CHRISTOS XXIV
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Conoy enroute to Le Havre
On May 6, the transfer operations from the 'Abeille Liberté' onto the 'Christos XXIV' continued throughout the day. Given the meteorological and oceanographic conditions expected the coming weekend, the Maritime Prefecture of the Channel and the North Sea has sent a new formal notice to the owners of the 'Christos XXIV' and the 'Varzuga' in order to put in implement all measures to secure the convoy and take it to safety. At 7:30 p.m., the 'Christos XXIV' tensioned its towing wire, so the 'Abeille Liberté' released its own to leave it free to maneuver. At 8:35 p.m., the convoy started its transit with the intention of reaching Le Havre, the port of shelter chosen by the towing company, escorted by the 'Abeille Liberté'. On May 7 the tugs 'Vb Longchamp', 'Vb Barfleur 18', 'Vb Octeville 11' and 'Vb Yport 12' joined the convoy on its final leg. French report with photo: https://www.premar-manche.gouv.fr/communiques-presse/cp-n-3-operation-de-securisation-d-une-coque-de-petrolier-a-la-derive-au-large-du-cotentin-suite
Tug to continue towage of scrap tanker
On May 5 the tanker 'Varzuga',was still held by the emergency tug 'Abeille Liberté' 17 nautical miles off the coast of Saint-Vaast. The idea was to have maneuverability in an area best suited for the transfer operations, in all safety, from the 'Abeille Liberté' back to the 'Christos XXIV', before the convoy can resume its navigation. The CROSS Jobourg also deployed the lifeboat 'SNS 086-Admiral Tourville' of the SNSM staton Barfleur and the 'SNS 21-President Jules Pinteaux' of the SNSM station in Saint-Vaast-La-Hougue to ensure the safety of the waterway around the convoy during the transfer maneuvers. The Saint-Vaast-La-Hougue Semaphore was also monitoring the traffic in the area. During the afternoon, weather conditions allowed to start the transfer operations. While the 'Abeille Liberté' was still holding the tanker at the stern, the 'Christos XXIV' began work on the installation of a new towing connection under support of the evaluation and intervention team of the Navy in Cherbourg. The maritime prefecture has also called for the Les Abeilles-salvage master’s competency, in order to obtain a supplementary expert opinion on the compliance of the order in place. Once the weather conditions are favourable, the convoy formed by the 'Christos XXIV' and the 'Varzuga' will be able to leave the open zone. As long as it is in the waters under French responsibility, it will be escorted by the 'Abeille Liberté'. French report with photo: https://www.premar-manche.gouv.fr/communiques-presse/cp-n-2-operation-de-securisation-d-une-coque-de-petrolier-a-la-derive-au-large-du-cotentin-suite
Tug lost towed tanker
On May 3, 2021, at 9.46 p.m. the CROSS Jobourg was alerted by the 'Christos XXIV', which was pulling the Russian flagged tanker 'Varzuga', 11290 gt (IMO: 7500401), from Murmansk to a scrapyard in Aliaga, that the towing wire had broken in position 50 11 36.0N, 002 00 30.0W about 25 miles south-south-east of Portland Bill. The tanker was adrift at the entrance to the downward channel of the Casquets traffic separation system about 40 nautical miles Northwest of Cherbourg in waters under British responsibility. The coordination was thus initially carried out by the British Coastguards via the Solent Coastguard operation center. In the area were winds of 40 knots with gusts of up to 60 knots which did not allow towing to be resumed. The unmanned tanker drifted Eastwards and entered the French area of responsibility in the morning of May 4. The coordination was taken over by the CROSS Jobourg at 8:30 a.m. The maritime prefecture of the Channel and the North Sea decided to deploy an assessment and intervention team in order to analyze the situation on board the 'Varzuga'. The emergency tug 'Abeille Liberté' (IMO: 9308699) was mobilized as well as a Caiman marine helicopter of the French Navy base in Maupertus which took on board a ship safety inspector in Caen. They were transferred aboard the 'Varzuga' at 4:00 p.m. The CROSS broadcasted a safety message to warn ships in the area, and the maritime prefecture of the Channel and the North Sea sent a formal notice to the owner companies of both the tug 'Christos XXIV' and the 'Varzuga' in order to implement all possible means to secure the vessel before 6:00 p.m. At 6:00 p.m., the decision was taken to take the 'Varzuga' in tow by the 'Abeille Liberté', which, in view of the degraded weather conditions, would proceed to a safe position off Barfleur. At 7.15 p.m, the 'Abeille Liberté' had established a towing connection and started the transit to the sheltered area, where repairs to the towing hitch could begin. French report with photo: https://www.premar-manche.gouv.fr/communiques-presse/operation-de-securisation-d-une-coque-de-petrolier-a-la-derive-au-large-du-cotentin
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