A Dutch offshore company is looking to seize a Parakou Shipping-owned bulker after one of its crane barges was damaged while unloading cargo.
Conquest Offshore filed suit last Friday in Jacksonville, Florida federal court alleging concrete dust kicked up while the 35,200-dwt Pretty Team (built 2013) discharged concrete in Alabama in March caused at least $1.5m in damage to the nearby Conquest MB1.
"[The defendants] owed a duty to see that the crew of the vessel were properly informed, instructed, trained and equipped to safely discharge its cement cargo without causing damage to others, that the crew would competently discharge the cement cargo without causing harm to others, and that the vessel had the proper gear and equipment to safely discharge its cement cargo," the complaint read.
According to the complain, the Conquest crane barge was moored at an adjacent facility on 26 March when the Pretty Team began unloading the concrete. Dust was then "allowed to drift onto and contaminate" the barge and its equipment.
The suit says the damage amounted to $1.5m, plus additional damages from downtime, demurrage, delay, lost profit and incidental costs.
An arrest warrant for the Pretty Team was been issued Friday.
According to AIS data, the ship was in Jacksonville and departed Saturday morning at 12:11am (0411 GMT) en route to Corpus Christi, Texas.
It is currently in the water southeast of Miami.
Parakou did not immediately return requests for comment.
