Chinese-Owned Bulker Driven Ashore Near Russian Resort on the Baltic

cargo ship aground — Cargo ship was driven ashore in the Baltic during a strong storm

Russians near the city of Kaliningrad on the Baltic were rushing to the beaches over the weekend to view a large cargo ship that had been driven aground during a fierce storm. Officials were even posting directions on how best to reach the ship as the tourist crowds grew.

According to the report, the Bahamas-flagged general cargo ship Sunny Faith (17,221 dwt) was holding off Kaliningrad on a trip from Skikda, Algeria. The officials said they believed the crew misjudged the strength and direction of the hurricane-force winds as a storm moved through the area on Friday, October 9.

There was no distress call from the vessel, but instead residents found the vessel firmly aground near the tourist town of Yantarny. The vessel, which is 130 meters (426 feet) in length, had a crew of 19 aboard. It is listed as being Chinese-owned and managed.

Winds across the region reportedly reached 60 mph during the storm. In addition to the cargo ship, the officials were reporting that a jack-up platform had broken free and was adrift in the high surf.

The Marine Rescue Service contacted Sunny Faith, and the captain said they did not need to evacuate. He said the conditions were fine, and they would contact the authorities if they required assistance. They were awaiting the storm and high seas to calm down so that tugs could begin to explore pulling the vessel off the shoreline.

There were limited concerns about pollution, according to the officials. They reported the ship was on a ballast voyage. They said there appears to be no hull damage or breaches.

The Northwest Transport Prosecutor’s Office, however, said it was launching a preliminary investigation into the vessel’s grounding.