Containership Captain Pleads Guilty To Operating The Ship Drunk At Felixstowe Port

Zbigniew Chowaniec, a 65-year-old Polish national serving as the captain of the container ship MSC Roshney V, has pleaded guilty in a UK court to operating the vessel while intoxicated. The incident occurred on January 15, while travelling from Antwerp-Bruges, Belgium, to Canakkale, Turkey, the ship docked in the Felixstowe Port in Suffolk.

A port pilot boarded the 965-foot (294-meter) vessel at 6:00 AM and noticed that Captain Chowaniec had a strong alcohol odour coming from him. The pilot reported suspicions of intoxication to the port authorities, who were concerned about the captain’s health. At around 07:15 GMT, Port Police subsequently boarded the ship and detained the captain because he was perhaps under the influence of alcohol while in command.

During the January 16th hearing before Ipswich Magistrates’ Court, it was disclosed that Chowaniec tested positive for alcohol over four times over the legal limit for sailors, according to a breathalyser test performed at Martlesham Police Investigation Centre. The measured amount of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath was 93 micrograms, over the 25 micrograms recommended limit.

Chowaniec was granted conditional bail after entering a guilty plea but had to provide his passport to the officials. The Crown Court has been tasked with handling the case, and the planned sentence date is February 12.

The containership MSC Roshney V set out for Felixstowe on her way back to Turkey on January 16. The seriousness of the violation is underscored by the captain’s confession of guilt, which also raises questions regarding safety regulations in marine operations.

Reference: BBC, Fleetmon

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Source: Maritime Shipping News