The owner and manager of a damaged bulker carrying a potentially explosive cargo have finally spoken out about the vessel’s plight.
The 37,000-dwt open-hatch carrier Ruby (built 2012), with 20,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate on board, has been seeking a port of refuge since suffering damage in a grounding off Norway in August.
The Malta-flagged ship has been turned away by Norway, Sweden, Lithuania and its own flag state as it tries to find a repair yard.
Owner Ruby Enterprise, based in Malta, and manager Serenity Ship Management, of the United Arab Emirate, have blamed media coverage for complicating what should have been a routine cargo transfer.
In their first public statement, sent to TradeWinds, the companies mention “considerable media speculation” since the ship left Kandalaksha, Russia, on 22 August.
“The media speculation has had a negative prejudicial effect on the vessel’s ability to undergo what would be considered routine operations to transfer the cargo of ammonium nitrate to another vessel, so the Ruby can undergo repairs, following a grounding incident shortly after leaving Kandalaksha,” they said.
The companies pointed out that ammonium nitrate is a commonly transported cargo and poses no threat to the ship, crew or surrounding environment in the vessel’s current state.
The bulker was cleared by its class surveyor, DNV, and by the Maltese flag state in Tromso, Norway on 5 September following temporary repairs and an assessment that determined the ship’s strength and stability were sufficient to head for permanent repairs on the condition of tug assistance throughout, the statement said.
The vessel has now been anchored for more than a week off the UK in the English Channel.
The owner, manager, insurers including the West of England Club, and UK authorities are working hard to find a solution to get the Ruby into port, it added.
Terminals ‘reticent’
The companies said: “Unfortunately, due to the media speculation that has surrounded this vessel, port terminals in the UK are reticent to take the vessel in.”
They added that the Ruby adheres to all international regulations and procedures through its flag state, maintains high technical standards and is fully insured.
“The owners and managers would like to extend their sincere gratitude towards the UK authorities for their continuing support in helping to find a safe solution. Ship owners and managers are still hopeful that a solution can be found to assist in the current predicament in a safe manner,” the statement concluded.
The bulker is signalling its destination as Marsaxlokk in Malta on 11 October.
Norwegian inspectors found six faults, including hull cracking, and detained the ship for a week.
It was already known to have sustained damage to its propeller, hull and rudder after encountering a storm.
A much smaller quantity of ammonium nitrate caused the devastating blast in the port of Beirut, Lebanon that killed at least 218 people in 2020.
