MV Pasha Bulker beaching site

 place with historical importance, crash site, invisible

The MV Pasha Bulker is a 76,741 tonne deadweight Panamax bulk carrier operated by the Lauritzen Bulkers Shipping company. While waiting to load coal the Pasha Bulker ran aground during a major storm on June 8, 2007 on Nobbys Beach in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.

The Pasha Bulker was built in 2006 by Sasebo Heavy Industries Co., and sails under the flag of Panama as a flag of convenience. It is 225 metres in length and has a beam of 32.2 metres and a cargo hold capacity (grain) of 90,911 cubic metres

Early on the morning of 8 June 2007, Newcastle Port Corporation radioed the 56 moored ships waiting off the coast to load coal to warn them to move out to sea to escape the approaching storm. The Pasha Bulker along with 10 other ships did not heed the warning. As the storm hit the Pasha Bulker could not clear the coast and it became beached at 9:15am. The ship never called for tug boat assistance, ran aground with a fully operational engine room and still had both anchors stored in the hawsepipe leading some maritime experts to believe that proper precautions were not taken by the ship's captain.

After the Pasha Bulker ran aground the 22 Filipino and Korean crew members aboard were successfully rescued by the Westpac Rescue helicopter service from the vessel, however it remains grounded about 30m from the shore at the popular Nobbys Beach. The ship was empty of any cargo at the time, awaiting to load 58,000 tonnes of coal from Newcastle Port. However, it does contain around 700 tonnes of fuel oil, 38 tonnes of diesel and 40 tonnes of lube oil, which if released could cause a major ecological disaster.