A UAE-based shipowner has been thwarted in its attempt to beach the 'Lord 17' for recycling at Alang by an Iranian port agency that claimed the vessel skipped town without paying its bills. The World Atlantic Shipping obtained an arrest warrant against the ship ahead of its beaching, after claiming that owner Friend Ships owed it $714,000 for unpaid supplies and services it rendered to several of the company’s ships. The 'Lord 17' had previously been arrested in the port of Bandar Abbas, but on March 31 the vessel escaped the detention order by leaving the port. The ship had been subjected to an unpaid crew wages claim while under arrest in Iran. It was alleged that the ship left Bandar Abbas without paying port dues and obtaining a port clearance certificate. The 'Lord 17' turned up off Alang on April 16. The registered owner is Panamanian-registered RWS Shipping and Trading, a company with an address care of Friends Shipping’s office in Dubai.
