Page 24 - Insurance Times December 2023

as poor, with much superficial damage to the hull and holds, was heavy, and her engine had seen its best days. She was
neither of which had seen paint in a long while. Her tank unlikely to average much more than 12 knots, at which rate
tops and hoppers were battered, and the corrugated she would expect to reach Balboa, Panama at the Pacific
bulkhead between holds No. 1 and 2 was wasted and end of the canal, in around twenty-five days. It would be
welded up in places. An independent surveyor, carrying out the end of June before she arrived off New Orleans. During
an “on hire” survey at Bell Bay for the charterers, BHP, the long ocean passage between Newcastle and Balboa,
reported in a similar vein, but ignored the faults in the across the vast emptiness of the South Pacific, the
forward watertight bulkhead, as reported by Captain Kaisar. Cumberland was to be weather monitored by Navitech, New
However, after being advised by Kaisar, the Cumberland’s York. She would follow the great circle track south of the
owners agreed to the employment of shore welders to islands of Polynesia, and then direct to Panama, participating
reweld the fracture in the bulkhead on both sides. There throughout in the AMVER reporting scheme. It was
was nothing that could be done about the obvious wastage anticipated that the passage would be leisurely and
of the steel in the bulkhead. Unexpectedly, the Cumberland uneventful. Things began to go wrong for the Cumberland
was delayed awaiting a berth at Bell Bay, and it was not from the moment she cleared the breakwaters at the mouth
until 23 May that she sailed, having loaded 21,285 tons of of the Hunter River. She immediately ran into a wind ‘force
Manganese Sinter and 4,419 tons of Ferro Manganese Fines. 8’ South south-westerly, with rough seas and a heavy swell,
and a bemoan to this began to roll her gunwales under.
The latter, being an exceptionally dense cargo, stowing at
only 9 cubic feet to the ton, was placed amidships in No. 4 For those on board who were experiencing their first ocean
hold, while the Sinter, a coke like ore stowing at 20 cubic passage in the bulker this, was not a happy introduction.
feet to the ton, was distributed between Nos. 1, 3, 5 and 7 Mercifully, the gale did not linger, and by noon on the 29th,
holds. The passage to Newcastle, where the Cumberland when the Cumberland was south of Lord Howe Island, the
was to complete loading, was uneventful. The weather on weather became more friendly. The wind eased, the sun
passage was not good, predicted with ‘force 6’ North-north broke through, and the ship was soon putting the miles
westerly winds, and a moderate sea with swell prevailing. behind her at a steady 11 knots, although she had now
A reasonable speed was maintained, the ship reaching acquired a long, lazy roll as she rode the big swells bearing
Newcastle on the evening of May 25th. Here she loaded down on her from the south.
10,278 metric tons of Elura Lead Concentrate, which was
carried under a bill of lading held and endorsed to ASARCO, On the afternoon of May 31st, the Cumberland was in the
a New York Corporation, and insured by Hansa Marine 30-mile-wide channel between Three Kings Islands and the
Insurance, a Swedish corporation. The bill of lading was northern point of New Zealand. The weather continued to
signed by Burns Phlip Company Ltd., as agent for Furness- improve; the wind having dropped away to no more than a
Withy or Electrolytic Zinc. moderate breeze from the southeast. This was the first of
the South-east Trades, which brought with them blue skies
When the Cumberland sailed from Newcastle, on the dotted with fair weather cumulus, and a discernible lifting
evening of May 27, her draught was 38 feet, and she had of spirits aboard the Cumberland. The news from New York
on board a total cargo of 35,942 tons. This was as evenly was also good, Navitech indicating that a large area of high
distributed between her seven holds as was possible. Before pressure covered much of the ship’s intended route. Yet,
sailing, the Chief Officer calculated the shearing force and West to northwest winds force 4 to 6 were forecast up to
bending moment at each bulkhead between the holds, and longitude 170° W. Thereafter, it was predicted that the wind
confirmed to Captain Kaisar that the stresses on the ship would ease and go round to the northeast before backing
were well within the permissible limits. The calculated and settling down between southeast and southwest. At no
metacentric height of ship and cargo was just over 18 feet, time was the wind expected to exceed force 6. By noon on
giving the ship great stability, but as is usual with a loaded 2 June, the bulker had reached a position 230 miles south
ore carrier, an uncomfortable stiffness in any sort of a sea. of the Kermadec Islands, and was logging a very respectable
12 knots, but as forecast by Navitech, the wind was
The declared destination of the Cumberland’s cargo was beginning to come ahead.
Burnside, near New Orleans, in the Gulf of Mexico. She was
small enough to transit the Panama Canal, but even so, she The International Date Line was crossed at about 1600 hrs
faced a passage of over 9,000 miles. The weather enroute on June 3rd , and the clocks were retarded one whole day,
was expected to be favourable, however, the Cumberland the third day of the month becoming the second, much to

22 December 2023 The Insurance Times