TOFTEVAAG

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Historic sailing vessel sank off Cabo de Peñas, crew safe

The 'Toftevaag' sank more than 20 nautical miles northwest of Cabo de Peñas in the Cantabrian Sea, after having suffered a leak and water ingress on the afternoon of April 10, 2025. The "Toftevaag" had set sail from Cudillero at around 4:30 a.m. At 11:00 a.m., when they were about 50 kilometers from the mouth of the Nalón River, the crew felt a strong impact on the vessel. a few miles from La Arena, and the ship started taking on water. The crew activated the dewatering pumps and notified Salvamento Mariítimo to tell them what had happened, but the plan was to continue. Half an hour later, they had to contact them again with the initial plan to tow the ship to Gijón, After the situation deteriorated at around 2:30 p.m. the alarm was raised, and the SAR boat 'Salvamar Rigel' (MMSI: 224003390) from Gíjon and the SAR helicopter Pesca II, based in Viveiro in the Lugo province, were mobilized by the Galician Coastguard. A Civil Guard patrol boat also intervened, and the cargo m/v "Sandra" (IMO: 9549669), en route from Gíjon to Aviles, changed course to respond to the alert. After the evacuation of the six crew members was requested, the helicopter hoisted them one by one. The rescue operation was carried out without complications. The helicopter transported the castaways to the Asturias Airport for an assessment of their health, where the nearest ambulance was located, and were found in good condition. The "Toftevaag" had been in Cudillero since last fall. The vessel was built in 1910 in Halsnoy, Norway's second-largest fjord, in the most traditional way, with Norwegian pine, using spikes of the same wood to nail the planks, it still had retained almost three-quarters of its original timber. The schooner was fitted with an engine in 1958 to begin a new life. It had been dedicated to herring fishing and coastal shipping between the Nordic islands and the North Atlantic, and even to transporting pilots to the North Cape during World War II. In 1989, the "Toftevaag"m supported by a group of scientists from Boston, Massachusetts, embarked on a new journey, spearheading the Alnitak project, an association that has sponsored it for 33 years. Its objective is applied science or experimental methods to generate demonstrable and tangible results in nature conservation, preserving both marine natural treasures and their relationship to the cultural and material processes of the world, and collaborating with organizations such as the Earthwatch Institute and OceanCare. Reports with photos: https://enfoques.gal/galicia/gardacostas-de-galicia-rescata-a-seis-tripulantes-de-un-naufragio-en-el-norte-de-asturias/ https://www.lne.es/aviles/2025/04/11/hablan-seis-cientificos-rescatados-velero-116271753.html