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ARMAVEN TRES

ARMAVEN TRES

Armaven Tres
Photo: lavozdegalicia.es

On the early morning of November 6, the 33.5 meter long, 301 gt fishing vessel Armaven Tres (IMO: 9144641) caught fire in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Kerry, Ireland some 25 miles west of the Blasket Islands. The blaze had broken out on the vessel’s engine room and the crew requested urgent assistance.  The fire had disabled the Armaven Tres engine and the trawler had gone adrift.

The RNLI lifeboat out of Valentia was dispatched along with the patrol vessel LÉ James Joyce (IMO: 9614672) and a Coast Guard helicopter. The rescue operation took some 15 hours to extinguish the blaze.  One crew on the Armaven Tres required medical treatment for smoke inhalation. The fishing vessel sustained significant damage to its engine and required to be later towed back to port of Castletownbere by a tug. No reports of pollution released.

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.

 

Joseph Roty II

Joseph Roty II

Joseph Roty II
Photo: ouest-france.fr

On February 15, the 90 meter long fish factory Joseph Roty II became disabled 240 nautical miles off Killybegs, Ireland. The vessel had been fishing when its main engine failed.  The Joseph Roty II went adrift while crew attempted to make repairs. After several days, the crew were unable to restore power. The fish factory requested assistance and a tug was dispatched. On February 18, the tug Ocean Challenger took the Joseph Roty II under tow to Killybegs.

Joseph Roty II
Photo: ouest-france.fr

Divers inspected the Joseph Roty II and found a net had fouled the vessel’s propeller. No reports of injuries to the 58 crew, damage or pollution released.