What Crew Members Say About Bocs-Vision

The Bremen-based BOCS Company has recently acquired the previously laid-up cargo vessel, formerly known as the 'Jennifer H', and rebranded it as 'BOCS Vision'. This strategic acquisition marks the company's entry into a service route connecting Northwest Europe with West Africa, operating under the Portuguese flag. The ship departed from the fishing port of Bremerhaven on February 23 at 2:30 PM and made its way to Antwerp, arriving on February 25 at 12:30 AM. Following this, the vessel is set to navigate to Rouen with an estimated time of arrival (ETA) on March 2. For more details, including a photo, visit the German report at Weser Kurier.

The 'Jennifer H', a cargo vessel recently sold by the Swiss federal government, has been docked in Bremerhaven for over four months. Operating under the Barbados flag, the ship still has Switzerland liable for its status due to prior ownership. The former 'SCL Andisa', owned by Swiss Cargo Line under the leadership of Hansjürg Grunder, fell victim to insolvency, prompting a distasteful liquidation at significant losses. Canadian investors, headed by Talal Hallak, a former partner of Grunder, acquired ten of the vessels, including the 'Jennifer H', for more than three million Swiss Francs, notwithstanding existing bank loans totaling 20 million Swiss Francs tied to the ship. The troubles for the 'Jennifer H' began on March 16 while navigating the English Channel, when engine troubles emerged off the French coast. The crew dropped anchor to perform emergency repairs, but soon after resuming their journey, the engine malfunctioned again near Calais due to a leak in the cooling system. The vessel drifted uncontrollably along the coastline until a French emergency tug intervened. Fortunately, the crew managed to restore engine function, allowing the ship, laden with agricultural commodities, to continue its voyage. However, on March 18, the 'Jennifer H' faced another breakdown in the North Sea, roughly 35 miles from the Belgian coast, leading to its tow into Bremerhaven. Since then, it has been idle alongside at the Iceland quay in the port's now-abandoned fishing area, hindered by a shortage of necessary spare parts for its Chinese engine. This situation poses a critical issue for the Swiss federal government, given that the Canadian buyers acquired the fleet with a warranty still in effect, which was partially secured by fiduciary accounts managed by an independent attorney. Talal Hallak has remained silent about whether the engine failure qualifies as a warranty claim. However, industry analysts predict that buyers could pursue substantial compensation for lost revenues and additional costs associated with the delay, potentially exceeding two to three million Swiss Francs—calculating around 10,000 Swiss Francs daily in lost charter income, which could amount to approximately 1.2 million Francs alone. On July 30, the 'Jennifer H' was finally towed to dry dock 5 at the MWB Bremerhaven Shipyard, where it awaits further repairs.

The 'Jennifer H,' a vessel in distress, was successfully taken in tow by the tug 'Onyx' (IMO: 9752400) off the coast of Belgium. The tug, dispatched from Portsmouth on March 19, played a crucial role in assisting the disabled ship. After a careful and coordinated effort, the convoy is currently making its way towards Bremerhaven. The operation culminated on March 23, when the 'Jennifer H' was safely berthed at Rhenus North in Nordenham at 5 p.m.