Matson ship being repaired after minor oil leak

The ship Kauai will be moving cargo to and from Hawaii while Matsonia undergoes repairs.    Matson said its ship Matsonia is being repaired after a crack in the hull resulted in a small oil leak discovered while the ship was docked in Oakland, Calif.
   The Coast Guard said the crew of the ship “noticed a sheen around their ship around 8 a.m. Thursday shortly after mooring, which was believed to have originated from the vessel.”
   The crew deployed oil containment booms around the vessel and notified the Coast Guard and the National Response Center of the sheen and placed the containment boom around the ship to contain the sheen.
    “Divers contracted to investigate the sheen discovered a fracture in the hull of the ship approximately 15 feet below the waterline adjacent to the starboard fuel tank,” the Coast Guard said.
   Fuel in that tank was transferred to other tanks in the ship to prevent any more fuel from entering the water.
   A Matson spokesman said the leak was very slow, amounting to several drops a minute, and the amount of fuel spilled was estimated to be about a quart.
   But the company has taken the ship out of service while repairs are made at Matson’s terminal in Oakland. The company has put Kauai, another ship it had in reserve and berthed in nearby Alameda, into service. It was expected to sail for Hawaii midday Tuesday.