Last year LittleDarwin pointed out that by and large newspapers no longer cover shipping movements . It detailed the number of interesting vessels coming into Darwin , large tankers seemingly being escorted by Navy vessels, unnoticed by the local media. We harked back to designated Shipping Reporters in Sydney who many years ago kept close watch on all vessels , large and small , coming into port , gathering many great yarns. As a result of that post, the ABC started a fortnightly shipping news report.
Many ships from all over the world come into Townsville and rarely get a mention . The nautical series following this post is a small indication, me hearties, of what is floating by the desk bound reporters who keep a greater watch on vaporous social media than the local waterfront .
Photographed earlier this year in Townsville is the above Maltese bulk carrier , Adfines East , which was written up in an American newspaper in April last year as "the troubled cargo ship" . The Oregonian reported that the skipper of the vessel, Russian Valeriy Sharykin,62, had admitted to being drunk while in charge of the vessel . Members of the US Coast Guard carrying out a routine search had noticed that the captain seemed intoxicated .Tested, his blood- alcohol was four times over the limit.
The newspaper carried a photograph of him handcuffed . In court he pleaded guilty, was sentenced to two years' probation during which time he may not sail in US waters. On top of that , he had to pay $1000 to the court and another $1000
to a community alcohol treatment facility .
A spokesman for the Coast Guard said the skipper was also banned from operating a jet ski on the river .While the captain was still in custody, his vessel, fully loaded and ready for departure, broke free from moorings and drifted some 1.5 miles into Columbia River, The crew managed to start the engine and drop anchor. The chief officer tried to take the vessel back to the terminal, but it ran aground on Davis Bar.
The 620ft long bulk carrier waited for a new skipper to be flown in to take over control. There are a few questions the local media might like to follow up. Was the skipper ever in charge of runs to Australia through the Great Barrier Reef? Did he make any trips to Australia while he was barred from plying US waters ? There are other questions , but that is the job of the local reporters
