The Julietta D was one of the two ships that collided and whose anchored slipped after which it collided with the other also anchored ship. The engine room took on water. Soon hereafter the captain of the Julietta D reported that the ship was sinking and asked for disembarkation of the 18 crew members which was done in a lengthy four hour helicopter operation.
As far as is known no efforts were made to use the second anchor to stabilize the ship which is remarkable. In the mean time the ship is still floating and approaching the Dutch coast. There are worries about an oil spill if the ship runs aground. Contrary to the ship’s report the ship is not sinking. Salvagers have succeeded to board the ship and at this moment they are trying to connect to nearby salvage tugs.
May be it would have been more appropriate that the captain and a skeleton crew had stayed on board when it was clear that the ship didn’t sink on short notice.
New information indicates that the Julietta D has drifted into a wind mill park and is heading for a production platform. In the mean time the three operators on board the platform have been evacuated. It has been confirmed that the ship is stable and is not sinking, didn’t spill oil or other harmful substances and hasn’t lost any cargo.
The cargo ship Julietta D which broke free from its moorings during Monday’s gales and hit an oil tanker before drifting out to sea will be towed to Rotterdam port on Tuesday morning, the coast guard said. Tug boat Sovereign managed to attach a cable to the stricken ship around 7pm on Monday night, allowing it to be stablised some 12 kilometres off the coast. The coastguard said at the time they wanted to wait for calmer seas before towing the ship back to the Netherlands. Efforts to attach a second cable failed when the cable snapped, injuring two members of the coast guard. They were taken off the tugs on Monday evening.
The captain and the first mate of the cargo ship Julietta D were arrested because of an investigation into the possibility of leaving the ship unnecessarily early.
Due to the stormy weather the anchor of the Julietta D no longer held, after which the ship, in an anchor area at IJmuiden, came into collision with another ship. After the collision, the Julietta D made water, eighteen crew members were brought ashore,
A report has been drawn up and was sent to the North Sea public prosecutor. It assesses whether the captain and the first mate have acted in a punishable way. Anyway it was at least bad seamanship.
In the mean time the Julietta D has arrived in the port of Rotterdam. The captain and chief officer, both Russian nationals, are being interrogated about the incident.
Another method to disembark the ship is to make use of the lifeboat for which it is intended. It is obvious what the crew’s preference was in this case.
SOVEREIGN" full speed outbound from Rotterdam on her way to the “JULIETTA D”
Photo: Cees van der Kooij (c)
The 190 meter long bulk carrier “JULIETTA D” and the 129 meter long oil/chemical tanker “PECHORA STAR” (both Maltese flagged) were anchored off the coast of IJmuiden (Netherlands). When one of the ships anchors was not holding properly anymore due the 9 Beaufort gales the two ships collided in the morning of January 31st.
The “JULIETTA D” was leaking in the engine room.
