A bulker, MV Marbella, controlled by the jewel of George Economou’s shipping empire appears to have landed in hot water with the US Coast Guard (USCG).
The agency’s most recent rundown of port detentions includes an overview of an inspection involving the 72,600-dwt Marbella (built 2000), which was held in Mobile, Alabama when officials uncovered infractions related to the ship’s oil record book (ORB).
The organisation questioned the authenticity of the documents that were presented to a port state control officer (PSCO) and the crew’s compliance with Annex I of The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (Marpol).
“The soundings that are recorded in the ORB and the official soundings logged daily are not consistent with the soundings recorded in the vessel’s rough log, primarily related to the waste oil tank,” the USCG wrote in a report that detailed the findings of the inspection.
According to the Equasis database the Marbella was detained for four days and underwent an inspection at the same port less than two weeks later. At the time, regulatory filings indicate that the panamax was controlled by diversified Greek owner DryShips.
A USCG spokesman says he “doesn't know” whether the agency intends to take further action but confirmed it’s not uncommon to see operators of tonnage cited for Marpol violations subjected to heightened scrutiny in the wake of a US detention.