| Career (Singapore) | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Burutu Palm (1952) Globe Star (1973) |
| Owner: | Globe Navigation of Singapore |
| Port of registry: | Singapore |
| Builder: | Short Brothers of Sunderland |
| Launched: | 1952 |
| Fate: | Ran aground |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 8,516 long tons |
| Length: | 451 ft (137 m) |
| Beam: | 57 ft (17 m) |
| Installed power: | 3,000 hp (2,200 kW) |
| Propulsion: | Doxford 4 cylinder diesel |
| Speed: | 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) |
The Globe Star was a cargo ship that ran aground on 27 April 1973 along Nyali Reef, just off the entrance to Mombasa, Kenya. It was carrying 10,000 tons of wheat for Karachi. Despite an intensive salvage operation the vessel broke in half and was abandoned. In November five personnel involved in a salvage attempt died in No 3 hold due to gas poisoning while conducting diving operations. In 1978 the wreck was demolished by Divecon Ltd, Mombasa leaving the main engine visible and the remains of the ship in less than ten feet below the surface. [1][2]
The ship was built as the Burutu Palm for the London-based shipping company Palm Line trading to and from West Africa to Liverpool. In 1967, she was sold to Greek owners and in 1973 sold to Globe Navigation of Singapore.
The Globe Star stranding was attributed to a navigation error in that the ship approached too close to the harbour entrance prior to picking up a pilot and having been advised to return to the anchorage, turned to starboard instead of port and ran aground. [3]
Shipwrecks and Salvage on the East African Coast - Kevin Patience - 2006