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| What happened to UK aframax British Merlin? | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: 17 Aug 2014, 11:42 PM (20 Views) | |
| skibboy | 17 Aug 2014, 11:42 PM Post #1 |
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What happened to UK aframax British Merlin? August 17, 2014 I’ve received an e-mail at 0630 UTC Aug 17 saying of a possible mishap on board of UK aframax tanker British Merlin, asking me if I have any information. I don’t have any info yet, but judging from information given in a letter, some kind of emergency definitely took place. If anyone knows what happened and what’s going on, please advise vmd@odin.tc Letter: The MV British Merlin was bound for Malta since Aug 12 from the oil port of Trieste, due to arrive Aug 14 1200 UTC. It was on course till Aug 13 at about 2 p.m. when at a point some 30 miles south of Gagliano del Capo (Ionian Sea, south of Italy's boot heel) it abruptly changed course, veering 80 deg. to port and heading towards a general area 50 miles west of the Greek island of Kefalonia. For most of Wed-13 evening the vessel was accompanied astern by an unidentified but numbered, probably naval, vessel. At 10 p.m. she started losing speed, from its average 12 knots to 1 knot 40 minutes later and started limping east towards the Greek islands at less than 1 knot. The Merlin was classified by marinetraffic.com as a "vessel not under command". Last AIS position on marinetraffic on Aug 16 at 1900UTC at 36.92N 19.17E underway at 1.0 knot course 166, possibly heading on its own steam to Malta. Crude oil tanker British Merlin, IMO 9258870, dwt 114761, built 2003, flag UK, manager BP Shipping Limited. Comment: It may be just a breakdown, a mechanical trouble of some kind, but Navy or CG ships don’t follow troubled merchant vessels without a reason, especially in the middle of the sea with no risk of running aground. Maybe there were explosion and fire, maybe something else happened, which threatens environment or shipping in the area. Tanker most probably, is adrift, her speed 1 knot is generally, a speed of a disabled, drifting vessel. No details on cargo, it’s unknown whether vessel is in ballast or loaded. Voytenko Mikhail ![]() Source:
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| skibboy | 19 Aug 2014, 11:34 PM Post #2 |
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Tanker British Merlin back to life, with changed port of destination August 19, 2014 Tanker British Merlin resumed sailing in the evening Aug 18 according to marinetraffic.com, vessel is under way at a speed of 12.5 knots, with Novorossiysk showed as port of destination, instead of Malta. Maybe there was some kind of trouble, some mechanical failure, but most probably, charter was changed and vessel was proceeding at dead ahead speed towards Malta, awaiting owner’s or charterer’s orders. Source:
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3:24 PM Jul 11