The Liberian-flagged chemical and oil products tanker Vayu has been placed under sheriff’s arrest off Singapore, marking a new legal development for a vessel previously involved in an abandonment case in India in 2021.
According to the Singapore Courts’ list of arrested vessels, Vayu, formerly known as Qian Tai 1, was arrested on 19 November at 11:29 a.m. local time.
The action was executed on behalf of Singapore shipping law firm Dennis Mathiew, and the ship is being held at Eastern Special Purpose Anchorage A in the Singapore Strait.
AIS data indicate that the approximately 12,700-dwt tanker arrived at Singapore Anchorage 4 on 18 November after sailing from Chattogram Anchorage in Bangladesh. Since then, the vessel has remained at anchor with a modest working draught, suggesting it is not fully laden.
Vayu is a 2016-built chemical and oil products tanker under the Liberian flag and built at the Fujian Baima shipyard in China. Ownership and management records list Aquilo Shipping Inc, registered in Liberia, as both the registered owner and commercial manager of Vayu, with Goodwill Ship Management serving as ISM manager. Both companies operate a single-ship tanker fleet of about 12,700 dwt trading mainly between ports in the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.
Dennis Mathiew, the arresting law firm, is a Singapore-based practice specialising in maritime and commercial matters, including ship finance, cargo disputes and vessel arrests. No reasons for the arrest have been disclosed by the Singapore authorities or by the parties involved, and no public statements have been issued by Aquilo Shipping, Goodwill Ship Management or Dennis Mathiew.
The vessel has a record of earlier legal and crewing issues. In 2021, under its former name Qian Tai 1, it remained for several months at anchor off Kakinada, India, during a dispute over crew change and unpaid wages. At the time, a contractor sought directions from the High Court to require the vessel’s operator to allow a relief crew to board, while the existing crew awaited settlement of arrears. The incident was later recorded in the joint IMO/ILO database as an abandonment case that was resolved.
