A Singaporean charterer has seized a bulker in Houston over allegations its owner's lack of upkeep forced it to miss out on cheap bunker prices ahead of the IMO 2020 fuel switch.
Dava filed a suit in the US federal court of the Eastern District of Texas on Tuesday, arguing registered owner Domes Shipholding Corp failed to maintain the 33,422-dwt bulker Nodus (built 2010) ahead of a 21 December voyage from a Russian Black Sea port to Brazil.
But the ship was delayed twice — once for a port state detention stemming from 15 deficiencies and then for evaluation by the Korean Registry after engine trouble in the Bosporus. As such, the Nodus was unable to sail until after the New Year and the IMO 2020 emissions regulations kicked in.
"The vessel instead had to burn low-sulphur marine gasoil ... at a cost to Dava of more than double the price of [the high-sulphur fuel oil]," the complaint read.
Dava said it also had an agreement to buy high-sulphur fuel in Malta at $607 per tonne, but the delays made delivery impossible. Instead, it paid $658 per tonne.
It said it lost $136,397 having missed both opportunities.
Arbitration
It seized the Nodus as security for its ongoing arbitration against Domes in London.
Domes shares the same address as Seadar Shipmanagement, the ship's manager. Seadar did not immediately return requests for comment.
Dava seeks an additional $38,602, bringing its total claim to about $175,000.
According to AIS data, the Nodus is moored in Houston after a voyage from Iskenderun, Turkey.
