Jump to content

MV Alta: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
No edit summary
Tags: references removed Visual edit
add detail
 
(11 intermediate revisions by 9 users not shown)
Line 5: Line 5:
{{Infobox ship image
{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image = MV Alta, shipwrecked off the Ballycotton coast color.jpg
| Ship image = MV Alta, shipwrecked off the Ballycotton coast color.jpg
| Ship caption = MV ''Alta'' aground at [[Ballycotton]], Co. Cork
| Ship caption = MV ''Alta'' aground at [[Ballycotton]], County Cork
}}
}}
{{Infobox ship career
{{Infobox ship career
Line 73: Line 73:
|url=https://www.tradewindsnews.com/casualties/mystery-cargoship-found-drifting-in-mid-atlantic/2-1-666522/ |newspaper=Trade Winds News |date=5 September 2019|access-date=17 February 2020}}</ref>
|url=https://www.tradewindsnews.com/casualties/mystery-cargoship-found-drifting-in-mid-atlantic/2-1-666522/ |newspaper=Trade Winds News |date=5 September 2019|access-date=17 February 2020}}</ref>


After her abandonment, the ship's next moves are uncertain. An unverified report suggested that she was towed to [[Guyana]] and possibly hijacked, only to be abandoned a second time.<ref name=":3" /> Regardless of what happened, the [[ghost ship]] was next sighted by {{HMS|Protector|A173|6}} in August or September 2019, near Bermuda. After this sighting, she likely continued to drift at very low speeds before eventually arriving in Ireland. However, the AIS was not functioning after her abandonment, making her course uncertain.<ref name=":2" />
After her abandonment, the ship's next moves are uncertain. An unverified report suggested that she was towed to [[Guyana]] and possibly hijacked, only to be abandoned a second time.<ref name=":3" /> Regardless of what happened, the [[ghost ship]] was next sighted by {{HMS|Protector|A173|6}} in August or September 2019, near Bermuda. After this sighting, she likely continued to drift at very low speeds before eventually arriving in Ireland. However, the AIS was not functioning after her abandonment, making her course uncertain.<ref name=":2" /><mapframe latitude="34.307144" longitude="-31.289063" zoom="2" text="Journey of the MV Alva, compiled from reports. " width="378" height="208">
{
"type": "FeatureCollection",
"features": [
{
"type": "Feature",
"properties": {},
"geometry": {
"type": "Point",
"coordinates": [ 22.851563, 38.822591 ]
}
},
{
"type": "Feature",
"properties": {},
"geometry": {
"type": "LineString",
"coordinates": [
[ 23.203125, 38.548165 ],
[ 16.875, 34.307144 ],
[ 5.976563, 38.548165 ],
[ -5.625, 36.031332 ],
[ -56.25, 22.917923 ],
[ -59.0625, 6.664608 ],
[ -64.6875, 26.74561 ],
[ -9.492188, 51.179343 ]
]
}
},
{
"type": "Feature",
"properties": {},
"geometry": {
"type": "Point",
"coordinates": [ -56.601563, 21.616579 ]
}
},
{
"type": "Feature",
"properties": {},
"geometry": {
"type": "Point",
"coordinates": [ -65.390625, 26.431228 ]
}
},
{
"type": "Feature",
"properties": {},
"geometry": {
"type": "Point",
"coordinates": [ -9.492188, 50.958427 ]
}
}
]
}
</mapframe>


== Wreckage ==
== Wreckage ==
On 16 February 2020, the ''Alta'' ran aground on the Irish coast near [[Ballycotton]], [[County Cork|Cork]] amid [[Storm Dennis]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Roche |first1=Barry |title=Storm Dennis washes abandoned 'ghost ship' onto rocks off Co Cork |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/storm-dennis-washes-abandoned-ghost-ship-onto-rocks-off-co-cork-1.4175774 |access-date=17 February 2020 |work=Irish Times |date=16 February 2020}}</ref><ref name="BBC">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-51534957 |title=Storm Dennis: 'Ghost ship' washes up on Irish coast |work=BBC News |date=17 February 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Thomas|first=Cónal|date=29 March 2020|title=Coast Guard warned ghost ship could be 'pilfered' and urged Council to provide security|url=https://www.thejournal.ie/coast-guard-warned-mv-alta-could-be-pilfered-and-urged-council-to-provide-security-after-ghost-ship-ran-aground-5059938-Mar2020/|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=13 August 2020|website=TheJournal.ie}}</ref> The rare story of a modern day ghost ship, as well as the length of time it spent floating without crew or captain at sea (18 months), caught the global public's imagination and curiosity.<ref>{{Cite web|title=In Ireland, shipwrecked MV Alta ran aground after floating around the world without crew or captain for a YEAR. Authorities are struggling to find out...|url=https://outl.it/stories/in-ireland-shipwrecked-mv-alta-ran-aground-after-floating-around-the-world-without-crew-or-captain-for-a-year-authorities-are-struggling-to-find-out-who-owns-it/12986628/p/Internationalist|last=|first=|date=|website=outl.it|language=en|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=5 May 2020}}</ref>
On 16 February 2020, the ''Alta'' ran aground on the Irish coast near [[Ballycotton]], [[County Cork|Cork]] amid [[Storm Dennis]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Roche |first1=Barry |title=Storm Dennis washes abandoned 'ghost ship' onto rocks off Co Cork |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/storm-dennis-washes-abandoned-ghost-ship-onto-rocks-off-co-cork-1.4175774 |access-date=17 February 2020 |work=Irish Times |date=16 February 2020}}</ref><ref name="BBC">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-51534957 |title=Storm Dennis: 'Ghost ship' washes up on Irish coast |work=BBC News |date=17 February 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Thomas|first=Cónal|date=29 March 2020|title=Coast Guard warned ghost ship could be 'pilfered' and urged Council to provide security|url=https://www.thejournal.ie/coast-guard-warned-mv-alta-could-be-pilfered-and-urged-council-to-provide-security-after-ghost-ship-ran-aground-5059938-Mar2020/|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=13 August 2020|website=TheJournal.ie}}</ref> The rare story of a modern day ghost ship, as well as the length of time it spent floating without crew or captain at sea (18 months), caught the global public's imagination and curiosity.<ref>{{Cite web|title=In Ireland, shipwrecked MV Alta ran aground after floating around the world without crew or captain for a YEAR. Authorities are struggling to find out...|url=https://outl.it/stories/in-ireland-shipwrecked-mv-alta-ran-aground-after-floating-around-the-world-without-crew-or-captain-for-a-year-authorities-are-struggling-to-find-out-who-owns-it/12986628/p/Internationalist|last=|first=|date=|website=outl.it|language=en|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=5 May 2020}}{{Dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>


The responsibility of the wreck fell to Irish Minister for the Marine as per the Salvage and Wreck Act 1993, until such time as a [[receiver of wreck]] be appointed. Despite efforts to determine the ownership of the ship—so that the Irish state can try to recover costs incurred<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thejournal.ie/cork-ship-abandoned-5009576-Feb2020/ |newspaper=The Journal |title=Contractor to board Cork 'ghost ship' at low tide tomorrow morning |date=17 February 2020 |access-date=17 February 2020 }}</ref>—{{As of|2020|December||lc=y}} ownership had not been established.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.rte.ie/news/regional/2020/0504/1136399-mv-alta/|title=MV Alta could cost €10m to salvage – expert|first=Jennie|last=O'Sullivan|date=4 May 2020|via=www.rte.ie}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Thomas|first=Cónal|title=Cork Council warns ghost ship could 'break apart' and seeks State solution for shipwreck|url=https://www.thejournal.ie/cork-council-warns-ghost-ship-could-break-apart-and-seeks-wider-state-solution-to-shipwreck-5291470-Dec2020/|access-date=29 December 2020|website=TheJournal.ie|language=en}}</ref> Although the ship's commercial scrap value is "low," the cost to the [[Central Fund (Ireland)|Irish exchequer]] of removing the wreck could exceed €10 millions.<ref>{{cite news |last1= Carroll |first1= Rory |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/05/ireland-faces-bill-for-millions-to-remove-ghost-ship-mv-alta-from-rocks |work=The Guardian |title=Ireland faces bill for millions to remove 'ghost ship' from rocks |date=5 May 2020 |access-date= 5 May 2020}}</ref> ''Alta'' had previously been the subject of an ownership dispute, with claims she was once hijacked and towed to [[Guyana]], but efforts have been made to establish where she was last registered. Some reports suggest the ship was sailing under a Panamanian flag when her crew were rescued and she was abandoned in October 2018, while other reports suggest she was registered in [[Tanzania]].<ref name=BBC/><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.marineindustrynews.co.uk/storm-dennis-sends-abandoned-cargo-ship-to-ireland/ |website=Marine Industry News |title=Storm Dennis sends abandoned cargo ship to Ireland |date=17 February 2020 |access-date=17 February 2020 }}</ref> Sixty-two full barrels of oil were ultimately removed from the wreck by helicopter.<ref>{{cite news |last1= Burke |first1= Róisín |url=https://www.echolive.ie/corknews/Almost-100-oil-barrels-removed-from-ghost-ship-Council-now-closing-down-the-wreck--e4e26f5a-2a28-4a8b-a062-56d0adb70113-ds |work=The Echo |title=Almost 100 oil barrels removed from ghost ship; Council now closing down the wreck |date=26 February 2020 |access-date= 27 February 2020}}</ref> Afterwards, the ship was sealed off and made inaccessible.
The responsibility of the wreck fell to Irish Minister for the Marine as per the Salvage and Wreck Act 1993, until such time as a [[receiver of wreck]] be appointed. Despite efforts to determine the ownership of the ship—so that the Irish state can try to recover costs incurred<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thejournal.ie/cork-ship-abandoned-5009576-Feb2020/ |newspaper=The Journal |title=Contractor to board Cork 'ghost ship' at low tide tomorrow morning |date=17 February 2020 |access-date=17 February 2020 }}</ref>—{{As of|2020|December||lc=y}} ownership had not been established.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.rte.ie/news/regional/2020/0504/1136399-mv-alta/|title=MV Alta could cost €10m to salvage – expert|first=Jennie|last=O'Sullivan|date=4 May 2020|via=www.rte.ie}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Thomas|first=Cónal|title=Cork Council warns ghost ship could 'break apart' and seeks State solution for shipwreck|url=https://www.thejournal.ie/cork-council-warns-ghost-ship-could-break-apart-and-seeks-wider-state-solution-to-shipwreck-5291470-Dec2020/|access-date=29 December 2020|website=TheJournal.ie|date=26 December 2020 |language=en}}</ref> Although the ship's commercial scrap value is "low," the cost to the [[Central Fund (Ireland)|Irish exchequer]] of removing the wreck could exceed €10 million.<ref>{{cite news |last1= Carroll |first1= Rory |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/05/ireland-faces-bill-for-millions-to-remove-ghost-ship-mv-alta-from-rocks |work=The Guardian |title=Ireland faces bill for millions to remove 'ghost ship' from rocks |date=5 May 2020 |access-date= 5 May 2020}}</ref> ''Alta'' had previously been the subject of an ownership dispute, with claims she was once hijacked and towed to [[Guyana]], but efforts have been made to establish where she was last registered. Some reports suggest the ship was sailing under a Panamanian flag when her crew were rescued and she was abandoned in October 2018, while other reports suggest she was registered in [[Tanzania]].<ref name=BBC/><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.marineindustrynews.co.uk/storm-dennis-sends-abandoned-cargo-ship-to-ireland/ |website=Marine Industry News |title=Storm Dennis sends abandoned cargo ship to Ireland |date=17 February 2020 |access-date=17 February 2020 }}</ref> Sixty-two full barrels of oil were ultimately removed from the wreck by helicopter.<ref>{{cite news |last1= Burke |first1= Róisín |url=https://www.echolive.ie/corknews/Almost-100-oil-barrels-removed-from-ghost-ship-Council-now-closing-down-the-wreck--e4e26f5a-2a28-4a8b-a062-56d0adb70113-ds |work=The Echo |title=Almost 100 oil barrels removed from ghost ship; Council now closing down the wreck |date=26 February 2020 |access-date= 27 February 2020}}</ref> Afterwards, the ship was sealed off and made inaccessible.


By October 2020, the wreckage had deteriorated to the point that the Cork County Council feared that the ship would break apart. The County has requested assistance from other departments of the Irish government in removing the ship. Three options are under consideration for the wreckage: to leave the ship in place, to tow her out to sea and let her sink, or to dismantle and scrap her.<ref name=":1" /> By 13 March 2022, following a series of storms and poor weather, the hull of ''Alta'' was split in two.<ref>{{cite news |last1= Burke |first1= Róisín |url=https://www.echolive.ie/corknews/arid-40827746.html |work=The Echo |title=Ship washed up in East Cork gives up the ghost |date=13 March 2022 |access-date= 13 March 2022}}</ref><mapframe latitude="51.811578" longitude="-8.0564761" zoom="17" width="400" height="300" />
By October 2020, the wreckage had deteriorated to the point that the Cork County Council feared that the ship would break apart. The County has requested assistance from other departments of the Irish government in removing the ship. Options including scrapping her, towing her out to sea and scuttling her were considered,<ref name=":1" /> however by early 2022 the hull of ''Alta'' had split in two following a series of storms.<ref>{{cite news |last1= Burke |first1= Róisín |url=https://www.echolive.ie/corknews/arid-40827746.html |work=The Echo |title=Ship washed up in East Cork gives up the ghost |date=13 March 2022 |access-date= 13 March 2022}}</ref> A report announced by the [[Department of Transport (Ireland)|Department of Transport]] and Cork County Council in February 2023 on how to proceed with the ''Alta'' concluded that the risk to the general public had been reduced to medium following mitigation efforts by the authorities and risk to the environment was at acceptable levels.<ref>{{cite web |title=Wreck of 'ghost ship' in east Cork posed an 'unacceptable' risk to members of the public |url=https://www.thejournal.ie/ghost-ship-cork-risk-6168370-Sep2023/ |website=TheJournal.ie |access-date=14 September 2023}}</ref>

As of 2024, there are no plans to remove the wreck, as doing so would put salvagers and the local environment at risk.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-06-19 |title=MV Alta going nowhere fast |url=https://www.corkindependent.com/2024/06/19/mv-alta-going-nowhere-fast/ |access-date=2024-09-10 |website=Cork Independent |language=en-US}}</ref>
<mapframe latitude="51.811578" longitude="-8.0564761" zoom="17" width="400" height="300">{
"type": "FeatureCollection",
"features": [
{
"type": "Feature",
"properties": {},
"geometry": {
"type": "Point",
"coordinates": [ -8.056026, 51.812203 ]
}
}
]
}</mapframe>


==References==
==References==
Line 90: Line 160:
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alta}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alta}}
[[Category:1976 ships]]
[[Category:1976 ships]]
[[Category:Cargo ships]]
[[Category:Cargo ships of Panama]]
[[Category:Merchant ships of Panama]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 2018]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 2018]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 2020]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 2020]]

Latest revision as of 22:37, 10 September 2024

MV Alta aground at Ballycotton, County Cork
History
Name
  • 1976–1990: Tananger
  • 1990–1993: Pomar Murman
  • 1993–2000: Polar Trader
  • 2000–2013: Avantis II
  • 2013–2015: Avantis I
  • 2015–2017: Elias
  • 2017–present: Alta
Port of registryPanama or Tanzania
Launched17 March 1976
Completed1976
Maiden voyage1976
In service1976
Out of service2018
Identification
FateAbandoned in October 2018; currently grounded at Ballycotton, County Cork, Ireland
General characteristics
Tonnage2295 t
Length77.32 m (253 ft 8 in)
Installed powerDiesel
Speed7.2 knots (13.3 km/h; 8.3 mph)
Capacity1640 t DWT

MV Alta is an abandoned merchant vessel currently located in Ireland.[1] Constructed in 1976 with the name Tananger, Alta was abandoned at sea in October 2018 and washed ashore in Ireland in February 2020, where her wreckage remains.

Career

[edit]

Alta was constructed in 1976 as the Tananger, and has had several other names before becoming the Alta in 2017.[1] By 2015, she was equipped with an Automatic Identification System (AIS) which allowed her movements to be tracked. She periodically switched the AIS on and off as she mostly travelled around the Mediterranean Sea. Deactivating the AIS is unusual, as is the numerous name changes the ship had in her later years, which can indicate involvement in illegal activity.[2]

Abandonment

[edit]

In October 2018, the ship was on a voyage from Greece to Haiti. Such a long trip is unusual for a ship of this type and size, which typically stays closer to shorelines.[3] The ship’s engines failed in the Atlantic Ocean, leaving the crew stranded. The United States Coast Guard rescued the crew about 2,200 km (1,400 mi) south-east of Bermuda, and the ship was abandoned.[4]

After her abandonment, the ship's next moves are uncertain. An unverified report suggested that she was towed to Guyana and possibly hijacked, only to be abandoned a second time.[3] Regardless of what happened, the ghost ship was next sighted by HMS Protector in August or September 2019, near Bermuda. After this sighting, she likely continued to drift at very low speeds before eventually arriving in Ireland. However, the AIS was not functioning after her abandonment, making her course uncertain.[2]

Map
Journey of the MV Alva, compiled from reports.

Wreckage

[edit]

On 16 February 2020, the Alta ran aground on the Irish coast near Ballycotton, Cork amid Storm Dennis.[5][6][7] The rare story of a modern day ghost ship, as well as the length of time it spent floating without crew or captain at sea (18 months), caught the global public's imagination and curiosity.[8]

The responsibility of the wreck fell to Irish Minister for the Marine as per the Salvage and Wreck Act 1993, until such time as a receiver of wreck be appointed. Despite efforts to determine the ownership of the ship—so that the Irish state can try to recover costs incurred[9]—as of December 2020 ownership had not been established.[10][11] Although the ship's commercial scrap value is "low," the cost to the Irish exchequer of removing the wreck could exceed €10 million.[12] Alta had previously been the subject of an ownership dispute, with claims she was once hijacked and towed to Guyana, but efforts have been made to establish where she was last registered. Some reports suggest the ship was sailing under a Panamanian flag when her crew were rescued and she was abandoned in October 2018, while other reports suggest she was registered in Tanzania.[6][13] Sixty-two full barrels of oil were ultimately removed from the wreck by helicopter.[14] Afterwards, the ship was sealed off and made inaccessible.

By October 2020, the wreckage had deteriorated to the point that the Cork County Council feared that the ship would break apart. The County has requested assistance from other departments of the Irish government in removing the ship. Options including scrapping her, towing her out to sea and scuttling her were considered,[11] however by early 2022 the hull of Alta had split in two following a series of storms.[15] A report announced by the Department of Transport and Cork County Council in February 2023 on how to proceed with the Alta concluded that the risk to the general public had been reduced to medium following mitigation efforts by the authorities and risk to the environment was at acceptable levels.[16]

As of 2024, there are no plans to remove the wreck, as doing so would put salvagers and the local environment at risk.[17]

Map

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "ALTA: Vessel Details". marinetraffic.com. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  2. ^ a b Burgess, Matt (29 March 2020). "The mysterious final voyage of the Alta, Ireland's doomed ghost ship". Wired UK. ISSN 1357-0978. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
  3. ^ a b Hilliard, Mark. "MV Alta: The unmanned voyage of the Ballycotton 'ghost ship'". The Irish Times. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
  4. ^ Gary Dixon (5 September 2019). "Mystery cargoship found drifting in mid-Atlantic". Trade Winds News. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  5. ^ Roche, Barry (16 February 2020). "Storm Dennis washes abandoned 'ghost ship' onto rocks off Co Cork". Irish Times. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  6. ^ a b "Storm Dennis: 'Ghost ship' washes up on Irish coast". BBC News. 17 February 2020.
  7. ^ Thomas, Cónal (29 March 2020). "Coast Guard warned ghost ship could be 'pilfered' and urged Council to provide security". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  8. ^ "In Ireland, shipwrecked MV Alta ran aground after floating around the world without crew or captain for a YEAR. Authorities are struggling to find out..." outl.it. Retrieved 5 May 2020.[permanent dead link‍]
  9. ^ "Contractor to board Cork 'ghost ship' at low tide tomorrow morning". The Journal. 17 February 2020. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  10. ^ O'Sullivan, Jennie (4 May 2020). "MV Alta could cost €10m to salvage – expert" – via www.rte.ie. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  11. ^ a b Thomas, Cónal (26 December 2020). "Cork Council warns ghost ship could 'break apart' and seeks State solution for shipwreck". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  12. ^ Carroll, Rory (5 May 2020). "Ireland faces bill for millions to remove 'ghost ship' from rocks". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  13. ^ "Storm Dennis sends abandoned cargo ship to Ireland". Marine Industry News. 17 February 2020. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  14. ^ Burke, Róisín (26 February 2020). "Almost 100 oil barrels removed from ghost ship; Council now closing down the wreck". The Echo. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  15. ^ Burke, Róisín (13 March 2022). "Ship washed up in East Cork gives up the ghost". The Echo. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  16. ^ "Wreck of 'ghost ship' in east Cork posed an 'unacceptable' risk to members of the public". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  17. ^ "MV Alta going nowhere fast". Cork Independent. 19 June 2024. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=MV_Alta&oldid=1245082298"