On December 8, the 10 meter long fishing vessel Olivia Rose became disabled off Whitby, England. The vessel had suffered a mechanical breakdown and the crew requested assistance. The Coast Guard received the call and requested the RNLI Whitby lifeboat to be launched. The lifeboat arrived on scene a short time later and was able to attach a towline to the Olivia Rose. The vessels proceeded safely back to Whitby harbour. No reports of injuries, damage or pollution released.
The 135 meter long, 9200 dwt freighter Merweborg allided with the 154 meter long, 7261 dwt ro-ro freighter Caroline Russ while attempting to dock at Steubenhöft in Cuxhaven, Germany. As the Merweborg berthed, it’s bow struck the port side of the Caroline Russ along with the quay causing the concrete to break apart. Both vessels suffered significant damage with multiple hull punctures above the water line. No reports of injuries or pollution released. The water police has launched an investigation into the incident. The Merweborg had stopped in Cuxhaven to have a mechanic come on board as it was proceeding from Carteya Guadarranque to Sundsvall.
The 75 meter long freighter Nour M sank while berthed at a quay in Rhodes, Greece. Strong winds blew the freighter against the quay before its mooring lines snapped. The stern of the Nour M was severely damaged and the wind caused the freighter to capsize. The 55 containers on board were dumped in the harbor before it sank. No reports of injuries.
The Nour M had been detained by the Greek Coast Guard and custom officials on November 11 after they had detected thousands of bullets on board. Authorities report that the vessel’s master had changed its final destination from Syria to Tripoli when stopped by the Coast Guard. It is believed the vessel was part of an operation between Russian and Ukrainian governments to smuggle arms to foreign regimes.
