FV LA FANETTE

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Trawler towed to Brest

The "La Fanette", 205 gt (IMO-Nr.: 9669794), which had been distressed off north Finistère since March 12, finally arrived in Brest on March 15 after several attempts to tow it in difficult weather conditions. On March 12, at 10:30 p.m., the "La Fanette" suffered propeller damage 18 km northwest of Cornwall On March 13, a British SAR helicopter evacuated the six crew members by helicopter, after several unsuccessful attempts to tow the ship. The trawler Farfadet" in the middle of a storm managed to grab the "La Fanette" from astern and towed the ship backwards for several hours.. On March 14, the tow was transferred to the tug "TSM Kermor". The cable broke several times. A second tug, the "TSM Penzer", was mobilized, and on March 15, at 6:45 a.m. two people were transferred from the tug aboard the "La Fanette", facilitating the towing of the ship bow ahead this time. The "Farfadet" then resumed its journey, while the "TSM Kermor" and "TSM Penzer" took the casualty to the port of Brest, where it arrived at 9 p.m. French reports with photos: https://redon.maville.com/actu/actudet_-brest.-remorquee-la-fanette-est-arrivee-a-bon-port_loc-3672872_actu.Htm https://www.ouest-france.fr/bretagne/brest-29200/apres-son-sauvetage-complique-le-chalutier-la-fanette-pret-reprendre-la-mer-6265858

Trawler still adrift after various failed towing attempts

The French trawler "L'Estran" (MMSI: 227009520) which had initially been diverted to try to tow the "La Fanette", 205 gt (IMO-Nr.: 9669794), was forced to return to the port of La Rochelle after an unsuccessful salvage attempt after the towing wire got caught in its propeller. The operation was coordinated by the Falmouth / Solent Maritime Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC) with regular overnight exchanges between the "La Fanette" and the CROSS Corsen. On March 13 at 4 p.m. the French trawler "Le Farfadet" (MMSI: 228039800), arrived on scene to take the "La Fanette" in tow and pull it to Saint-Brieuc, its base port. On March 14 at 01:45, the French tug "TSM Kermor" (IMO:9712412) mobilized by the owner, replaced the trawler and started towing the "La Fanette". Twice the towing wire broke. Due to the deteriorating weather conditions in the area, it was not possible to transfer personnel onto the "La Fanette" to to pass a wire from the bow. The "La Fanette" was then 37 nautical miles northwest of Ouessant, near the entrance of the traffic separation scheme. Immediately, an emergency notice to mariners (AVURNAV) was issued by the Atlantic Maritime Prefecture to report the drift of the trawler. At 4.07 p.m. a Cayman Navy helicopter was mobilized, at the request of CROSS Corsen, to drop off a GPS beacon on the "La Fanette" to prevent a possible extinction of its light signals and its AIS transmitter. The trawler "Farfadet" and the "TSM Kermor" stayed close to the trawler. At 8:10 p.m., the maritime prefect of the Atlantic asked the shipowner to take all measures to secure the convoy before March 15 at 1 p.m. The tug "TSM Penzer" (MMSI: 228076900) was mobilized from Brest by the insurance of the owner and was expected in the area in the morning of March 15 to take the "La Fanette" in tow which was then drifting 33 nautical miles north of Ouessant.

La Fanette under tow

The tug "TSM Kermor" of the TSM company left Brest on March 13 to assist the "La Fanette". In the afternoon, the "Le Farfadet", another ship of the Porcher company, managed to take the "La Fanette" in tow which was still going on in the evening in southern direction with a speed of about 4 knots, to meet the tug that was en route to the scene at 7 p.m. around 20 miles north of Ouessant. The crew of the "Le Farfadet" was cared for and accomodated in Penczance on March 13 with no repatriation date to France yet.