Continuing engine trouble has kept the Feedertech ship Shiling stranded outside Wellington, New Zealand, nearly a month after losing power.
On 12 May, the 2005-built, 5,117 TEU Shiling sent a distress call at 11 am local time while it was 22 nautical miles North North-West of Farewell Spit, with the 24-man crew indicating that the ship had lost power and steering in heavy seas and they were prepared to abandon ship. A tug was sent out of Taranaki to stabilise the ship, arriving nearly six hours later.
Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand put rescue helicopters and coast guard vessels on standby, but sea conditions improved and Shiling’s master said he was comfortable staying on board.
Shiling was connected to the tug, Skandi Emerald, at 4.30 pm the same day and towed to 15 nautical miles east of Farewell Spit.
Shiling had been hovering around Wellington since 15 April when it stalled just outside the port. Two tugs helped to tow Shiling to Aotea Quay in Wellington, where it had been hovering since. The Singapore-flagged ship, acquired second-hand by Feedertech in early 2020, is assigned to a service connecting New Zealand with Singapore and Malaysia’s Port Klang.
Maritime NZ’s inspections indicated that there were concerns with the reliability of the vessel, preventing the Shiling from moving on. Maritime NZ had noted that Shiling, which had departed Auckland on 12 April, had three breakdowns in Wellington, on separate occasions, within a year. Last July, Shiling had engine problems in Wellington that took days to rectify. On 11 February, Shiling’s engine stopped for a while, also in Wellington, but this did not put the ship out of action.
On 14 May, Shiling was towed to Tasman Bay and Feedertech worked to confirm a suitable location, the vessel can safely anchor or berth. Due to its size, and current location, Feedertech’s agent contacted Wellington’s CentrePort.
As of today (15 May), Shiling remains in Tasman Bay.
Maritime NZ said today that the next potential weather window to relocate Shiling is on Friday, as it must be satisfied the move can be done safely. Payment for moving the vessel is managed by the Shiling’s owners and their insurers.
Feedertech was acquired by DP World’s liner subsidiary Unifeeder in December 2019.
Martina Li
Asia Correspondent
