Spanish Authorities Chase Tug That Attempted to Sneak Away from Detention

The captain of the port of Las Palmas and the Maritime Authority in the Canary Islands reported that they had to chase down a tugboat, which was towing an offshore supply boat, when the tug decided to depart despite being under a detention order since December. The tug named Sylvia M ended up breaking down once again and having to be towed back to port, and is now facing the potential of a hefty fine.

The Maritime Authority reports the tug and its tow were detected on Monday, March 2, at 1915 local time outbound leaving through the mouth of the harbor. They did not have a pilot aboard, and the vessel had not yet completed an inspection to lift the prior detention order. Further, it was attempting to go to sea in what the officials termed a severe storm.

The port’s control center contacted the tug and ordered it to return to port, but the order was ignored. They said the tug refused to cooperate. At that point, the patrol boat Rio Ara and a tug were sent to chase after the departing tug and tow.

The Sylvia M had caused a previous incident on December 3 when it requested assistance while it was about three miles offshore. The 149 gross ton tug registeredi n Tanzania was towing the offshore service vessel K-Marine IV. The tug reported that one of its engines was not working and that its other engine was at half capacity. Further, it said it did not have enough fuel.

A rescue boat was able to secure a new towline to the K-Marine IV and ordered the tug to cut its towline. The Sylvia M was escorted to a berth in Las Palmas. A port state inspection identified issues, including that its towing winch was inoperative. A detention order was imposed. Recently, the Spanish authorities said the flag representative had informed them that repairs were completed and the vessel was properly certified. However, it had not yet been inspected, and the detention remained in place.

After sneaking away on March 2, the tug soon began experiencing propulsion and steering problems. The authorities reported the rescue tug they dispatched was able to bring the ship back to port at around 0330 on March 3.

A sanction case has now been opened against the wayward tugboat. The Maritime Authority reports they are facing potential fines of up to €180,000 (US$209,000). The tug, of course, is also under a detention order, again.