SAMOA CHIEF

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Shansi sailed with relieve captain

A reliever was appointed to sail the "Shansi" out of Whangarei while its captain awaited a court appearance on a charge of being drunk while operating the vessel. Anthony Michael Baker, 53, admitted in the Whangarei District Court yesterday to contravening special blood alcohol limit under the Maritime Transport Act 1994 s40c. The Englishman blew 1345 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath- more than five times the legal limit for a seafarer of 250mcg - shortly after his ship docked at Northport on Aug 4. Baker was flown to New Zealand from England to master the "Shansi", owned by China Navigation Company Limited, also known as Swire Shipping. He sailed the ship from Port of Tauranga to Whangarei Heads before mooring at sea for two days while waiting his allotted time to berth at Northport at Marsden about 9 a.m. The ship had a crew of 28 members. A pilot boat and crew sent to guide the "Shansi" to her berth found the ship had difficulty starting its engine and getting its anchor up. The crew initially had difficulty locating Baker but when he was subsequently spoken to, they suspected he was under the influence of alcohol. Police was notified about 2.30 p.m. and he was taken to the Whangarei Police Station where he recorded the high reading. Baker told the police he had been drinking wine, could not recall when he started drinking, but said he had his last drink about 9 a.m. on Aug 4. In court, his lawyer Nick Leader said Baker was not on duty and was not aware of the difficulties in getting the ship's anchor up but was notified and took over navigation without any problem. Baker did not have a drinking problem after he was diagnosed with post stress traumatic disorder in 2005 but his drinking escalated last year, he said. Baker has been a seafarer for 37 years, including 20 years working for China Navigation Company Limited. Judge Keith de Ridder fined him $3000 and ordered that he also pay $130 in court costs. The "Shansi" left Northport on Aug 6 and Swire Shipping general manager commercial, Brodie Stevens, confirmed Baker has been stood down pending an inquiry.

Captain of Shansi remanded on bail

The captain of the "Shansi" appeared in the Whangarei District Court on Aug 5 and was convicted and fined with 3.000 after he blew 1345 micrograms in a breath alcohol test - more than five times the legal limit for seafarers. The "Shansi" had been at anchor, waiting to berth, for nearly a week before the incident. Whilst the ship had been waiting for a week, the ship was told it was due to come into Northport on Aug 4, so the captain should have been sober. A crew was on board but the ship was empty. It was due to come into port to load some cargo. The China Navigation Company Limited, also known as Swire Shipping said its regulations prohibited any seafarer from navigating or operating any ship's equipment under the influence of alcohol. The spokesman also would not comment further while the matter was before the courts.

Drunk captain was arrested in Marsden Point

A pilot taking the "Shansi" to its berth at Marsden Point, northwest North Island, NZ, reported to police on Aug 4, 2017, that the captain of the ship appeared to be under intoxication. Police officers carried out a breathalyzer test and in fact found him drunk. The 53-year-old from Devon, England, blew an exceptionally high breathalyzer reading. He appeared in the Whangarei District Court in the morning of Aug 5 and was remanded on bail. He has to appear in court on Aug 7. The vessel docked at Marsden on Aug 5 at 5.30 a.m., having sailed from Tauringa on July 31.