’s South Korean employer, “Polaris Shipping”, is now carrying on fleet performance inspections in all of its vessels.
The inspection is decided also in the wake of a crack recently reported on the outer hull of another vessel operated by the company, “Stellar Unicorn”, a 1993-built tank. Repairs are underway on the vessel, off Cape Town, and are expected to last some days, due to bad weather conditions. The ship is expected to continue its route to China, on April 13.
Meanwhile, research operations for the 22 missing crew of Stellar Daisy are underway by a multi-national coalition. The ship is reported missing and probably sunk, with only two crew saved.
15 April 2017.
Sadly another loss,both of lives, and a fine ship. According to the rhetoric, Stellar Daisy is estimated to be 24 years of age,and at 6th special survey of hull and machinery. Without knowledge of hull thickness diminutions, and yet another unusual disappearance of a fully laden bulk carrier, I would be inclined to urgently asses the strength of the main hull girder,starting with the shell plating re: P & S stringers ; sheer strakes ; turn of the bilges ; keel plates. Thereafter, top ; bottom; side longitudinal, transverse framing ; Vertical keel ; horizontal flange, within the amidships half lengths. Most importantly so, depending on the overall percentage wastage, mathematically that figure should be used to ” reduce ” the designed cargo tonnage the ship can carry,and other ships in this class, until an in depth survey has been carried out,to ascertain the cause of the casualty under review. In my opinion,It is up to IMO,the Owners, Classification Societies, and under writers to impose a strict restriction on the maximum weight of cargo allowed,and the load line markings to be accordingly REDUCED, with immediate effect. I am 83 years of age, and have a life long interest in ships. (rtd.LR. surveyor )