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Tag: Abandoned

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.

 

Panagia Parou

Panagia Parou

Panagia Parou
Photo: eldiario.es

The 102 meter long ferry Panagia Parou sank in the Bay of Algeciras at port of Algeciras  (Cádiz), Spain. The ferry had sustained damage after strong winds caused the vessel’s mooring ropes to snap. The ferry struck against the pier and suffered a hull breach at the stern. With no crew on board, the flooding continued unabated and the Panagia Parou began to sink.

Port authorities were alerted and attempted to keep the ferry afloat, but the vessel had sunk by the stern with the bow up in the air.  Booms were placed around the Panagia Parou as a precautionary measure.  A few hours later, the Panagia Parou capsized and sank on its port side.

Panagia Parou
Photo: Shipspotting.com

The Panagia Parou had been docked at the port since March 2013 and later abandoned by its owners. Reports state the owners had failed to pay for repairs and the vessel had been detained. Authorities later emptied the vessel’s tanks and removed all fuel and oil contaminates. No reports of injuries or pollution released.

Tamaya 1

Tamaya 1

Tamaya 1
Photo: liberianobserver

The 60 meter long, 1400 dwt tanker Tamaya 1 went ashore near Robertsport, Liberia. The tanker had been last reported off Dakar on April 22 before drifting onto the beach in Liberia on May 4. When authorities boarded the vessel, they found there was no crew on board. Local reports suspect the owner was unable to pay the crew. Thus, the crew decided to abandon the tanker off Dakar. No reports of any pollution released. Liberia authorities have launched an investigation into the incident.

Update May 7

The mystery deepens around the grounding of the Tamaya 1. The Liberian newspaper, The New Dawn, reports that three unknown men were spotted fleeing the vessel around the same time a fire broke out in the captain’s cabin. Authorities have boarded the tanker, but have not stated if the incident was tied to looting or the destruction of evidence. There are additional rumors that the cause of the abandonment of the tanker was either due to piracy or illegal dumping off the coast.