FLINTERSTAR
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Tanker crew made mistakes before collision with Flinterstar
The crew of the "Al Oraiq" has made the biggest mistakes in the collision between the tanker and the "Flinterstar" according to an independent investigation into the cause of the accident. The tanker was too fast and the crew has misjudged the traffic situation. They let the ship sail also on the wrong side of a buoy so that the collision with the "Flinterstar" was unavoidable. Furthermore, the study showed that there was a language problem. The communication between the pilots of the two vessels and the radar tower at Zeebrugge went almost exclusively in Dutch which the two captains of the ships did not understand. Initially it was thought that the "Flinterstar" was the major culprit. The court must now decide who was effectively responsible for the accident.
Remaining debris cleared from the bottom
The sinking site of the "Flinterstar" off the coast of Zeebrugge was reopened to all traffic after omore than one year after the bottom of the North Sea was sufficiently cleared. Salvors have recovered the anchor and a few remaining fragments, so normal maritime traffic and fishing is possible again.
Half ship being recycled in Gent
The aft section of the "Flinterstar" was hoisted onto an Ugland barge and passed the locks of Terneuzen on Sep 5 around midnight. It left Zeebrugge at 6 p.m. and was expected at Gent on Sep 6 at 2 a.m. The final destination of the stern was the shipbreaking yard of the company Galloo. The demolition started with a control of the wreck for harmful substances on Sep 6 regarding oils that may have remained in the ship in the engines and pipes, but also insulation. Then the wreck is stripped and all the wood floors and furniture collected on the quay where it gets sorted it for further processing. The remainder of the ship will be cut into pieces of maximum 20 tons, one by one being hoisted ashore by crane. The recycling rate will be up to 98%. Dutch reports with photos: http://www.focus-wtv.be/nieuws/afbraak-flinterstar-begonnen# http://apzi.be/news/detail_nl.phtml?id=866 http://kw.knack.be/west-vlaanderen/nieuws/economie/video-laatste-stuk-flinterstar-aangekomen-in-haven-zeebrugge/article-normal-234149.html http://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20160901_02448998 http://www.martenscleaning.nl/en/services/calamity-control/salvage-flinterstar.htm
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