According to sources, Gwadar Port authorities had berthed the ship, mv JPO Delphinus, on Friday and it started unloading 51,027.481 tons urea worth around $16 million. They said the ship owner, Schiffahrtsgesellschaft OLTMANN mbH& Company KG, had claimed around $1.5 million, which the experts believe is an "exorbitant" amount to be claimed for a nominal damage like the one suffered by the 'JPO Delphinus' at Gwadar.
"The real damages claimed by the ship owner under general average, if calculated scrupulously, may not go beyond 0.4 to 0.5 million dollars," viewed an expert. Another expert, Captain Zia Alam, told Business Recorder that under the relevant maritime laws the $1.5 million general average would be divided on all those whose interests were involved on the ship, like the OLTMANN and TCP with their $35 million and $16 million share in the face of ship and cargo respectively.
Whereas the ship owner claims the huge amount of $1.5 million as damages to be paid by the underwriters", Captain Zia said he saw no serious damage to the hull or/and machinery of the grounded vessel. "No damage has been caused to the ship," he said. He said the TCP's share in general average was around $0.5 million, which was deposited as a guarantee bond till the court gives its final word.
About fixing responsibility for ship grounding, he said that according to relevant rules the port authority and its pilot could not be convicted for the mistake, as they were hired by the hirer. According to Zia, the ship had not followed the instructions of port authorities in terms of route and speed, which was noted at 5.7 knots at the time of grounding, against the advised 8.5 nautical mile.
Another expert, Muhammad Rajpar, a former chairman of Pakistan Ship's Agent Association, views that in such "argumental cases" Master of the vessel appears to be the ultimate mistaker, most probably. "The pilot on a ship works like an agent or advisor of the Master with a limited role. He is never there in a responsible position," he opined.
Sources said that the vessel had drifted because the Master had not followed the instructions of the pilot while transiting through a "little turning" at the approach channel. According to Rajpar, a two-member team, comprising an engineer and master mariner from the Mercantile Marine Department, had reached Gwadar to ascertain as to who was responsible for the grounding.