The American Club is chasing the Spanish owner of a troubled gas carrier it bailed out when the ship lost its rudder.
The New York-based protection and indemnity mutual said Madrid-based Globalgas owes it $559,478 for outstanding premiums and services rendered to the 7,000-cbm LPG carrier Celanova (built 2003) when it broke down near the Philippines in December.
"Faced with an emergency situation, with the [Celanova] fully-laden with volatile cargo and rudderless, perilously drifting on the high seas, the American Club agreed to assist," the complaint, filed in the Southern District of New York federal court on Wednesday, read.
The club alleges that it and Globalgas agreed in December that the club would tow the Celanova to a safe location, with expenses ultimately covered by the ship's hull and machinery insurance.
However, on 23 December, the day after the Celanova arrived in Manila Bay, Globalgas disclosed that it had no hull and machinery insurance.
Still, the American Club dispatched a surveyor to the ship on 6 January, who found the cooling system for the cargo had failed, which could lead to an explosion.
The club paid for repairs.
Later that month, the club discovered classification society Bureau Veritas suspended the Celanova's certification on 8 January. It then retroactively cancelled the ship's insurance.
The club argues it is owed $79,617 in outstanding premiums for the cancelled policy and $479,860 for the services rendered to the ship.
Globalgas could not be reached for comment.
The Celanova is the company's only ship, according to shipping databases.
According to AIS data last updated on 24 June, the ship is at anchor in Manila Bay.
Trouble on board
In May, the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) said the Celanova's crew had been trapped aboard the ship without pay and basic necessities for months after the ship was declared abandoned on 2 February, according to the International Labour Organization.
Then, the ship had been detained by Filipino regulators over unpaid wages and its mortgagee, ABANCA, was working with Globalgas before moving for a sale.
Both the ITF and the Spanish government — the Celanova is Spanish flagged — requested the ship be allowed into port, but authorities said the ship must be accompanied by a tug.
The union said the shipowner suggested the crew pay for it.
"We are strong people, but we are exhausted and now bad weather and no option to do anything if [the] vessel drag[s] the anchor," a crew member only identified as Pedro told the ITF.
"I hope Monday could be finished this and next week could be able to berth. Under the present condition it is very dangerous our situation."
The Celanova was also one of 19 ships detained by Houthi rebels in the midst of the Yemen civil war in April of 2018.
The ships had been approved for trading by Saudi Arabia, who is backing government forces in the conflict.
Saudi Arabia said it feared the ships could be destroyed, but days later three ships were allowed to sail.
