The 18 crew members aboard a stranded NewLead-owned bitumen tanker will receive another month’s worth of provisions and fresh water this week while the vessel awaits an assessment for repairs.

The 5,900-dwt Newlead Granadino (built 2009) should receive the fresh provisions tomorrow, according to Captain George Agathokleous of Interorient Shipmanagement, which provided some of the crew aboard the vessel. The crew includes one Greek, three Romanians, and fourteen Filipinos.

NewLead had last provisioned the vessel 8 October, but those provisions were to last only through the end of the month. Agathokleous says Interorient took responsibility for the crew’s welfare as they were facing a “critical” shortage in provisions. He says NewLead has not responded to Interorient’s queries with regard to provisioning the crew.

Agathokleous says the 100 tons of potable water will be delivered to the ship this Wednesday as well.

French bank Natixis, which has a lien on the vessel, is also said to be working with Interorient in providing some of the $146,000 in back wages owed to the crew. The bank, which is working with NewLead during the process, has also hired Ravenship Management Services to provide other provisions and services, such as garbage and sludge removal, while the ship remains at anchorage in Baltimore Harbour.

The Newlead Granadino has been idled since 10 September due to a broken main shaft. NewLead has previously said that it plans to have the main shaft repaired by the vessel’s hull insurance, and that it plans to pay the back wages owed to the crew.

Granadino is running low on potable water

With the lack of potable water, the crew has reduced water usage to just cleaning dishes and food preparation, says Barbara Shipley, who has visited with the ship's crew and is an inspector with the International Transport Workers' Federation. In addition to potable water running low, she says the boiler on the ship needs repair, and the crew lacks heat. But Ravenship has told Shipley that the the repairs to the boiler were relatively minor, and could be accomplished soon.

While Shipley says the need for water is urgent, she says the increasing involvement of Natixis and its hiring of Ravenship is a good sign for the crew's welfare. She, too, says NewLead Holdings has stepped back taking responsibility for the crew's welfare.

"The captain of the ship feels confident that the bank is taking more interest in the crew's welfare, and that there will be some resolution soon," Shipley said. "Hopefully, with a new management company coming in, we'll get some resolution for the crew."

The Baltimore Seafarers International Centre has received winter clothing and other items for the crew from local maritime businesses and individuals. But Shipley says cash donations would go the furthest.

Despite the lengthy stay, Shipley says the captain and the crew have been keeping busy through painting the ship and fishing off the side of the vessel.

She says some of the crew may be able to leave the ship through a request to the Malta registry for a certificate for reduced manning, which would allow only a skeleton crew aboard the ship. That request would also have to be approved by the US Coast Guard. But even if some of the crew were able to leave the ship, visa status could still be an issue to prevent them from coming ashore and leaving the US.