On Aug 30, 2024, the 'Caribana Express' has left the port of Castellón and arrived in Vinaròs on Sep 2 after intense efforts made by the Port Authority of Castellón for the removal and transfer of the vessel. A report commissioned by the Maritime Authority by the president of PortCastelló, Rubén Ibáñez, concluded that the ship, which lost its Panamanian flag registry, was in danger of sinking in the port of Castellón with a serious risk to maritime safety and environmental pollution. Based on this report, the president of the Port Authority started all necessary procedures for its removal as a matter of urgency. Thus, he requested the court - through the State Attorney's Office - to authorize its transfer, which establishedthe port of Vinaròs as the most suitable due to the shorter navigation distance and availability of a dock. The 'Caribana Express' had occupied its berth for more than three and a half years. In Dec 2020, the Maritime Captaincy had detained the ship due to serious deficiencies found during a port state inspection due to inadequate maintenance, as well as irregularities in the crew contracts. The ship was initially docked at the Centenario dock, but was later shifted to the the inner Transversal. The commercial court subsequently declared the preventive seizure and immobilization of the ship, which was declared abandoned in Nov 2022. At this time, work was underway to proceed with the auction of the ship. The Port Authority of Castellón is finalising the tender for the auction of the Cvessel. The appraisal carried out last week estimated an approximate value of 700,000 euros. Reports with photos and video: https://castellonplaza.com/adios-a-un-problema-portcastello-traslada-el-buque-caribana-express-tras-cuatro-anos-varado https://www.diariodelpuerto.com/maritimo/portcastello-ultima-las-condiciones-para-la-subasta-del-buque-caribana-express-EL20902446 https://www.castelloninformacion.com/fin-de-una-pesadilla-el-caribana-express-trasladado-al-puerto-de-vinaros/
