Tuesday, August 07, 2012 -
10:29:00 PM -
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August 8: MSC Flaminia and salvage tugs still don’t show up in the area of stable AIS signal monitoring, though they should reach the area during August 7 (see the map). They hang around somewhere in the Atlantic without any plausible explanation from NSB and MSC about the situation and the circumstances. Are they looking for another storm, or what? NSB latest press-release was dated August 6.
Last week I was able to find out about the containers of one of the shippers, according to the information from MSC office containers were safe, being stocked in Hold 2 area. Yesterday August 7 shipper called me and said MSC informed him one of the containers was destroyed. What actually happened to his containers, whether they’re all safe, or only one was destroyed, is still unclear. He was calling MSC offices, regional and head-quarters, for weeks, like many other shippers, but his calls were answered only yesterday.
Why MSC Flaminia is stubbornly kept in the Atlantic, what is the reason? Are the authorities of coastal states rejecting the shelter? It was understood that the plan was to tow MSC Flaminia into UK waters. What happened, do UK authorities prohibit shelter fearing disaster? If that’s the case, at least we have a right to know, that if a distressed vessel happens to be in the Atlantic near EU waters, it’s better and cheaper not to meddle with the salvage, but just sink her while she’s in the ocean, and save the trouble.
But MSC Flaminia is still afloat, so what is it UK or other states are afraid of? MSC Flaminia could be in a safe place by July 30. There are only two possible explanations for MSC Flaminia strange salvage operation – either UK or other EU states reject the shelter, or MSC and NSB are too busy trying to cover the losses, they just need time and privacy and don’t want any angry shippers around. The Atlantic seems to be the perfect choice, then.
Voytenko Mikhail
All the relevant data and photos are published on a page http://www.odin.tc/2012/mscflaminiaen.asp
