Career | |
---|---|
Name: | MSC Venezia (2008) Hanjin Venezia (2008) MV COSCO Busan (2006) Hanjin Cairo (2001) |
Owner: | Synergy Marine Ltd. |
Operator: | Fleet Management Europe Ltd. |
Builder: |
Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. |
Yard number: | 1381 |
Completed: | December 2001 |
Identification: | Call sign: VRDI6[1] CGMIX ID: 512403 IMO number: 9231743[1] MMSI no.: 477968900 |
General characteristics | |
Tonnage: | 68,086 DWT 65,131 GRT[1] |
Displacement: | 68,045 tons |
Length: | 274.68 m (901.2 ft)[1] |
Beam: | 40 m (130 ft)[1] |
Draught: | 14 m (46 ft)[1] |
Speed: | 25.9 kn (48.0 km/h; 29.8 mph) |
Capacity: | 5,551 TEU |
MSC Venezia, formerly MV COSCO Busan, is a 275 m (902 ft) container ship made infamous by its 7 November 2007 collision with the protective fender of the Delta Tower of the San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge in heavy fog.[2] The 08:30:00 UTC-8 collision sliced open two fuel tanks and led to the environmentally devastating COSCO Busan oil spill in San Francisco Bay.[3] The ship was renamed Hanjin Venezia after the accident,[4] and was not owned operated or in any way controlled by COSCO Group or any of its subsidiary companies.[5]
The vessel was built in 2001 by Hyundai Heavy Industries at Ulsan, South Korea. In December 2001, the vessel was placed under long-term charter to Hanjin Shipping Co., Ltd. of Seoul, South Korea and named Hanjin Cairo. The vessel called on various ports of Europe, Asia, and along the West Coast of the United States, specifically the Ports of Long Beach and Oakland, California.[6]
In November 2006, owners renamed Hanjin Cairo to COSCO Busan. After a 3-year absence from U.S. ports, COSCO Busan called upon the Port of Long Beach on December 29, 2006. On October 24, 2007, the vessel was sold to Regal Stone Ltd. of Hong Kong and was re-flagged to the national flag of Hong Kong. COSCO Busan's new owners contracted with Fleet Management to supply an all-Chinese crew and to manage technical operations of the ship on the owner’s behalf.[6]
Throughout the changes in flag, ownership, and managing operator, the vessel has remained under charter to Hanjin Shipping Company.[6]