The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) has urged New Zealand to ban substandard ships under clear criteria, following its investigation into the container ship Shiling, which had to be rescued and towed back to port twice in 2023.
Naveen Kozhuppakalam, Chief Investigator of Accidents at TAIC, highlighted that substandard ships pose serious risks to their crews, New Zealanders working in ports and harbours, such as pilots, stevedores, and contractors, and to the country’s coastal environment.
According to the commission’s findings, the Shiling had a history of defects and was almost certainly unfit to sail safely while in New Zealand waters.
The first incident happened on 15 April 2023 when the Shiling was leaving Wellington under pilot guidance. As the ship began to turn into the harbour entrance channel, it suddenly lost all electrical power, which caused the main engine to stop working.
The ship drifted toward shallow waters, but the crew managed to prevent it from grounding by dropping both anchors. Harbour tugs then towed the vessel back to its berth for repairs.
Investigators found that the blackout was caused by a cracked cylinder liner in one of the ship’s auxiliary generators. Despite holding valid certificates from maritime authorities and classification societies, the Shiling had several safety-critical systems in poor condition.
After repairs, the ship left Wellington again on 12 May 2023. While sheltering from bad weather off the New Zealand coast, the vessel entered the Tasman Sea and suffered another engine failure. This time, bilge water had contaminated the lube oil, causing the main engine to stop.
The master sent a Mayday call for help. A tug capable of towing sailed from New Plymouth and brought the Shiling to sheltered waters before towing it back to Wellington for further repairs.
TAIC reported that rubber diaphragms designed to keep water out of the lube oil tank had deteriorated over time and had likely gone uninspected for years.
Following this second failure, Maritime New Zealand detained the Shiling for repairs and surveys. The ship eventually left New Zealand waters for Singapore in July 2023.
The commission is now urging the Ministry of Transport to consider laws that would give Maritime New Zealand the authority to ban certain ships from entering the country’s ports. This authority currently exists for the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.
TAIC also pointed out that New Zealand has limited towing and salvage resources. In the case of the Shiling, it was only by coincidence that a suitable tow vessel happened to be available in New Plymouth at the time.
Although the government has arranged for an open-ocean tug until June 2026 and is planning for better emergency towing, TAIC says more work is needed to build a strong response system for maritime incidents and improve rescue services.
TAIC also pointed out safety problems in how both international and local systems oversee foreign-flagged ships. It raised concerns that ship owners can shift their responsibility for safe operations to other companies without facing proper consequences. TAIC has asked Maritime New Zealand to take these issues to the International Maritime Organization for changes.
Reference: TAIC
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