Complete Maritime Profile & Reviews of Chang-Hang-Hui-Hai

On December 16, 2024, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) unveiled its findings related to the January 8, 2024 incident involving the bulk carrier 'Chang Hang Hui Hai'. The report details how the vessel broke free from its mooring during turbulent winds while located in the Brownsville Ship Channel, Texas, ultimately leading to a collision with the tugboat 'Signet Defender'. At the time of the incident, the 'Chang Hang Hui Hai' was securely docked at Dock No. 12 when strong winds pushed the ship across the ship channel where it struck the 'Signet Defender'. The tug was tied up alongside the tug 'Signet Magic' and 'Signet Ranger' at the Signet Maritime pier when the accident occurred. The damage from this unfortunate event reached an estimated $2.5 million. The weather rapidly deteriorated, with wind speeds escalating sharply and gusts reaching as high as 62 knots within just a few hours. As these conditions unfolded, the crew of the 'Chang Hang Hui Hai' expanded their mooring configuration from an initial setup of 10 lines to a total of 16 lines, utilizing every available line except for the spares. However, the escalating wind speed increased pressure on the vessel's lateral surface area, particularly as the ship was in the process of offloading and consequently experiencing a rise in freeboard. This added area acted as a larger sail, further straining the mooring lines. The resultant wind force exceeded the breaking strength of several lines at the bow, causing them to give way and subsequently leading to a cascading failure of other remaining lines. Eventually, the mooring lines failed along with two bollards, resulting in the ship drifting from its dock. While there was no post-casualty testing of the mooring lines nor an evaluation of the bollards' condition, the report confirmed that all lines were certified and in good condition during the last inspection. Nonetheless, without further assessments, investigators could not eliminate the possibility that weakened or overloaded lines, or overloaded bollards, contributed to the incident. The NTSB ultimately concluded that the primary cause of the 'Chang Hang Hui Hai's breakaway was the fierce wind forces acting on the vessel's exposed freeboard, which surpassed the strength of several mooring lines. For a detailed read of the complete report, please visit: https://safety4sea.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/NTSB-Breakaway-of-Bulk-Carrier-Collision-with-tug-2024_12.pdf.

On September 24, 2021, the bulk carrier 'Chang Hang Hui Hai' encountered a mishap while maneuvering to dock at berth no. 11 of Mombasa port. The vessel, which was traveling from Dar es Salaam, struck the quay causing significant damage to its foreship. Following the incident, the ship was prohibited from setting sail until necessary repairs could be completed. As of September 30, 2021, the 'Chang Hang Hui Hai' remained stationary at the port, pending the resolution of its damage.