OS35 (bulk carrier)

OS 35 as seen from the Gibraltar coast in September 2022.
History
Name
  • Golden Harvest (1999–2006)
  • Addu Comet (2006–2007)
  • JS Comet (2007-2016)
  • OS 35 (2016–2022)
OwnerShipping Bank ( South Korea)
Port of registryFunafuti,  Tuvalu
BuilderShin Kurushima Toyohashi Shipbuilding, Japan
Completed1999
Identification
FateBeached after collision in August 2022, removed and scrapped in 2023
General characteristics
Class and typeBulk carrier
Tonnage20,947 GT
Length178 m (584 ft 0 in)
Beam28 m (91 ft 10 in)

MV OS 35 was a bulk carrier registered in Tuvalu, a flag of convenience.[1] It was attacked by pirates near Somalia in 2017, and was beached near Gibraltar after a ship collision in 2022. The ship was disposed of afterwards.

Description

OS 35 is a bulk carrier with five cargo holds, a length overall of 178 metres (584 ft 0 in) and a breadth of 28 metres (91 ft 10 in), built in 1999 at Shin Kurushima Toyohashi shipyard in Japan.[2] It has a gross tonnage of 20,947 and a deadweight of 35,362. The vessel was built as Golden Harvest.[3] Thereafter, as the ship changed hands, its name was changed to Addu Comet, JS Comet and finally OS 35.[4]

2017 pirate attack

In April 2017, the ship was enroute from Port Klang, Malaysia to Aden, Yemen.[5] On 8 April 2017, approximately 147 nautical miles (272 km) southeast of Mukalla, Yemen, the ship was boarded by pirates. The crew stopped the engine, retreated into the citadel, and called for help.[6]

INS Mumbai and INS Tarkash of the Indian Navy, and Chinese navy frigate Yulin responded. The Indian ships provided a communication link with the crew and helicopter air cover.[5] A 18-man Chinese special forces party boarded OS 35[7] and captured three pirates, including Aw Kombe who was involved in the Aris 13 hijacking. Two pirates escaped.[8]

2022 collision

In August 2022, OS 35 collided with liquefied natural gas tanker Adam LNG off of Gibraltar and was beached.[9] The wreck created an oil spill. Booms were deployed, and 80% of the ship's diesel fuel was removed by the morning of 2 September.[10] Spain increased monitoring for pollution around the Bay of Gibraltar.[11]

The ship was salvaged by Koole Contractors from The Netherlands from January 2023 to July 2023. A winter storm broke the ship in half. The sections were placed on a heavy-lift ship, and arrived at Amsterdam for ship breaking on August 15.[12]

References

  1. ^ "OS 35 Bulk Carrier - IMO-9172399-MMSI-572852210". www.vesselfinder.com/. Vessel finder. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
  2. ^ "OS 35 (IMO 9172399, Bulk Carrier) - Ship Details and Current Position | Vessel Tracking". www.vesseltracking.net. Vessel tracking. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
  3. ^ "Vessel particulars - MV OS 35". www.marinetraffic.com. Marine traffic. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
  4. ^ "OS 35 Bulk carrier". www.fleetmon.com. Fleet Monitor. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
  5. ^ a b Singh, Rahul (11 April 2017). "Indian, Chinese war ships rescue bulk carrier from pirates". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
  6. ^ International Maritime Bureau (January 2018). Piracy and Armed Robbery Against Ships: Report for the Period 1 January – 31 December 2017 (PDF) (Report). International Chamber of Commerce.
  7. ^ Petrov, Svilen (9 April 2017). "Bulk carrier OS 35 was attacked by pirates in the Gulf of Aden". Maritime Herald. Archived from the original on 11 May 2017. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
  8. ^ "Chinese Navy Hands Pirates Over to Somali Authorities". Maritime Executive. 8 May 2017. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  9. ^ Nazca, Jon (30 August 2022). "Bulk carrier beached after collision with LNG tanker in Gibraltar". Reuters.
  10. ^ "Gibraltar collision: Race to remove fuel from stricken ship". BBC News. 2022-09-02. Retrieved 2022-09-02.
  11. ^ Kirby, Paul (2 September 2022). "Gibraltar collision: Crucial hours as fuel removed from stricken ship". BBC.
  12. ^ "Photos: OS 35 Hulk Arrives in Amsterdam for Recycling". The Maritime Executive. 18 August 2023. Retrieved 30 March 2024.