Three ships collide near Bayonne

Three ships collide near Bayonne    Three large vessels — a tanker, a freighter and a containership — were involved in a collision early Sunday, Feb. 15, in the Kill Van Kull, a waterway between New Jersey and Staten Island, N.Y.
   The 'Pinar Kaptanoglu,' an outbound 577-foot freighter operated by New England Shipping, collided with the vessel 'Yellow Sea,' an inbound 804-foot containership operated by Evergreen Shipping. The 'Yellow Sea' then struck the 'Sibonata,' an 810-foot tanker moored at the International-Matex Tank Terminal in Bayonne, N.J.    The 'Sibonata' is operated by Atlantic Ship Agencies, Inc.
   The accident occurred at 3 a.m. Sunday in the Kill Van Kull, which provides access to New York harbor.
   Mike Hvozda, petty officer at the U.S. Coast Guard, told Shippers' NewsWire that no hazardous materials were leaked and no one was hurt in the multiple collisions.
   On Monday, the 'Yellow Sea' had made it dockside to Berth 86 in Port Newark, N.J. The 'Pinar Kaptanoglu' was anchored in Gravesend Anchorage near Coney Island, and the Sibonata remained moored at the tank terminal in Bayonne.
   'We are trying to sort out exactly what happened,' Hvozda said. 'The Coast Guard has ordered drug and alcohol testing for crew members on all of the ships.'