MSC Pre-Positioning ship runs aground

Professional Mariner Forum
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From U.S. 7th Fleet Public Affairs
OKINAWA, Japan (NNS) – The Military Sealift Command prepositioning vessel USNS Sgt. Matej Kocak (T-AK 3005) ran aground off the East Coast of Okinawa, Japan, Jan. 22, at approximately 11:30 a.m.

The vessel is located approximately 6 nautical miles off the coast of Uruma, Okinawa, Japan.

The U.S. Navy is working closely with Japanese authorities to assess the situation and determine the best course of action to refloat the vessel. Tugs are on scene stabilizing the vessel and assessing the situation. No leaks from the hull have been found and no damage to the surrounding area has been reported. There are currently 38 civilian crew members, along with 67 Army and 26 USMC personnel aboard. None are injured and the crew is currently still on board the ship.

For more news from Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet, visit www.navy.mil/local/c7f/.

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Bummer…

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Let’s be clear though - a CIVILIAN Master and CIVILIAN crew man that vessel.
Any uniformed NAVY personnel will have had nothing to do with the ship’s track.

Ship is operated/contracted by Military Sealift Command (MSC)

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[QUOTE=Jolly Tar;152712]Let’s be clear though - a CIVILIAN Master and CIVILIAN crew man that vessel.
Any uniformed NAVY personnel will have had nothing to do with the ship’s track.

Ship is operated/contracted by Military Sealift Command (MSC)[/QUOTE]

What’s your point Jolly? It’s still and American Ship with an American crew on the rocks.

Whether military or civilian, it still sucks.

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Accidental grounding had me assuming merchant crew. USN officer would have rammed it into one of their own subs :wink:

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[QUOTE=Heat Miser;152716]Accidental grounding had me assuming merchant crew. USN officer would have rammed it into one of their own subs ;)[/QUOTE]

or an aircraft carrier or foreign tanker or training vessel or whole pod of endangered baby dolphins

I am sorry to hear the KOCAK grounded and hope it wasn’t some idiot ex KP regimental executive officer sailing for the first time on his license.

than again, I hope it is…

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6nm from the coast. Could’ve had a Japanese pilot aboard?

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[QUOTE=LI_Domer;152724]6nm from the coast. Could’ve had a Japanese pilot aboard?[/QUOTE]

And even if that were the case, it would not change who is accountable for the safe conning of the vessel.

MEBA Keystone Mates and Engineers, after they so graciously took it away from MMP after decades in service with MMP/MEBA as a Waterman contract.

Thank God for the pointlessness that is MOLA, otherwise, what would all those MEBA mates do for a paycheck???

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Well yea legally speaking. But it’d be interesting to see how it happened.

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I thought it was AMO?

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It’s MEBA but when it activated most deck officers were MM&P.

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I caught a lot of fish off that baby out in Diego Garcia. We would troll over a 200 fathom sea mount and chaos would ensue when the mate got a reading on the fathometer. We had 6 fish on at one time and the biggest was a 40lb tuna (10 foot shark broke the line 1/2 way in) and some 15-20 lb wahoo. Many mahi-mahi and the freezer in the officers laundry was always full of freshly caught fillets. The mates were MMP at that time. Sorry to see her aground

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so no news about the KOCAK getting freed yet. Anyone know where she went aground exactly? Is it where the red circle is?

16360261906_5edb2788b7_b.jpg1023×449

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regardless of nationality all crew are human beings even if your an american or a kenyan or a brit, you still deserve the same respect.

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A source tells gCaptain that one of Schuyler Line’s ship’s is on its way right now to lighter the ship. I assume it’s the SLNC PAX considering the fact she’s their only tanker and is south of Japan at the moment and steaming in a southerly direction.

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[QUOTE=rob;152997]A source tells gCaptain that one of Schuyler Line’s ship’s is on its way right now to lighter the ship. I assume it’s the SLNC PAX considering the fact she’s their only tanker and is south of Japan at the moment and steaming in a southerly direction.[/QUOTE]

I wonder it taking the fuel oil off would be such a great idea? I’ve seen it when as soon as a vessel is pulled free, the lack of VCG causes them to heel over something awful. From the photos posted, she is obviously partially loaded with cargo so much the worse of taking all the weight away from the very bottom.

just saying…

.

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They missed a turn in the TSS.

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[QUOTE=trvlerjenn;153214]They missed a turn in the TSS.[/QUOTE]

but is it in the red circle on the photo I posted? based on the reports of location and other photos that would be where she fetched up at…

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[QUOTE=c.captain;153221]but is it in the red circle on the photo I posted? based on the reports of location and other photos that would be where she fetched up at…[/QUOTE]

That I do not know. I was told that’s what happened. My last ship was going to be sent out to offload the Kocak’s cargo but they couldn’t make the mission.