The Russian cruise ship, MV Lyubov Orlova, was found drifting 1,300 nautical miles off the coast of Ireland, with no crew or warning lights, a month after it broke its cable and set adrift into international waters.
Once used for polar cruises and expeditions by the Soviet Union the ship was being towed from Canada to a scrapyard in the Caribbean when the two cables snapped and it floated away.
The Canadian authorities said the ship was not pursued as there were no people on board and there was concern for the safety of the Canadian sailors who might have attempted to salvage the ship due to the weather and dangerous sea conditions.
On February 1st, the ship was intercepted by the Atlantic Hawk, a supply craft used by the Canadian energy firm Husky Energy. However it was cut loose again when it was feared the ships might collide.
When the ship set adrift again the Transport Canada said the massive vessel no longer posed a threat to “the safety of offshore oil installations, their personnel or the marine environment.
“The vessel has drifted into international waters and given current patterns and predominant winds, it is very unlikely that the vessel will re-enter waters under Canadian jurisdiction.”
However, Earlier this week the maritime officials admitted they did not know where the ship was as its global positioning system (GPS) was no longer working.
The AFP news found a document from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency on Thursday stating that they had discovered the ship off the coast of Ireland.
The Irish sailing magazine Afloat reported that the ship had been carried by the Atlantic currents towards Europe.
The ship was built in 1976 by the Russian-based Far East Shipping Company. She was retired at a dockside in St. John’s, Newfoundland.
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.hunter933 | May 14, 2013, 12:28 PM EDT
Sounds like an insurance job to me. Just let it drift. Who cares?
RobinForester | Feb 26, 2013, 11:41 PM EST
It an Irish ghost ship and as everyone knows all Irish ghost ships belong to Ireland. My understanding is that it is to be towed into an Irish port, renamed ''THE SEANOMELD'', and converted into a care home for all good leprecauns and little people.
bob mcbride | Feb 23, 2013, 08:52 PM EST
Pilib04 you have no clue! Here are the facts. The boat was operated by a russian company who failed to pay their employees and they went bankrupt in St.john's. The company owed the port authority money for docking fees and the employess were stranded in Newfoundland. Thanx to irish newfoundlanders and the local charities the russian employees found passage home. The rat invested boat was setting dockside in Nfld for 22 months. An arabian scrap metal ponzi dealer bought the boat and contracted an american towing company to tow it to the caribbian to have haitians cut it up for a penny on the dollar. Unfortunately the american tow company brought up a tow boat that was unfit to do the job and can't even meet safety regulations to sail in canadian waters and it lost its tow line so now the tow boat is stranded here pending inspection. It has nothing to do with the Canadians! Through the russian owner and the arabian rug merchant part time crap dealer in the slammer!
seanomelb | Feb 23, 2013, 04:47 PM EST
A good sea home for falconflash,robin foster and anglo.They can practise their bigotry amongst each other
EphraimKibbey | Feb 23, 2013, 04:00 PM EST
The scrap value may not cover the cost to salvage and cut it up so maybe the Irish military would like to take some target practice and create a new marine ecosystem somewhere off shore. Reference the reef building projects in the caribbean. To dovetail with the previous article about William Harris, Is this how St. Brendan got home? Nice current, the Canada-Ireland express no doubt.
IrelandNorth | Feb 23, 2013, 02:02 PM EST
I imagine it's all down to cost. It was probably more economically prudent to abandon it than toe it to the Caribbean. I'm no marine law expert, but it seems the Irish Naval Serive would have a good claim to ownership of this latter day Marie Celeste. Or bill the Russian Government for salvage costs.
pilib04 | Feb 23, 2013, 01:39 PM EST
How, pray tell, is Canada not responsible for this ship? A Canadian company was towing the ship to the Caribbean! We are to believe that the Canadian handlers, "accidentally" lost control of the Liner or did they just dump it!
merefalow | Feb 23, 2013, 10:36 AM EST
wow,loads of scrap value,first one to tow it in gets salvage rights,i believe thats maritime salvage law,must blow my dinghy up,where exactly is it/.
bunkerisland | Feb 23, 2013, 10:24 AM EST
A 35yo ship becomes scrap? Sounds like a bunch of inept caretakers of this conclude they have no responsibility to secure this and get it to port! "Husky Energy" apparently has some legal obligation for this.
mylesie | Feb 23, 2013, 10:07 AM EST
If boarded, could this ship now be claimed as "jetsam"???