Investigation survey – MV SIERRA General Average declared at Barranquilla, Colombia 

30 May 2016

The purpose of our attendance was to carry out an investigation survey on the casualty occurred to the MV SIERRA during the unberthing maneuver on 24 May 2016 at Compas terminal, Barranquilla port (Magdalena river), Colombia, ensuring to provide the appropriate information and documentation in accordance with the GA declaration. The survey was carried out from 2 June to 14 July 2016.

MV SIERRA was on a time charter loaded with 16.565 MT of Coke Breeze from Barranquilla, Colombia for discharge at Owendo, Gabon

The ship was a Bulk Carrier of 24,319 deadweight tons, built in 2010 and classed by RINA. The engine was direct coupled to a three blade fixed pitch propeller. The stern tube was water cooled with a stainless steel sleeve and a synthetic stern tube bushing of shenlong macromolecule.

On 30 May 2016, the international adjuster “SCHELIMME & PARTNER GMBH” informed that the ship’s Master and Owners of MV SIERRA declared GENERAL AVERAGE because the ship was not allowed to continue her voyage by problems with her propulsion plant and was necessary to repair in Dry dock. The ship was scheduled to have a dry dock on Curacao, bearing in mind that in Colombia there is not shipyards with sufficient lifting capacity.

The Surveyor for Britannia AS, acting at the request of international law firm (INCE & CO France SCP), as Interested Party on behalf of AIG Europe, cargo underwriters of COMILOG involved, attended investigation survey of the G A declared on MV SIERRA at Barranquilla, Colombia.

The cargo owners informed that the ship needed to be discharge as soon as possible bearing in mind that the shipment was expecting to be delivering in Gabon.

On July 5th the ship commenced cargo discharge operations at Michellmar terminal, Barranquilla, Colombia and  on July 13th the cargo discharging operations of MV SIERRA finished and the morning of July 14th the ship on ballast was unberthing being towed to Curacao by tug.

The marine surveyor Captain Milton Baron carried out the investigation and issued the investigation survey report with the following content:

  1. Introduction
  2. Sequence of events
  3. Ship´s Particulars
  4. Occurrence
  5. Survey Findings
  6. Analysis of findings and evidence
  7. Available information
  8. Damage description
  9. Repairs
  10. Cause consideration