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Month: February 2020

Wish Way Bridge Strike

Wish Way Bridge Strike

Heavy Lift Vessel Wish Way
Photo: diario.aw

On February 16, the 156 meter long, 21243 dwt heavy lift vessel Wish Way allided with the Queen Juliana Bridge l at Willemstad, Curaçao. The Wish Way was proceeding under the bridge with a cargo of two container cranes when the cranes struck the underside of the bridge. Both cranes sustained damage and some damage was reported on the bridge.  Traffic on the 56 meter high bridge was suspended until it could be inspected for damage. No reports of injuries.

Both cranes were from China and were only partially built. The cranes were only 2/3 of their projected height so that they could safely pass under the bridge.  Unfortunately, there was some wind while the Wish Way was passing under the bridge causing the incident.  Reports state the repairs of the cranes will delay their use by several months.

 

The Ghost Ship Alta

The Ghost Ship Alta

Ghost Ship Alta 2020
Photo: mirror.co.uk

The 77 meter long, 1640 dwt cargo vessel Alta went ashore off Ballycotton, Cork, Ireland. The Alta had been blown ashore by Storm Dennis.  Local authorities dispatched a helicopter and found the Alta was high and dry on the rocks.  An inspection found the vessel had been a derelict for some time just like the Mary Celeste.  No reports of pollution.

Unlike prior ghost ships in the Atlantic Ocean, there are accounts of the Alta.  The Alta had been last reported in September 2019 when it was found abandoned in the mid-Atlantic Ocean.  The Royal Navy HMS Protector found the Alta over 1000 miles from the Caribbean Sea and 1500 miles off Africa.

An investigation found the vessel had originally departed from Greece and was en route to Haiti in October 2018 when it became disabled.  The 10 crew had abandoned ship and spent 20 days in lifeboats before the United States Coast Guard rescued them.  Reports state the ship’s owner had contracted a tug to take the Alta under tow to Saint Maarten, but this proved to be false.  Between 2018 and 2019, the Alta had been reported as hijacked off Guyana before it was left abandoned.

 

Port Olya 2

Port Olya 2

Port Olya 2
Renamed Port Olya 2 in 2018. Formerly the UCF1

The 123 meter long, 5185 dwt cargo vessel Port Olya 2 ran aground on the Volga-Caspian Sea Canal near the 143 kilometer mark. The cargo vessel was en route to Amirabad with a cargo of grain from Port Olya when it became stuck.  The crew was able to refloat the vessel later the same day without assistance.  No reports of injuries, damage or pollution released.