An elderly Turkish cargo vessel has been banned in Europe after failing a third safety inspection in two years.
The Paris MOU said the 5,390-dwt Snow Stars (built 1996) will be barred from its ports for three months.
It was detained in Aveiro, Portugal in June and held for 13 days with 16 deficiencies.
The Snow Stars flies the flag of Palau, which is classed as “grey” on the Paris MOU list, a middle ranking in terms of quality.
It is operated by Rana Shipping of Istanbul, which has been contacted for comment.
The insurer is NorthStandard of the UK.
Grounds for detention included the number of crew certificates not being as required, a lack of control of fire drills and oil filtering equipment not being properly maintained.
Inspectors also noted a lack of familiarity with Global Maritime Distress & Safety System equipment and a fault with the structural condition of the steering gear.
AIS data showed the Snow Stars underway off West Africa on Monday, heading to Bissau anchorage.
It was also held in Belgium in January for 27 days with 44 faults, and in Germany in March 2023 for four days with 23 deficiencies.
