Photos by: gCaptain.com
Quick action saved the 5485 dwt freighter Rusich 1 off the shores of Lisbon, Portugal. The Rusich 1 had been at anchor when heavy seas from the North Atlantic storm Hercules caused the anchor to drag. The crew were able to start the engines just before the vessel was blown ashore. The Rusich 1 proceeded further out to sea. No reports of injuries, damage or pollution release.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has launched a two month long project to remove 40 abandoned vessels in the Oakland Estuary. The bottom of the estuary if full of marine debris, sunken vessels and toxic materials. Contractors has raised the 105 foot long tugboat Captain Al near Alameda, California. The Captain Al had been sunk in the estuary for over 15 years when the tugboat was abandoned in the 1990s. Divers pumped out sediment from the Captain Al then cranes hoisted the vessel to the surface. Reports state the project will cost around 3.5 million dollars, but some of the funds were paid by from owners of the Cosco Busan. The Cosco Busan had struck the Bay Bridge in 2007 and released over 53,000 gallons of bunker oil into the bay.
The 33 meter long, 284 dwt freighter Stella sank in the Aegean Sea off Karpathos Island, Greece. The Stella was en route to Cyprus from Aliaga, Turkey in ballast when the vessel began to sink. The crew sent out a distress call before escaping into the vessel’s liferaft. Five of the 6 crew on board were later rescued. The master of the vessel was not with the crew and is still reported as missing. The cause of the sinking was not known.
