HELT

scrapped

General information

Course/Position

Latest news

sunk at Odessa

sunk after hitting a mine. Report: https://maritimedanmark.dk/?Id=47956

Captain had drunk almost a whole bottle of vodka in near grounding incident

When the "Helt" was in danger of running aground at Rydebäck in the Öre Sound northeast of Ven on March 10, the master swerved in the last moment and avoided an accident. He then continued on its course northward through the strait. He had been drinking nearly half a liter of vodka. Wheh the vessel traffic service sought contact with the captain, he did not awake. Now the 50-year-old man was accused of being drunken at the helm. The monitoring center called the ship and asked to speak with the master. but the first officer replied that he could not wake him up. Then the Coastguard sent out two units, the "KBV 034" and "KBV 314", to intervene. They boarded the ship which was ordered to turn around and anchoroff Råå. When the officers entered the cabin of the master they remarked a distinct stench of alcohol. The captain was sitting on the sofa, being visibly affected with red eyes, flushed face, and his breath smelt noticeable like alcohol. His movement patterns were not directly drunk. The captain was asked toundergo a breathalyzer test which showed 1.83 l alcohol. By using blood samples and urine samples the intoxication rate was determined to 1.31 per thousand. The captain told at the hearing that he had drunk almost an entire pint bottle of vodka during the day. There were only about five centilitres left when the bottle was confiscated. The captain said he regretted the incident. He explains that he was tired after a lot of work. The ship had 12 tons of diesel fuel in the tanks which could have caused major damage to the marine environment if it had gone aground and sprung a leak. The captain was being held since the incident. Next week he faces his trial and may have to spend a few months in prison.

Drunken skipper sleeping at the helm - ship intercepted near Helsingborg

While heading north through the Öre Sound, the "Helt", enroute from Liepaja to Horsens, was about to run aground at the height of Glumslöv late on March 10, 2017. At 11 p.m. the Swedish JRCC noted that the ship changed had course towards land. Thanks to a sharp turn another ship avoided a collision by a few hundred meters. Neither the JRCC nor the VTS managed to make contact with the vessel over VHF. The Coast Guard command center quickly was engaged and sent the "KBV 034", which was in the vicinity, to intercept the ship. Meanwhile the surveillance ship "KBV 314" was deployed from Malmö to the site. A crew boarded the ship north of Helsingborg. Everything went smoothly. Once aboard, the Coast Guard officers found the master sleeping at the helm. He admitted that he was drunk during the watch, which was also confirmed at the sobriety check. Other crew members were sober. The ship anchored at Råå, and the skipper was transferred to the "KBV 314" and transported to Helsingborg where a police patrol was waiting for further transport to the hospital for drug testing. The ship was approaching Horsens in the evening of March 12. After the master was replaced, it headed to Riga, ETA March 18.