Crew Reviews, Ratings & Info for Hope

Empire Bulkers Limited and Joanna Maritime Limited, two affiliated companies operating out of Greece, have formally accepted responsibility for deliberate infractions of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships and the Ports and Waterways Safety Act concerning their vessel, 'Joanna'. The admissions of guilt were made on May 26, 2022, during a session in federal court in New Orleans overseen by U.S. District Court Judge Mary Ann Vial Lemmon. Under the terms of the proposed plea agreement—pending judicial approval—the companies could incur a total financial penalty of $2 million, split evenly at $1 million for each entity. Additionally, they will enter a four-year probation period that includes adherence to an environmental compliance framework, which mandates independent audits of the ships as well as oversight by a Court Appointed Monitor.

In a significant legal development, the Greek owner and operator of the 'Joanna' and its Chief Engineer were indicted by a U.S. Federal Court in New Orleans on September 30, 2021, for multiple breaches of environmental and safety regulations. The four-count grand jury indictment highlights serious allegations against Empire Bulkers Ltd., Joanna Maritime Ltd., and the Chief Engineer for tampering with mandated oil pollution prevention equipment and falsifying crucial entries in the ship’s Oil Record Book. During investigations, the U.S. Coast Guard uncovered that the oily water separator had been deliberately manipulated by inserting a piece of metal into the oil content meter, allowing it to misidentify oily discharges as clean water before being released overboard. The indictment further details how the Chief Engineer and the associated shipping companies not only distorted the logbooks but also attempted to hinder the Coast Guard’s inspection efforts. Additionally, the defendants were charged with violations of the Ports and Waterways Safety Act for neglecting to report a hazardous condition that posed a threat to ship safety and U.S. waterways. During a Coast Guard inspection on March 11, 2021, officials found an ongoing fuel oil leak in the purifier room of the vessel, which was a result of disabling critical pressure relief valves intended to prevent catastrophic fires and explosions.

Vung Tau Port authorities have dispatched licensed divers to assess and remove an iron chain that has become entangled around the rudder of the bulk carrier 'Eleni'. The incident occurred when the vessel lost steering control after the chain, associated with Buoy 2, wrapped around both the rudder and propeller. This led to a collision with the 'Heung A Dragon'. In the aftermath, local officials have begun collecting initial testimonies from all parties involved to investigate the circumstances surrounding the accident.