On November 17, the 42 meter long fishing vessel Ieke Cornelis became disabled in the North Sea near Den Helder, Netherlands. The trawler had suffered a gearbox failure and went adrift. The Ieke Cornelis drifted in heavy seas reaching 5 meters high and was being pushed towards a nearby drilling platform. A nearby tug was able to come to the Ieke Cornelis aid and towed the trawler to Den Helder. No reports of injuries, damage or pollution released.
The 367 meter long, 142,018 dwt container ship Hong Kong Express collided with the 90 meter long, 3171 dwt cargo vessel BBS Sky off Hollum, Netherlands. Both vessels were proceeding in the same direction and one vessel touched the other while doing an overtaking maneuver. The BBS Sky suffered only slight damage and the Hong Kong Express was undamaged. No reports of injuries or pollution. Authorities were notified of the incident and the vessels were able to proceed on their voyages.
The 183 meter long, 35,669 dwt tanker Alia caught fire in the North Sea off Hvide Sande, Denmark. The fire started after an explosion in the vessel’s engine room. The crew evacuated the compartment and turned on the tanker’s fire suppression system. The system released CO2 into the engine room extinguishing the fire, but the tanker had sustained damage and was adrift. Two nearby fishing vessels came to the Alia’s aid and poured water onto the hull of the tanker to keep it cool. No reports of injuries. The Alia was en route to Malta from Gothenburg.