THE AUSTRALIAN Maritime Safety Authority has decided no action is currently required after a new tug made an unorthodox entry to Hay Point last Thursday [18 April].
The Damen ASD 3212-type newbuilding Bauru arrived from the builder’s Song Cam, Vietnam yard under the St Vincent & Grenadines flag, with a crew supplied by Netherlands-based delivery voyage specialists TOS.
The 450 GT tug is registered to BMA Coal Operations and will be managed by RivTow, as are earlier sister Hay Point Coal Terminal tugs Baladha and Bulgu.
According to eyewitness reports received by DCN the tug initially was turned back to sea by the local VTS after apparently misidentifying the port leads. Upon eventually proceeding to the Hay Point tug harbour it could not be brought alongside, colliding with its berth and damaging that and itself. It was then taken back out until a RivTow crew could obtain Customs dispensation and board Bauru to berth it safely.
An AMSA spokesperson said the authority had received an official report concerning the berthing incident: “Following this, AMSA has reached out to pertinent stakeholders and has concluded that no additional actions are deemed necessary at present.”
The incident is unlikely to delay Bauru’s entry into service. Bauru replaces the chartered PSA Marvel, which has now gone charter to Engage Towage in Sydney Harbour.
