ASPHALT ALLIANCE

General information

Course/Position

Latest news

Engine blackout off Isle of Wight

The "Acacia Noir", en route from Liepaja to Cadiz with a crew of 16 on board, suffered a blackout 18,3 miles off the Isle of Wight, in position 50 17 48 N, 001 05 54 W, on Jan 31, 2019, at 09.45 a.m. and went adrift. The engines were started again at 10 a.m. and the vessel continued its voyage, carrying 4.976 tonnes of bitumen with an ETA at Cadiz as of Feb 15.

Pilot fell into the sea while boarding in Table Bay

In the night of Sep 4, 2017, a Cape Town marine pilot slipped and fell from the boarding ladder of the "Acacia Noir" in Table Bay as she was boarding the ship. The tanker was inbound and approaching the port where it was met by the pilot boat "Petrel" at 9.40 p.m. with the pilot onboard, who then proceeded onto the ship’s ladder. She presumably lost her grip and fell into the waters of Table Bay. She was wearing a regulation life jacket and was able to remain afloat, having not been hurt in the fall. The crew of the "Petrel" immediately raised the alarm which was responded to by the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI, Table Bay Station which launched its rescue boat "Spirit of Vodacom". The NSRI Bakoven was also activated, as were Western Cape Health EMS and the AMS/EMS Skymed rescue helicopter which was placed on standby. Shortly afterwards it was reported that the crew of the Petrel had rescued the pilot who was back on board, wet and cold but otherwise uninjured. The pilot boat transferred the pilot to the pier next to the port control tower where she was met by an ER24 ambulance and taken to hospital as a precaution. The NSRI commended the crew of the harbour pilot boat Petrel for the swift and successful rescue of their marine pilot.