Kapitan
07-15-09, 02:32 PM
Le Mode
Drama at sea
During the late hours of Sunday evening the oil tanker shell haven ran aground on rocks off the coast of Spain.
The stretch of water known as the dead mans passage has claimed yet another victim, only 9 years ago another oil tanker the Russian ship prestige sank in these waters leaving coast lines and shipping lanes to deal with the debris and leaking oil.
The ship ran into an Atlantic storm winds were as high as 45 knots and the waves were reaching 20 feet.
The first sign of trouble came at 2215 when the captain radioed to Spanish coast guards he has lost all manoeuvrability of his vessel and is adrift, it was only ten minuets later she grounded, a join French and Spanish team were dispatched to rescue the crew and to try and contain the oil spill so far the ship has punctured two of its tanks.
The ship the Shell haven was built in 1989 and conforms to all European safety legislations; she was homeward bound from Qatar to Rotterdam when disaster struck, her crew of 26 all experienced seamen are shocked one described his ordeal as “terrifyingly unreal” the ship seaming lost its ability to manoeuvre while at sea and with the storm and currents she was dragged helplessly into the shore, this morning however was a different story.
During the night salvage efforts had been made to try and float the ship off the rocks another tanker had already offloaded most of the cargo averting a possible ecological disaster but when the tugs began to manoeuvre the ship off the rocks she listed violently to heal over 25 degrees and the salvage has been postponed until further notice.
The shell haven has four identical sisters each still in service with shell and all on the same route, the ship is 1,190 feet long 289 feet wide and fully loaded displaces 170,000tonnes yet she is not the largest oil tanker but still a fair size and is able to carry 319,000 barrels of oil enough to cause an ecological disaster.
Current operations have been suspended until a satisfactory salvage plan is drawn up, the salvage company smit tak will take up the challenge but they will have to act fast as September the passage becomes a storm tossed nightmare.
Story brought to you by ordem prevails
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i213/British_Airways_Captain/Virtual%20Sailor/aground-1.jpg
A harbour tug races to the striken vessels aid
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i213/British_Airways_Captain/Virtual%20Sailor/alongside.jpg
Tug moves into positon to keep the goliath steady
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i213/British_Airways_Captain/Virtual%20Sailor/littlenlarge.jpg
off loading the oil to reduce the ships draft
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i213/British_Airways_Captain/Virtual%20Sailor/dawnbreaks.jpg
listing heavily to port the ship is now completely empty only salvage workers remain.
Drama at sea
During the late hours of Sunday evening the oil tanker shell haven ran aground on rocks off the coast of Spain.
The stretch of water known as the dead mans passage has claimed yet another victim, only 9 years ago another oil tanker the Russian ship prestige sank in these waters leaving coast lines and shipping lanes to deal with the debris and leaking oil.
The ship ran into an Atlantic storm winds were as high as 45 knots and the waves were reaching 20 feet.
The first sign of trouble came at 2215 when the captain radioed to Spanish coast guards he has lost all manoeuvrability of his vessel and is adrift, it was only ten minuets later she grounded, a join French and Spanish team were dispatched to rescue the crew and to try and contain the oil spill so far the ship has punctured two of its tanks.
The ship the Shell haven was built in 1989 and conforms to all European safety legislations; she was homeward bound from Qatar to Rotterdam when disaster struck, her crew of 26 all experienced seamen are shocked one described his ordeal as “terrifyingly unreal” the ship seaming lost its ability to manoeuvre while at sea and with the storm and currents she was dragged helplessly into the shore, this morning however was a different story.
During the night salvage efforts had been made to try and float the ship off the rocks another tanker had already offloaded most of the cargo averting a possible ecological disaster but when the tugs began to manoeuvre the ship off the rocks she listed violently to heal over 25 degrees and the salvage has been postponed until further notice.
The shell haven has four identical sisters each still in service with shell and all on the same route, the ship is 1,190 feet long 289 feet wide and fully loaded displaces 170,000tonnes yet she is not the largest oil tanker but still a fair size and is able to carry 319,000 barrels of oil enough to cause an ecological disaster.
Current operations have been suspended until a satisfactory salvage plan is drawn up, the salvage company smit tak will take up the challenge but they will have to act fast as September the passage becomes a storm tossed nightmare.
Story brought to you by ordem prevails
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i213/British_Airways_Captain/Virtual%20Sailor/aground-1.jpg
A harbour tug races to the striken vessels aid
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i213/British_Airways_Captain/Virtual%20Sailor/alongside.jpg
Tug moves into positon to keep the goliath steady
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i213/British_Airways_Captain/Virtual%20Sailor/littlenlarge.jpg
off loading the oil to reduce the ships draft
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i213/British_Airways_Captain/Virtual%20Sailor/dawnbreaks.jpg
listing heavily to port the ship is now completely empty only salvage workers remain.