OS35 (bulk carrier)

OS 35 is a bulk carrier with five cargo holds, an length overall of 178 metres (584 ft 0 in) and a breadth of 28 metres (91 ft 10 in), built in 1999 at Shin Kurushima Toyohashi shipyard in Japan.[3] It has a gross tonnage of 20,947 and a deadweight of 35,362. The vessel was built as Golden Harvest.[4] Thereafter, as the ship changed hands, its name was changed to Addu Comet, JS Comet and finally OS 35.[5]

In March 2017, OS 35 departed from Port Kelang, laden with cargo for Aden, Yemen.[6] In April 2017, as OS 35 was sailing off the coast of Somalia and Yemen, a skiff with suspected Somalian pirates tried to board the vessel.[7] The vessel initially attempted anti piracy manoeuvres which had no effect on the pirate boats.[8] Thereafter, all the ships crew mustered in the ship's citadel while the handful of privately contracted armed security personnel (PCASP) on board attempted to delay the pirates boarding.[9] This too had limited effect and the pirates continued to come extremely close to the large bulk carrier and finally boarded and hijacked the vessel in the position 12°51′N 50°42′E.

Meanwhile, Chinese and Indian navy ships that were patrolling the region received the alert that had been sent by the ship using its SSAS (Ship Security Alert System) and proceeded to assist the vessel.[10] Two Indian ships, INS Mumbai and INS Tarkash, and one Chinese ship, Yulin, proceeded towards the hijacked ship in a joint operation.[11] The Indian navy provided air cover while the Chinese ship arrived on scene. An 18-man Chinese special force team boarded the hijacked bulk carrier. The pirates abandoned OS 35 and fled before the special force team arrived.[12]

OS 35 as seen from the Gibraltar coast in September 2022.

In August 2022, OS 35 collided with the tanker Adam LNG carrying liquefied natural gas off the coast of Gibraltar and was beached.[13] Authorities said there had been a significant fuel oil leak on 1 September and booms had been deployed in an attempt to stop the oil spreading. By the morning of 2 September, 80% of the ship's diesel fuel had been removed.[14] Spanish authorities were placed on alert and patrols were sent to coastal areas to monitor possible pollution, in what is called the Bay of Gibraltar.[15]

In November 2022, KMS BV, part of the Koole group in Vijfhuizen, The Netherlands gained the contract to remove the cargo of the OS35, and salvage the remains of the vessel. The works began mid January 2023, and were completed July 2023. During the operation, three severe storms battered the OS35, breaking her in two pieces and listing her over starboard. KMS was still able, while altering the original removal planning, to empty the 23000mt of rebar from the five holds, and refloat both the stern and aft sections. Both sections were loaded onto a semi submersible barge, the Fjord. The Fjord and her cargo were shipped to Amsterdam for final decommissioning and arrived mid August at the decom yard.