NAS PATHFINDER

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Beached

Beached at Aliaga 04.06.18

Tug had 17 defiencies

The "Nas Pathfinder" which got in distress towing the decommissioned tug "Marechiara" in the Bay of Biscay, had already encountered trouble earlier. The convoy had left Harlingen on Jan 11 and berthed in Dover four days later, due to propulsion problems. Both vessels were destined for dismantling in Messina. In Dover the Maritime Coastguard Agency found that the "Nas Pathfinder" had 17 deficiencies. However, the ships were allowed to sail again on Jan 26. On Fen 8 the convoy was in the Bay of Biscay, 195 nautical miles southwest of Brest, the "Nas Pathfinder" was in bad shape. and the crew of seven requested assistance. The maritime Prefect of the Atlantic deployed tugs to assist and a Falcon 50 to relocate the "Marechiaro" and to be prepared to intervene in case of danger. On Feb 11 the Spanish tug "Sertosa Treinta" (IMO: 9238014) took over to salvage the two tugs, each in turn, and take them to A Coruña. On Feb 12 at 7:30 a.m. the "Nas Pathfinder" was safe in port. The operation was conducted in close cooperation between the French and Spanish maritime authorities. The "Nas Pathfinder" sailed from A Coruña on Apr 30 at 07.23 a.m., bound to Santander.

Tug in distress off Brest

In the early morning of Feb 8, 2018, the CROSS Etel was informed by the MRCC in Madrid that the "Nas Pathfinder" had suffered a steering gear failure 195 nautical miles southwest of Brest. The tug had sailed from Harlingen on Jan 11 bound to Messina and towed the tug "Marechiaro". She had a crew of seven of Polish nationality. Unable to repair the damage at sea, the captain of the "Nas Pathfinder" dropped the towed hull for safety reasons. The emergency tug "Abeille Bourbon" sailed from Brest at 2 p.m. in order to investigate the situation of the tug and the drifting "Marrechiaro" in order to assist the crew if necessary and to ensure maritime safety. A Falcon 50 surveillance aircraft of the French Navy took off in the morning of Feb 9 to relocate the "Puma". The maritime authorities then issued an urgent notice to mariners (AVURNAV). The "Abeille Bourbon" arrived in the area in the morning of Feb 9 and deposited a GPS tracker in the early afternoon. Then she returned to the position of the "Nas Pathfinder". The French maritime authorities remained in permanent contact with the captain of the "Nas Pathfinder", whose owner was assessing the possibility of bringing a Spanish tug to the area. In the late morning of Feb 10, the "VN Sapper" departed from Brest and released the "Abeille Bourbon" at the end of the night which then returned to dock in Brest in the morning of Feb 11. The owner of the "Nas Pathfinder" tasked a Spanish company to take the tug in towe with the "Threinta", based in El Ferrol. She arrived on site in the early afternoon. As soon as a towing connection was established, the convoy headed for the port of A Coruña (Spain), where it arrived in the morning of Feb 12. The "VN Sapper" returned to Brest. Once the "Nas Pathfinder" was secured at the port of A Coruña on Feb 12 at 6.50 a.m., the "Threinta" returned to the area to tow the "Marechiaro". On scene was a wind force of 7 to 8 Beaufort and wave heights of four to six meters. French report with photos: https://www.premar-atlantique.gouv.fr/communiques-presse/assistance-convoi-difficulte-dans-golfe-gascogne.html