Greece Orders Owner to Remove Wreck After Grounded Cargo Ship Sinks

 

Greek authorities are investigating the circumstances of a cargo ship that sank off Crete on August 19 nearly a month after the vessel grounded and while a salvage operation was underway, The MN Kostas (5,800 dwt) however has been declared a shipwreck and maritime hazard with the Hellenic Coast Guard reporting the owner has been informed and ordered to remove the hulk.

Pictures from the site show the 106-meter (348-foot) vessel’s bow and forward section protruding from the water. The Hellenic Coast Guard termed it a “vertical sinking to the starboard side,” reporting the vessel went under during the morning hours of August 19.

Salvage operations had been underway for most of the month after the vessel grounded on July 24, approximately 3 nautical miles west of the northeastern tip of Crete. The vessel had loaded a cargo of gypsum in the port of Sitia on Crete and departed that evening bound for Lebanon. Built in 1994, the vessel was registered in Sierra Leone and had a crew of 14 aboard who were rescued and brought to shore by fishing boats and the port authority.

The captain and watch officer of the MN Kostas were being investigated for causing a shipwreck and failing to avoid collisions, which in this case was the reef. The authorities stated that the reef was marked on navigation charts.

 

The forward section of the vessel is protruding out of the water (Hellenic Coast Guard)

 

A local salvage company, Seagate, was retained after the grounding. It reports that 37 tons of diesel fuel were removed along with other potential pollutants, including lubricants and paints. They had also brought in a crane and a second ship and offloaded most of the gypsum cargo before the vessel sank. The Coast Guard reports ventilation and other opening had been sealed during the salvage operation.

Earlier this year, the same ship was cited for charges of failing to pay its crew, with the International Labour Organization reporting the crew was due nearly $18,500 in pay. It said the crew had only received half pay for four months, but that the situation was corrected. The vessel was managed by a shipping company based in Crete.