The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has banned an MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company container ship for 90 days.
The refusal of access notice has been applied to the Liberia-registered 1,732-teu MSC Kymea II (built 2006) for “sub-standard performance from the ship’s operator, MSC Shipmanagement Ltd … including critical maintenance issues”.
The authority said it has detained nine MSC ships over the past two years, including five in 2023.
“Many of these detentions showed systemic sub-standard maintenance practices onboard,” it said.
A port state control inspection identified 21 deficiencies, including a defective free-fall lifeboat steering system, defective fire safety systems, dangerously stored flammable materials and multiple wasted or missing railing safety chains used to prevent stevedores from falling from heights when lashing cargo.
The AMSA said an inspection two weeks ago on an unnamed vessel uncovered a corroded fuel oil tank air pipe.
“The evidence suggests that the ship attempted to hide the seriousness of the defect from authorities by covering up the rusted pipe with canvas and painting over it,” it said.
The authority’s executive director of operations, Michael Drake, said: “AMSA has zero-tolerance for sub-standard ships operating in Australian waters and we will not hesitate to ban vessels that fail to meet basic safety standards.”
The MSC Kymea II is entered with the Steamship Mutual P&I club and is classed by DNV.
MSC has been contacted for comment.
