UAE ship owner, charterer face lawsuit in Guam

UAE ship owner, charterer face lawsuit in Guam    A distressed United Arab Emirates ship allegedly damaged a pier at the Port Authority of Guam several years ago, and the port this week sued the shipping company and its insurer for failing to pay for nearly $800,000 in damage, the Pacific Daily News reported Thursday.
   The port alleges in a complaint filed this week that the shipping company allowed an unseaworthy ship, the Ajman 2, to set off from Mexico to Hong Kong sometime around August 2004. According to the story, the complaint alleges that the ship was owned and operated by Marwan Shipping and Trading Co. and chartered and operated by Five Seas Shipping Co., both of the United Arab Emirates.
   The distressed ship on Aug. 20, 2004 was allowed to enter the port and moor at Pier F-5, according to the complaint, but only because the port agreed to give safe haven to the distressed vessel. The complaint alleges that one of the ship's two engines was not working and that it was unable to leave the port because of high wind and waves. The ship hit and severely damaged the pier, and the port is alleging that crew negligence and inadequate gear and equipment were contributing factors.
   The damage amounts to more than $790,430, according to the port.