Kitano (container ship)

History
Name:	Kitano
Launched:	1990
Status:	Unknown
General characteristics
Type:	Container ship
Tonnage:	50,618 GT
Length:	288.31 m (945 ft 11 in)
Draught:	13.025 m (42 ft 8.8 in)
Propulsion:	31,538 kW (42,293 hp), single screw
Capacity:	3,618 TEU
Crew:	22

The Kitano is a Japanese container ship. She was launched in Japan in 1990.

The Kitano left the Port of New York at 0730 on 21 March 2001. At 1600 the Kitano's crew observed that a container had caught fire. The container that caught fire contained 14 tons of activated carbon pellets impregnated with potassium hydroxide (caustic potash). Most of the pellets were in open mesh bags on wooden pallets. Two nearby containers were: "...loaded with barrels of camphene-90 wax, a class 4.1 dangerous cargo."

At 1636 the Kitano requested assistance. Halifax was the nearest port. Search and Rescue aircraft were dispatched, as were several surface vessels, the CFAV Firebird, the CCGS Earl Grey and the CCGS Sambro. When the vessels were dispatched the wind was at force 8. The weather conditions proved too extreme for the 140 ton Firebird, the Canadian Forces' dedicated fireboat, to leave harbour. The Canadian Coast Guard vessels arrived, but the weather prohibited anything beyond standing by. HMCS Moncton and HMCS Goose Bay arrived several hours later. CCGS Sir William Alexander arrived at 0500 the next morning.

The vessel's Japanese owners contracted for assistance from Secunda Marine Services, the owners of the ocean-going salvage tug Ryan Leet.

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