MS ALBATROS

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Collision on the Mosel

On Jan 30, 2018, at 12.13 p.m. the "Saeftinge", 1076 ts (EU-No: 2315206), was in collision with the "Albatros", 1307 ts (EU-No.: 02307415), and the barge "Idefix", 1002 ts (EU-No.: 02310814), which were loaded with 1.600 tons coke, on the Mosel underneath were Lehmen lock off Niederfell. The "Saaeftinge" which was sailing river downstream with a cargo of 1.000 tons wheat got its bow crushed and suffered water ingress in the foreship. As it was threatened to sink, it was intentionally run aground at Lay. Attempts of the crew to cope with the intruding water failed. In the run of the day the cargo was lightered onto another ship getting the damaged hull region higher in the water in order to get the water ingress under control by the fire brigade which jointly with a work boat of the river authority Koblenz stabilized the barge all night long. On Jan 31 at 5 p.m. the barge was berthed at Koblenz after lightering of the cargo. The "Albatros"/"Idefix" were secured at the Lehmen lock. The water ingress into the pushed barge "Idefix" could be controlled with submersible pumps of the local fire brigades. In the evening hours divers were able to patch the leak temporarily. On Jan 31 the vessels were moving again towards Wageningen with four knots. Ship traffic on the river in the Koblenz region was timewise barred, but was meanwhile released again. Initial investigations showed that human error of the "Albatros" was resonsible for the collision. An investigation was launched against the master. German reports with photos and video: https://www.presseportal.de/blaulicht/pm/117719/3854318 http://www.blick-aktuell.de/Berichte/Frachtschiffe-auf-der-Mosel-zusammengestossen-310863.html https://www.swr.de/swraktuell/rp/schiffshaverie-bei-lehmen-frachter-stossen-auf-mosel-zusammen/-/id=1682/did=21073330/nid=1682/n652da/index.html