23 Defects, Eight Different Names: What a Dark Fleet Tanker Looks Like
- The Titan has had eight different names and a murky ownership
- Detentions of vessels spike amid increasing safety concerns
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A giant oil tanker that was detained in China failed its safety inspection on more than 20 counts, spotlighting the dangers posed by a rapidly expanding fleet of aging vessels sailing the world’s oceans.
The ship, currently called the Titan after being renamed seven times, is managed by a company whose address is a postbox in the Seychelles. While the vessel’s owners are hard to trace, it’s also not clear what insurance the Titan has in place.