The Panama-registered cargo ship Donald Duckling (1997), condemned as ‘a Mickey Mouse operation’, was detained at the Port of Tyne in November. Crew members on the bulk carrier were so poorly fed they were forced to fish from the vessel and burn loose wood on deck to cook because galley equipment did not work.
Some crew with family illnesses were refused permission to return home, and Donald Duckling’s former chief engineer was sacked after requesting spare parts to rectify problems previously identified in state control inspections.The ship was detained by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency after an inspection revealed a long list of safety concerns.
