Lawyers for a George Economou-controlled capesize bulker are claiming at least $1m in damages after a Chinese-owned handymax ploughed into their client's ship.
The allision occurred on 27 April while the 177,900-dwt Madeira (built 2007) was lightering coal in the Kandla outer anchorage in the Gulf of Kutch.
The Madeira is owned by Arlen Maritime Co, a single-ship entity affiliated with Economou's Cardiff Marine. The other ship — the 46,500-dwt U Glory (built 1998) — trades for Tianjin-based Kind Glory Shipping, with Marshall Islands entity DV Marine as its registered owner. Some sources connect Kind Glory to Hong Kong-based Greatsources Shipping Consultants.
Two barges and a floating crane banked alongside the capesize were also damaged.
In YouTube footage of the incident, stevedores or crewmen are seen shouting as the inbound U Glory approaches the anchored Madeira. The video shows the handysize narrowly missing the stationary capesize, then scraping its port bow before striking a barge head-on.
Not visible in the video are the subsequent alleged actions by the handysize. Lawyers for the Madeira interests claim the Chinese ship reversed direction moments later, struck both barges and departed from the scene without responding to protests from the Madeira's master.
The Greek shipowner has begun an arrest action in the High Court of Gujarat in Ahmedabad.
According to bills of lading supplied to the court, the capesize was lightering some 163,300 tonnes of coal from South Africa at the time of the casualty. The handymax was carrying steel coils, trucks, and machinery for delivery at Kandla.
Cardiff was still counting up its damages at the time of the most recent available court filing. The lawyers said the $1m initial claim includes $786,000 in physical repairs, but it did not include such further expenses as demurrage or surveyors' and lawyers' bills.
The Madeira had planned to depart for Ukraine and a new cargo following its discharge at Kandla but now looks likely to miss that business.
In their arrest papers, the Madeira's lawyers claimed that the U Glory's command did not respond to urgent warnings before the incident.
They alleged that immediately following the incident, "in an unprecedented manner, the defendant manoeuvred to her starboard and continued towards the pilot station".
The Madeira's P&I cover is with Gard but its freight, demurrage and defence cover with the UK Defence Club.
"The circumstances suggest the U Glory's interests are 100% responsible for this incident," wrote UK Defence Club manager's claims executive Michael Chanouzas of Thomas Miller, in a correspondence filed with the court.
According to a surveyor's report, the U Glory's master blamed the incident on local hydrodynamics.
Captain Sanjay Ashar of Purohit & Ashar Marine Services reported that the Chinese master said he had anchored approximately 0.8 nautical miles (1.5 km) from the Madeira. But when the ship weighed anchor to proceed into port, it "started drifting with the strong tidal currents towards Madeira despite use of [its] engines and made contact with port bow of Madeira".
The Greek and Chinese owners did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
