1967 — Oct 9, freighter Panoceanic Faith founders, storm, 870m SW of Kodiak, AK –36-37
–37 AK Bur. Ocean Energy Mgmt., Reg., Enforce. Alaska’s Worst All Time Shipping Losses.
–37 Alaskashipwreck.com. Alaska Shipwrecks. “Alaska Shipwrecks A–Z.” (P).
–36 Pocock, Michael W. “Daily Events for October 9, 2010.” MaritimeQuest. 2010.
–36 USCG. Marine Casualty Rpt.….Panoceanic Faith Foundering… North Pacific…, 1969.
–35 Alaskashipwreck.com. Alaska Shipwrecks. “Alaska Shipwrecks 1951-1975.”
Narrative Information
Alaska Bureau of Ocean Energy Mgmt.: “Oct 9, 1967. Merchant ship. Panoceanic Faith. Sank 870 mi SW of Kodiak. 37 lost, 5 rescued.” (Alaska Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Reg., Enforce. Alaska’s Worst All Time Shipping Losses.)
Alaskashipwreck.com: “1967…Panoceanic Faith…SC [south-central area]…441 Foot…Steel Steam Ship…35 [lives lost’…5 [lived].” Alaska Shipwrecks. “Alaska Shipwrecks 1951-1975.”
Alaskashipwreck.com: “Panoceanic Faith (1967). The 8,157 ton 441 foot steel steam ship Panoceanic Faith foundered in a storm October 10, 1967 approximately 870 miles southwest of Kodiak. 37 lives were lost in the disaster. The merchant ship was travelling from San Francisco to India with a load of fertilizer. The Japanese vessel Igaharu Maru, Norwegian freighter Visund, Russian vessel Orkehov and U S Coast Guard cutters Dexter and Storis were some of the vessels that responded to the vessel’s distress call. Only five of 42 crewmembers were rescued. The Panoceanic Faith’s forward hatches were compromised by the weather and efforts to remedy the problem and control flooding into the forward holds were not initiated in time to prevent the ship from sinking from the bow. A 35 degree starboard list caused by free water in the holds and shifting ammonium sulfate cargo aggravated attempts to abandon ship. Heavy weather and badly maintained life-saving equipment further hindered survival after the vessel sank. In addition, poor communications between the Panoceanic Faith and ships in the area slowed the response time. The reported weather at the time of the disaster included northwest winds 35 to 40 with northwest seas 20 to 25 feet and sea and air temperatures of 48 to 50 degrees.
“Listed as crewmen of the Panoceanic Faith at the time of the disaster were:
1. Alex A Andreshak from Meridan, MA [Meridian MS?]
2. Antonio A Apolito, Boatswain from Huntington Station, NY
3. Julias A Batill from Hesperus, CO
4. James Bechtold, 3rd Assistant Engineer from East Weymouth, MA
5. Albert B. Blain from Sacramento, CA
6. Harry K Bradley from Glendale, CA
7. Kenneth L D Collins from Govan Glasgow
8. Lester L. Corum, Messman from Fresno, CA
9. Clement H. Daniels, Wiper from London, England
10. James A Dhein from Clintonville, WI
11. Joseph DiBlasio, Messman from Pinole, CA
12. John P Dunphy from Eastman, MS
13. Raymond R. Eden, Messman from Spanish Honduras
14. Carlos Griffin from Baltimore, MD
15. Charles R. Hood from N. Highland, CA
16. Larry G Howard from Jacksonville, NC
17. Robert E. Janes Jr., 3rd Assistant Engineer
18. Robert E Jones from Danvers, MA
19. Donald Joyce from San Jose, CA
20. Czeslaw Kwaitkowski, Able Seaman from Detroit, MI
21. Armas W Lahtonen from Lake Worth, FL
22. Neil J. Leary, Able Seaman from San Francisco, CA
23. Henry O. Limbaugh, Able Seaman from Birmingham, AL
24. Evangelos G. Makris, Chief Electrician
25. John R McPhee from E Orleans, MA
26. Edward McGee from Pittsburg, PA
27. Joseph P Nowd from Brighton, MA
28. John F. Ogles of Alexandria, VA, Captain
29. Leodoro E. Rabava from San Francisco, CA
30. Vernon R Ratering from Danforth, IL
31. Earl M Richardson Jr. from Orleans, MA
32. Robert C. Russ from Aurora, IL, Able Seaman
33. Morris W. Shubin of Oakland, CA
34. John M Ward from Suffern, NY
35. Maz E Ware from Bremerton, WA
36. Kong C. Wong from San Francisco, CA
37. Donald E. Wright from San Diego, CA, 3rd Cook
“Crewmen who survived were:
1. Oscar Charles Wiley from Oakland, CA rescued by motor vessel Visund
2. Gordon L. Campbell from Oakland, CA rescued by Ingahuru Maru
3. Lewis E. Gray Jr. from Houston, TX rescued by Ingahuru Maru
4. Edwin D. Johnson from Marine City, MI rescued by motor vessel Visund
5. John O M Kirk from Modesto CA rescued by Norwegian motor vessel Visund
“Mapping and Location: South Central Alaska North Pacific.
“Comment: Alex A. Andreshak and/or Robert E. Jones are often missing from the lists of the lost. WG. [Captain Warren Good]
“Additional Information: Tonnage 8,157 Gross 4,832 Net, Length 441.2, Breadth 63.2, Depth 36.7, Built 1944 at Wilmington NC, Horsepower 6,000, SL KWGA, Registered NY, ON 245134.
“Sources: 1. Merchant Vessels of the U S (1965) Pg 534, 2. Merchant Vessels of the U S (1978) “Vessels Reported Lost” Pg 2119, 3. The Seattle Times (October 11, 1967) “Searchers scan north Pacific for life rafts” Pg 24, 4. San Diego Union (October 27, 1967) “Survivor Says Sunken Ship Took Water for Two Weeks” Pg 8, 5. BOEM Alaska Shipwreck List (2011), 6. San Francisco Chronicle (October 11, 1967) “Crew List of Sunken Freighter” Pg 15, 7. Marine Casualty Report USCG Marine Board of Investigation Report (July 1, 1969).” (Alaska Shipwrecks. “Alaska Shipwrecks A–Z.” (P).)
Pocock: “The Midnight was a WW2 C-2 type standard cargo ship built by North Carolina Shipbuilding in Wilmington, North Carolina in 1944. She sailed under the names Pacific Bear and Lanikai, but in 1961 she was renamed Panoceanic Faith. On October 9, 1967 she was en route to India from San Francisco where she had loaded over 10,000 tons of fertilizer, she was to make a stop in Japan, but never made it there.
“The ship ran into a heavy storm and began taking on water in the forward holds, she was also having engine trouble, which was reported to the ship’s owners in New York by the captain by radio. He told them ‘Due to continual gales and mounting seas and swells numerous repairs to boilers (and other engine room equipment) fuel and water very critical, doing best’.
“In his last radio message to New York he said ‘Speed four knots… boilers, tubes, plates leaking badly… repairs impossible because of weather… advise nearest bunkering station”. The main cause of the problem was that a hatch in the forward section of the ship had been leaking and that a tarpaulin that was supposed to cover it had become dislodged and was not replaced. As the water came in it created a domino effect, as one compartment filled it spilled into the next one through any opening it could find.
“With the ship listing to starboard at 35° the port lifeboat could not be launched, so the only means of escape was the starboard boat, which when launched got jammed and overturned spilling its occupants into the sea. A U.S. Coast Guard aircraft was flying over the scene dropping rubber life rafts to the men in the water, but most were too weak to inflate them. As the pilot continued to circle the last distress signal went out from the Panoceanic Faith, and three minutes later she went down.
“Only five of the forty-one man crew survived in the freezing water, Edwin D. Johnson, John Kirk and Oscar C. Wiley were picked up by the Norwegian ship Visund and landed at Long Beach, Gordon L. Campbell and Lewis E. Grey Jr. were picked up by the Japanese ship Igharu Maru and landed at Yokohama, Japan. Only thirteen bodies were ever recovered, eight of them being picked up by the Russian ship Orkehov.
“When the ship docked in Vancouver on Oct. 10 the captain, Leonid Zhezherenko, refused to allow the bodies be unloaded with a crane, which the local authorities were going to use. It was not until stretchers were brought aboard and each man had an American flag placed over his body that the Russian captain allowed the bodies to be removed from his ship. A very respectful gesture toward fellow seamen made by a captain of a Soviet merchant ship during the cold war.
“The captain of the Panoceanic Faith was found at fault for the loss of his ship and for the loss of the lives of his crew, he put up no defense as he also perished in his ship. It would seem however that he, perhaps under pressure from his company, took short cuts and did not observe safety regulations which led to the disaster.” (Pocock, Michael W. “Daily Events for October 9, 2010.” MaritimeQuest. 2010.)
USCG and NTSB Report: “Probable Cause
“The probable cause of this vessel’s foundering was failure of the Master to have the tarpaulins secured on No. 1 hatch when they were observed to be loose. Neglecting to effect prompt repairs ultimately resulted in this hold being open to boarding seas and complete flooding. This flooding, combined with flooding in the forepeak spaces, and partial flooding of No 2 hold, aggravated by loss of freeboard due to extreme starboard list, resulted in loss of longitudinal stability and sufficient buoyancy. The Panoceanic Faith sank bow first. It is possible that the Master’s concern about the fuel supply, and slow speed made good, may have influences his actions. He obviously underestimated the seriousness of these conditions.
“The high loss of life resulted from the following causal factors:
1. Failure of the Master to recognize the critical condition of his vessel, and request assistance earlier.
2. Inability to lower the ship’s lifeboats.
3. Failure to control and utilize the vessel’s inflatable liferaft.
4. Cold air, low water temperatures, and rough seas.
5. Difficulty in reaching and boarding liferafts dropped by rescue aircraft.
6. Failure of the auto-alarm systems on the Panoceanic Faith and other vessels in her vicinity to alert them of her distress.
7. Failure of the emergency communications system to effect the arrival of potential rescue vessels at the Panoceanic Faith’s position prior to her sinking or before darkness.
8. Lack of effective means for survivors to signal rescue vessels after darkness.
9. Inability of the survivors in the SAR liferaft to keep it bailed out, and keep dry, due to lack of an effective bailer. [pp. 9-10 of NTSB section of the USCG report.]
Sources
Alaska Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement. Alaska’s Worst All Time Shipping Losses. Accessed 11-29-2021 at: https://www.boem.gov/about-boem/alaskas-worst-all-time-shipping-losses
Alaskashipwreck.com. Alaska Shipwrecks. “Alaska Shipwrecks 1951-1975.” Accessed 11-29-2021 at: https://alaskashipwreck.com/alaska-shipwrecks-1729-2012/alaska-shipwrecks-1951-1970/
Alaskashipwreck.com. Alaska Shipwrecks. “Alaska Shipwrecks A–Z.” (P). Accessed 11-29-2021 at: https://alaskashipwreck.com/shipwrecks-a-z/alaska-shipwrecks-p/
Pocock, Michael W. “Daily Events for October 9, 2010.” MaritimeQuest. 2010. Accessed 3-4-2012 at: http://www.maritimequest.com/daily_event_archive/2010/10_oct/09_panoceanic_faith.htm
United States Coast Guard, Marine Board of Investigation Report and Commandant’s Action. Marine Casualty Report. SS Panoceanic Faith Foundering with Loss of Life North Pacific Ocean, 9 October 1967. Action by National Transportation Safety Board. Washington, DC: DOT, Commandant, USCG, July 1, 1969, 42 pages. Accessed 11-29-2021 at: https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Portals/9/DCO%20Documents/5p/CG-5PC/INV/docs/boards/panfaith.pdf