Lost for more than a year, a ghost ship ends up in Ireland

Funny gift from Storm Dennis: An unmanned Tanzanian ghost ship that has drifted for more than a year has grounded on the south coast of Ireland, the Irish coast guard said on Monday (February 17th). The MV Alta, a 77-meter freighter, ran aground on Sunday near the village of Ballycotton, near Cork, the country's second city, arousing the curiosity of passers-by.

The heady winds of Storm Dennis, which hit Ireland on Saturday and Sunday, ended his long solo trip, which began in September 2018 in southeast Bermuda.

While en route from Greece to Haiti, the boat was immobilized in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, more than 2,220 kilometers south-east of the British archipelago. The ten crew members had to wait twenty days on board before being rescued by the American coast guard. At the time, the coast guards said they were working closely with the owner of the vessel, under the Tanzanian flag, to organize its towing to the coast.

But the course of the boat is then more blurred: the maritime information site Fleetmon claims to have received an alleged correspondence from the owner of the Alta, indicating that his boat had been hijacked twice, while it was being repatriated.

The 44-year-old ship was then spotted by a British Royal Navy vessel in August 2019, sailing unmanned in the middle of the Atlantic. " We approached the ship to make contact and offer our help, but no one responded, " HMS Protector said on Twitter.

Storm Dennis, whipping Ireland with heavy rain and winds over 110 km / h, finally got the better of his lonely wanderings.

The Irish coast guard said that a rescue helicopter had been dispatched on Sunday, but that no crew member had been found on board.

No sign of pollution was also detected around the ship, said Cork County Council on Monday, adding that someone would go on board Tuesday morning during low tide for further examination .

" Consultations are continuing between the Irish Coast Guard, the County Council of Cork and other bodies competent to decide on the future of the wreck, " the council added in a statement.