Independent Expertise Bureau NV

PO Box 1074
St Maarten
Dutch West Indies
e-mail:

ieb@sintmaarten.net

Phone:
Fax:
Cell:

+ 1 721 543 6028

+ 1 721 543 6029
+ 1 721 587 1051

SCUA Rotterdam B.V.

o.b.o. Gard P & I
Wilhelminakade 75B, Rotterdam
3072 AP Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Re.

: Incident on board the m.v. Gas Flawless, while being moored/anchored between the mooring buoys
from SOL Antilles B.V. at Cole Bay Depot in St. Maarten, during discharging operations of on intended
amount of reportedly 2,100 barrel of propane gas from the m.v. Gas Flawless on 10 March 2016.

Preliminary report of Survey

Instruction received

: 11 March 2016

Date of survey/investigation

: 11 March 2016 and subsequent days

Date of preliminary report

: 21 March 2016

Location of survey/investigation

: SOL terminal at Cay Bay Road, St. Maarten

Surveyor

: Toon Valkenburg

Appointed by/for
Reference numbers

: SCUA Rotterdam B.V. o.b.o Gard P & I

: Our reference SXM-4695

Your Reference

: GAS FLAWLESS

Introduction
This is to certify that Independent Expertise Bureau N.V., attended on board the m.v. Gas Flawless, for the
purpose of assisting the Master, Fortonato Y. in the matter of an incident that occurred during the discharging of
a shipment of 2,100 barrel of propane, and to generally protect the interest of the Guard P&I Club.

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REPORT NO. SXM-4595

Philipsburg St Maarten
21 March 2016

INTRODUCTION
The m.v. Gas Flawless is a gas bulker that arrived at the receivers in St. Maarten, SOL Antilles (St.
Maarten) and GEBE at Cay Bay, moorings on 8 March 2016 in order to discharge reportedly 2,100 barrel
propane for SOL Antilles and 1,100 barrel mixed LPG for GEBE, the local utility company.

STATEMENT OF FACTS
The following information was received from the Master of the m.v. Gas Flawless, Fortonato Y.
Co.
Tuesday 8 March 2016
With a load of Butane and Propane, which had been loaded ship to ship on the roads in Kingston, Jamaica, the
m.v. Gas Flawless arrived at the roads of Cole Bay St. Maarten on 8 March 2016 at 0718 hours where she

dropped her anchor.

Wednesday 9 March 2016
The port pilot arrived on board the following day, 9 March 2016 at 0642 hours and upon his instructions the
vessel proceeded to her berth in between four mooring buoys.
First, two lines were given out had been given out from the vessel's port bow and from the starboard bow,
there was an anchor in the water.
There were four mooring lines in place at the stern, two from the port quarter and two from the starboard quarter.
Each set of mooring lines was secured to their own individual mooring buoy.
The m.v. Parapola was in position and secured between the three mooring buoys and her anchor at 0706
hours, the same time that the pilot disembarked.
At the time of mooring, the winds were strong N-E ly. The vessel draft had a trim of 90 cms. with a forward
draft of 3.85 meter and aft draft of 4.75 meter.
Sint Maarten - Sint Maarten, Lat: 18.08, Lon: -63.02, Timezone: GMT-4, archive available: 13.05.2011 - 20.03.2016
Wind speed (knots)

HRW 5 km

Wind direction

00h 02h 04h 06h 08h 10h 12h 14h 16h 18h 20h 22h 00h 02h 04h 06h 08h 10h 12h 14h 16h 18h 20h 22h
08.03.2016

10

12

12

13

13

13

18

18

19

19

09.03.2016

19

19

18

19

16

17

17

17

18

18

19

19

10.03.2016

20

19

16

16

17

17

21

16

15

16

15

16

11.03.2016

19

18

16

18

19

20

20

19

18

18

19

19

12.03.2016

18

19

19

19

20

20

20

19

15

16

19

20

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REPORT NO. SXM-4595

Philipsburg St Maarten
21 March 2016
After arrangements were made between the vessels crew and labour from the terminal, the 6" flexible

transfer hose was connected to the ships manifold.

From the time the vessel "berthed", the vessel was exposed to strong north-easterly winds that,
taking into account the layout/arrangement of the berthing/mooring buoys in Cay Bay, meant that
the wind was blowing more or less directly on to the vessel's port side.
Discharging of the cargo of 2,100 barrel of Propane to the shore commenced at 0900 hours at a pressure of 13

bars. At 1205 hours both mooring lines that had been given out from the vessel's port bow
reportedly parted at more or less the same time.
The crew immediately activated the emergency shutdown system and the same was done on the
shore side to stop the flow-back of cargo.
After both port bow mooring lines broke, the vessel drifted to starboard and the vessel's movement
was actually stopped by the discharging hose that connected the vessel's cargo manifold to the shore
line/pipe.
Once the vessel was again under full engine power at around 12.10 hours, she was brought back to
her original position using her bow thruster and secured with new mooring lines from her port bow.
After inspection by the plant manager, cargo discharging operations for SOL Antilles were
abandoned as there were concerns that the shore line might have sustained damage due to the
incident. After tank gauging and calculations, the cargo hose was disconnected at 1254 hours.
The vessel anchored in the vicinity of her berth awaiting further instructions.

m.v. Gas Flawless at anchor on 10 March

2016 at 0900 hours
Thursday 10 March 2016
The following day, 10 March, in order to discharge a shipment of mixed gas for GEBE, the local
utility company, the vessel was berthed in between the more easterly set of mooring buoys in Cay

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REPORT NO. SXM-4595

Philipsburg St Maarten
21 March 2016
Bay, St. Maarten at around 1030 hours. On this occasion, a 3 ship's line was used to discharge the
intended amount of cargo for GEBE.

SURVEY
At the time of our attendance, immediately after the vessel was berthed on 10 March 2016 at 10.30 hours, we
noticed that there were four mooring lines given out from the vessel's port bow.

We were informed that during the incident, cargo (propane gas), as far as was visible, was leaking
from three sequential flanges on the vessel's manifold, starting with the flange that attached the last
flexible section of the shore line to the vessel's manifold.

Three locations on the vessels manifold that had been leaking

Page 4

Shifted line at manifold.

REPORT NO. SXM-4595

Philipsburg St Maarten
21 March 2016

Inspection of the manifold itself revealed that the line had slightly shifted as a result of being
exposed to excessive strain.

Slightly shifted flange

Subject manifold

The cargo lines are being tested on a yearly base, the last time it was carried out on 4 June 2015 at a
pressure limit of 18 bar.
Inspection of the only piece of the mooring line that was available, being a length of approximately

4.5 meters of one of the ends of the mooring line that was secured on a mooring buoy, revealed that
the thread ends were showing chafing damage.

Subject end of the mooring line

Chafing damage

The 1,100 barrel mixed LPG for GEBE was discharged via a 3 ship's line that was connected on the shore

to the GEBE line and discharged without any reported issues.

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REPORT NO. SXM-4595

Philipsburg St Maarten
21 March 2016

Without a problem, the vessel was allowed to leave St. Maarten for her next port of call, which
reportedly was St. Kitts.
EXTEND OF THE DAMAGE
We were informed by SOL Antilles (St. Maarten), who are reportedly the owners of the underwater
facility that was involved in the incident, that they put a diver down to inspect the underwater
facility later on the day of the incident, 9 March; and reportedly they found that the underwater
cargo line had shifted on the sea bottom.
We have requested pictures of same and asked to be informed of any undertaking with regard to an
inspection etc. of the consequences of the incident. Our request is being evaluated by SOL Antilles
Head Office in St. Lucia and until today, we have not received an answer/information.
APPARENT CAUSE OF THE INCIDENT
The damage occurred as a result of the fact that the two mooring lines that were given out from the
port bow parted while the vessel was encountering strong winds. Inspection of the only piece of the
mooring line that was available, being a length of approximately 4.5 meters of one of the ends of
the mooring line that was secured on a mooring buoy, revealed that the thread ends were showing
chafing damage.

In witness whereof this report is issued, to serve and avail, where and when required, at
Philipsburg, St. Maarten
Independent Expertise Bureau

Toon Valkenburg,
Surveyor, Master Mariner

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