New Zealand port authorities have held back a container ship owned by Feedertech, after the vessel lost power as it approached Wellington port.
The 2005-built, 5,117 TEU ship, Shiling, was about to enter Wellington on 15 April when it stalled. Two tugs helped to tow Shiling back to a berth in Wellington. The 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 officials were supposed to have inspected the ship on 17 April, due to concerns with the reliability of the vessel, before deciding whether to permit Shiling to move 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.
During the current inspection, a surveyor from Lloyd’s Register, which classes the Shiling, will ensure that the ship is sufficiently repaired so that it can resume sailing to its next destination, Napier.
A notice that Wellington harbour master Grant Nalder issued to Wellington Regional Council said, “Once the vessel leaves the berth, it will complete at least one full turn in the northern part of the harbour while carrying out engine tests to the pilot’s satisfaction before heading down the channel. At least one tug will remain on standby near the vessel during engine testing and will accompany the vessel as far as Steeple Rock. The tug will remain in the vicinity of Steeple Rock until the pilot has disembarked the vessel.”
Vessel-tracking data from S&P Global Platts shows that Shiling remains anchored in Wellington as of today.
Feedertech was acquired by DP World’s liner subsidiary Unifeeder in December 2019.
Martina Li
Asia Correspondent
