High seas detective

"Khaled A" just before sunset

As I was on watch back in June 2022 on the Red Sea on s/y Fanny I saw this cargo ship "Khaled A" coming against us on a northerly course towards Suez. 

As I was scouting her out through the binoculars I saw derricks on the deck and thought she must be an old lady. These days derricks are not generally used or built anymore due to their labor intensive, slow and cumbersome operation and also low demand for general cargo tonnage. Nowadays only the fishing industry uses derricks with union purchase, probably easier to unload from smaller fishing vessels into the mothership. Merchant shipping moved away from them to cranes and then other rolling solutions.

Everything is moving in containers on box ships these days or in massive bulk carriers. Last time I had seen any old timers in operation was in late 80's on the Baltic sea on their way to Poland or Sovietunion and I wished I could have sailed on one.

The weird thing was that she never popped up on our radar nor AIS transponder receiver so I almost thought it was a ghost ship as she thundered past us only few hundreds meters away from us with no life on her decks.

I did jot down her name so I could later check up on her and when I now started digging online to my surprise it appears from marinetraffic that she's a 1991 build from Japan. 

She was named first as "Calayan Iris", then "Thailine 2", then "Babylon" and today "Khaled A". I'm thinking from her traffic area that she caters for cargoes in small basic ports with little or no logistics facilities available, "Khaled A" is relatively small and can discharge and load herself with her own gear so therein lies her strength.

Originally she was built and owned by Nisshin Kaiun K K in Japan (est. 1967), they still seem to be very active today with a large fleet of vessels, they used her for 10 years under Filipino registry and when she was sold in 2001 they also changed the flag to Malaysian. 

The second owning company is Thailine, from the looks of it they could be a subsidiary of Nisshin Kaiun or they just traditionally buy their old tonnage as it seems their fleet is mainly consisting of that. Her age was probably starting to show, as looking at her records on Equasis, in 2013 her first issues are starting to show up in port state control (PSC) inspections, on 25th Feb 2013 she got 6 deficiencies recorded in Yokohama:

Certificate & Documentation - Documents: Records of rest
Emergency Systems Emergency Lighting: Batteries and Switches
Fire safety: Fire doors/openings in fire-resisting divisions
Fire safety: Fire prevention structural integrity
Pollution prevention - MARPOL Annex I: Oil filtering equipment
Propulsion and auxiliary machinery: Other (machinery)

Not a good day for the Captain and crew. She was now on the PSC radar and on 26th April in Subic, Philippines she has a follow up PSC and 4 of her previous deficiencies remain, including the hours of rest. Then in 25th July in Takamatsu she gets boarded again and has following deficiencies recorded:

Pollution prevention - MARPOL Annex I: Oil filtering equipment

Pollution prevention - MARPOL Annex V: Garbage

Safety of Navigation: International Code of Signals

Safety of Navigation: Lights, shapes and sound signal(x2)

Safety of Navigation: Magnetic compass

On 28th August 2013 in Da Nang a follow up PSC is conducted and 2 deficiencies remain from previous 5, light shapes and signals and the international code of signals. These would have been so easy to rectify. Then 17th Dec 2013 in Yokohama there is more recorded:

Certificate & Documentation - Documents: Records of rest

Fire safety: Jacketed high pressure lines 

Pollution prevention - MARPOL Annex VI: Other (MARPOL Annex-VI)

Radio Communications: MH/HF radio installation

Safety of Navigation: Nautical Publications

Working and Living Conditions - Working Conditions: Ropes/ Wires

This already looks like she is not receiving any TLC and crew can't do their job properly despite it appears they have excessive hours recorded, maybe the crew had been reduced. Again in Da Nang on 22nd Feb 2014 she has following recorded:

Fire safety: Fire doors/openings in fire-resisting divisions

Fire safety: Means of Escape

Propulsion and auxiliary machinery: Auxiliary Engine

Propulsion and auxiliary machinery: Propulsion Main Engine

Follow up PSC is conducted on the same day and there are 2 more deficiencies:

Pollution prevention - MARPOL Annex VI: Other (MARPOL Annex-VI)

Radio Communications: MH/HF radio installation

Then in 29th May 2014 she has another PSC and following recorded:

Certificate & Documentation - Crew Certificates: Endorsement by flagstate

Fire safety: Fire detection and alarm system

Propulsion and auxiliary machinery: Auxiliary Engine

The 2 months later in Tokyo on 25th July 2014 they get inspected again and more follows:

Other: Other safety in general

Propulsion and auxiliary machinery: Auxiliary Engine

Safety of Navigation: Charts

Water/Weathertight conditions: Cargo and other hatchways

Then 27th Oct 2014 in Niigata they get caught out on the Complaints procedure under MLC, 2006. They get a follow up inspection on the same day and more is discovered:

Propulsion and auxiliary machinery: Auxiliary Engine

Water/Weathertight conditions: Cargo and other hatchways

Then 9th Jan 2014 in Chiba PSC is onboard and records:

Fire safety: Fire doors/openings in fire-resisting divisions

Safety of Navigation: Charts

Then finally on 20th Feb 2015 in Fukuoka, Japan, the cup runneth over, and she gets a detention record in Japan following PSC with a total of 11 deficiencies:

Certificate & Documentation - Documents: Ship Energy Efficiency Management plan

ISM: Maintenance of the Ship and Equipment

Life saving appliances: Lifeboats

MLC, 2006 Conditions of employment: Wages

Propulsion and auxiliary machinery: Propulsion Main Engine

Safety of Navigation: Bridge Operation

Safety of Navigation: Voyage data recorder (VDR)

Water/Weathertight conditions: Freeboard Marks

Water/Weathertight conditions: Ventilators air pipes ceasing

Working and Living Conditions - Working Conditions: Ropes/ Wires

Then the reason for detention:

Pollution prevention - MARPOL Annex IV: Sewage treatment plan

Something must have taken place as she has another PSC in Ho Chi Minh city on the 24th April 2015 and following deficiencies are found:

Fire safety: Fire doors/openings in fire-resisting divisions 

Propulsion and auxiliary machinery: Propulsion Main Engine 

Safety of Navigation: Nautical Publications 

Working and Living Conditions - Working Conditions: Pipes Wires (Insulation)

There is a follow up inspection on the same day and she passes clear after a long time. Management must have been on the ball with this as she continues to sail with only few deficiencies recorded until her sale in 2016. 

In about 15 years time Thailine had enough of her, the 3rd owner, Al Rafedain that is based in Dubai, UAE, bought her in 2016, rename her "Babylon" and reflagged her under Panama. They also seem to be active still today maintaining a small fleet of various vessels.

Then there is a long gap with no PSC, until 6th May 2019 when she's inspected in Egypt by the Mediterranean Mou, the narrative continues below. I can only think she has traded for Al Rafedain between East Africa and Asia as per the Equasis location records, probably no PSC regime in place but she was still kept in somekind of running condition although the 3 findings are not very promising about her state of maintenance, maybe it was the reason she was sold. 

So they didn't keep her for long and sold her to current owners, Akad Marine, in 2018 only after 2 years of trading and not even any special survey due. According to Equasis her NNK Class was withdrawn in March 2018 on "owners request for other reasons" and her flag was changed to Togo with a name change to "Khaled A". The end was being written on the cards.

Looking at her first two owners you can see the pattern of 5 years when her Class special survey (SS) is due, Nisshin Kaiun K K sold her to the Thailine so they didn't have to do the survey (and outlay the expense for it). Then Thailine probably did 3 special surveys in 15 years and started crimping on the maintenance and got so many deficiencies upon inspections and finally a detention. They probably had to inject a bit of effort in her to keep her going in 2016 until the sale. The decision to run down the ship and sell was most likely a planned move.

The 3rd owner, Al Rafedain, may have wanted to save expenses and transferred her to an offshore company in Belize covering their liability by restructuring the vessels ownership or maybe she didn't work out for the intended trade or she just was getting too knackered for the investment needed to put her back into condition. The cancellation of Class and then being owned as a single ship by one company in Belize point to a sale, definitely classical textbook example of hiding assets.

I was guessing that today she's perhaps under African management as she is flying the flag of Togo but after doing some digging I think can safely deduce it is only another preferred flag of convenience who does not ask questions. Her owning Company "Akad Marine" registered in Belize with only one ship listed in ownership points potentially to a dodgy setup where she has been sold to an offshore vehicle.

The Mediterranean MOU when inspected also reveals her ISM management is done in Malaysia by Shinline, Lot 523, Kuala Baram District, P.O. Box 2075, Miri, Malaysia. The client could still be from anywhere.

Equasis has her PSC records going as follows, the Togo flag is not doing her any favors and she is being inspected at every possible opportunity:

On 6th May 2019 the Suez PSC got her on 3 deficiencies

On 31st March 2020 she has 3 deficiencies recorded at a PSC in Suez

On 16th Nov 2020 at a detailed PSC in Suez she had recorded 4 deficiencies 

On 31st March 2021 Sudan, Port Sudan, 2 deficiencies listed

In 2022 there are no PSC's recorded, possibly due to the war, the geographical record shows her back in Asia and Mediterranean, I am guessing she maybe was trading between Black sea and S Mediterranean.

On 23rd October in 2023 she has a detailed PSC in Abu Qir, Egypt and they record 5 deficiencies.

On 23rd  January 2023 in Ukraine, Pivdennyi, inspection and 3 deficiencies listed

On 28th March 2023 Egypt, Abu Qir, detailed inspection, 5 deficiencies found. I can see her ISM management has changed to GMZ Ship Management Co SA in Lebanon.

On 28th June 2023 Ukraine Izmail, inspection, no deficiencies

On 22nd March 2024 Ukraine Izmail, inspection, no deficiencies

On 20th April 2024 she has another detailed port state control in Tripoli, 2 deficiencies were recorded.

On 12th Dec 2024 in Ukraine Izmail, inspection, no deficiencies.

*****

On Equasis "Khaled A" is listed having trading history according to AIS from 2013 (probably no records before that, AIS was introduced in 2002 but in 2012 went "mainstream") trading only in Asia. In January 2017 she's recorded calling first time in East Africa, after that she trades occasionally to Africa but mostly Asia until Sept 2022 when she enters the Mediterranean sea. Then in 2024 she has gone back to Asia only to return back to the Mediterranean sea. Lot of miles...

Checking up on GMZ Shipmanagement in Lebanon it appears that "Khaled A" is not on their lists. Maybe an oversight or they have dropped her from their management, her last PSC record was pretty "fine" compared to previous years, maybe also due to lax inspections. 

GMZ itself doesn't appear to have a very good track record as a Company according to International maritime risk rating and according to Chokepoint. Digging a bit further there is another GMZ Management in Greece so maybe Lebanon is the arm that takes out the dirty laundry and the old tonnage. They don't refer to "Khaled A" per se, but the management that, according to the PSC inspections, are in charge of them, doesn't raise expectations. 

"Khaled A"

Today "Khaled A" is 34 years old, I doubt she has many more left before she will end up at the shipbreakers, e.g. Aliaga, Turkey. I still wish her safe sails until the end.

*****

"Khaled A":s particulars are as follows from Balticshipping:

Year of build: (ordered Jul 1, 1989) keel laid 1st June 1990, launched 1/1991

Builder: Shin Kurushima Imabari, Tokyo, Japan
Classification society: Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (NKK)
IMO number: 9010046

Furthermore the website shipvault expands on her dimensions, capacities, value and current/ previous owning companies:

General cargo
Owner: Akad Marine
Flag: Togo
Est. value: US$ 5,402,622

Propulsion
Engine: Hanshin x1 
Description 6EL40
Builder Akashi, Kobe
H/P kW: 3300 / 2426

Name history and owner changes
1. Calayan Iris 2001, Nisshin Kaiun K K 
2. Thailine 2, 9/2016, Thailine
3. Babylon, 3/2018, Al Rafedain
4. Khaled A, Akad Marine

Tonnages
TDW: 7,062
GT: 5,552

Dimensions
LOA: 98.17
LBP: 89.95
Beam: 18.80
Depth: 12.90
Draft: 7.410

Capacities
Grain: 13647
Bale: 12484
Holds/ hatches: 2/2