The M/V “NAVIOS AMARYLLIS” (GT 32,415 – DWT 58,735) was grounded on the West of K.Rasfari reef, the Maldives, on August 19, 2019. The vessel was sailing from Tuticorin, India to Saldanha Bay, South Africa.
After being hired on the same day, Tsavliris mobilized AHTS VIRGO and MAHA WEWA, as well as equipment and manpower. To safeguard the environmentally vulnerable region, all required environmental precautions were followed.
Polytech, an Environmental Pollution specialist, was one of the subcontractors that Tsavliris worked closely with.
Before the vessel could be floated, 1,600 metric tons of bunker fuel and lubricants were transferred from lower to topside tanks.
Despite the fact that there was no oil spill, the casualty was successfully refloated on 29th August and is currently anchored in the Outer Port limit of Male’ at Bodukalhi anchorage.
Press release by Transport Authority of Maldives. Gazetted on 23rd August 2021 / (PR)202/M/202/2021/1. Click to view.
Maldives’ Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Maldives is seeking 100 million rufiyaas ($6.5 million) from the bulk carrier that ran aground on Rasfari reef, according to media reports.
An environmental damage assessment must be conducted before the ship may depart Maldivian territory, and its owners must pay 100 million MVR, the maximum penalty under Maldivian legislation for environmental damage.
The ship went aground because the Captain neglected to report an engine failure.
Hamad Abdul Ghanee, the deputy transport minister
According to the EPA, the ship may have caused significant damage to the reef.
NAVIOS AMARYLLIS narrates events
Reports indicate the vessel followed a course east of the Maldives and changed to go through Kaashidhoo kandu, which has plenty of room for maneuvering but requires caution.
It took her a second time to change course to Port before the vessel cleared the island of Thoddoo. There were still several reefs to be navigated around.
However, she was able to safely navigate through the reefs and islands until she reached west of Rasfari. The continental shelf reaches a few miles off the island.
In the first place, an engine failure was noted. And yet the incident was not recorded nor documented. The ship’s command has not taken any immediate action Evidently, the MRCC was not informed of the situation. The International Safety Management System (ISM) mandated activities and record-keeping were neglected.
Secondly, with a rather high freeboard, the vessel was in ballast condition and the vessel may have drifted towards the reef due to windage. If it’s windy at that time, it may be blowing from the west or west-north-west direction. Her UKC would gradually drop as she drifts towards the continental shelf, causing a bank effect to induce her to strand.
As a third step, after she ran aground, with the wind blowing from the seaward side, Master decided to deballast and lighten the vessel in an attempt to discover a method to refloat. Master has forgotten about the immediate action required by ISM, but I’m not going to draw any conclusions.
In addition, there are emergency measures that can be taken in the event of a Main Engine failure or Grounding, such as anchoring, broadcasting urgency or distress alert depending on the situation, etc. according to Bridge Procedures Guide.
It is within his authority as a Master to take whatever necessary measures in order to prevent the vessel from encountering such hazards. Observing the occurrence and reporting it to the authorities does not require waiting for a local boat. As a consequence, it is the Master’s most important duty
An in-depth report is expected in the next few days.