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Court: No proof that Solong was sailed deliberately into Stena Immaculate
The British Admiralty Court found that it could not be proven or made plausible that the 'Solong' deliberately allided with the tanker 'Stena Immaculata' on March 10, 2025, off Hull, where the tanker was at anchor. The Solong was operating for Samskip and was en route to Rotterdam. The Swedish owner of the tanker, the Stena AB, and the American charterer Crowley wanted the upper limit of maximum liability to be lifted. According to Article 4 of the 1976 IMO Convention, this would be possible if intent was demonstrated. If that cannot be proven, the upper limit is set at 21 million dollars. Stena and Crowley also wanted to charge for salvage costs, loss of cargo, damage to the ship, lost freight, and crew claims. The amount that would come to was not disclosed, because the primary concern was whether the limitation could be reversed. The judge dismissed Stena and Crowley's assumption that intent had been involved. He called their arguments ‘speculative’ and ‘fantasy’. The plaintiffs had argued that the shipping company's management was aware of the captain's shortcomings and was therefore jointly responsible. They also claimed the ship was not seaworthy. The judge disagreed and ruled that the management of the 'Solong', the MS Solong Schifffahrtsgesellschaft, part of the Hamburg shipping company Ernst Russ AG, could not be held responsible. A court had previously ruled that the captain of the 'Solong' had been seriously negligent. He was alone on the bridge while visibility was limited, without calling in an extra lookout. There was, however, a sailor working on the bow of the ship. The man, the Filipino Mark Angelo Pernia, was engulfed by the fire that erupted after the collision. His body has never been recovered. The 59-year-old Russian captain Vladimir Motin was sentenced to six years in prison in February for death due to gross negligence.
Admiralty Court judge ruled that the owners of the Solong can limit their financial liability
A London Admiralty Court judge has ruled that the owners of the 'Solong' may limit their financial liability for the allision with the 'Stena Immaculate'. In a judgment handed down on May 22, Justice Andrew Baker struck out attempts by the 'Stena Immaculate' interests to break limitation under Article 4 of the 1976 Convention on Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims (LLMC), despite the allision killing the Filipino able seaman Mark Angelo Pernia , igniting a massive fire, and causing extensive damage to both vessels. The core dispute before the Admiralty Court centered on whether the casualty was so reckless that the 'Solong'’s owners should lose the normally protected right to cap damages under the LLMC regime. The owners and operators of the 'Stena Immaculate' argued that dangerous operational practices aboard the 'Solong' may have been known by shore-side management, and that the accident was effectively “a collision waiting to happen.” They sought to invoke Article 4 of the convention, which removes limitation rights where losses result from a shipowner’s intentional misconduct or reckless conduct carried out with knowledge that such losses would probably occur. The judge rejected the argument, finding no realistic factual basis to conclude senior management knowingly allowed the 'Solong' to operate in a manner making such an accident probable. The judge described the defense as “speculative imagination” unsupported by evidence. At the same time, the ruling carried broader legal significance because the court rejected an ultra-narrow interpretation of Article 4 advanced by the 'Solong'’s owners, who had argued that “such loss” under Article 4 should mean the exact loss that occurred — in this case requiring proof management specifically foresaw a collision with the 'Stena Immaculate' itself. Baker sided with a broader interpretation, ruling that “such loss” refers to the general type of loss involved, not the specific vessel ultimately struck. Even under that broader reading, however, the 'Stena Immaculate' interests still failed to establish a viable case for breaking limitation. The LLMC system was intentionally designed to make limitation rights exceptionally difficult to defeat. Citing IMO guidance adopted in 2021, Baker said the convention’s liability shield is intended to be “virtually unbreakable in nature.” The underlying MAIB investigation into the allision was ongoing.
Crew of stricken tanker got Gallant Ship Award
The 23 crew members of the 'Stena Immaculate', now sailing as 'Enersea 1', was awarded the U.S. Maritime Administration’s Gallant Ship Award during the National Maritime Day observances in Washington, D.C., recognising what MARAD described as extraordinary professionalism, courage and seamanship after the allision with the container m/v 'Solong' on March 10, 2025, off the coast of Hull. The award, established in 1944, is presented only in cases of exceptional bravery and seamanship during emergencies at sea and is reserved for rare circumstances, with the last recognition prior to this year occurring in 2019. The 'Stena Immaculate', which was operating under charter to the U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command and enrolled in MARAD’s Tanker Security Program at that time, was struck while carrying more than 220,000 barrels of jet fuel. According to the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch’s interim report, which was released in April 2025, the 'Solong' struck the anchored tanker at approximately 16 knots in patchy visibility conditions near the Humber Estuary. The impact breached one of the tanker’s cargo tanks, igniting a massive fire and ultimately leading to the death of Filipino seafarer Mark Angelo Pernia. Despite the danger, the tanker crew safely evacuated without serious injuries, while also taking critical actions to limit the fire and environmental damage. Crew members activated the vessel’s fire monitors before abandoning ship, helping contain the blaze to a single cargo hold and preventing a far larger spill. “This honor for the crew of the Stena Immaculate underscores the essential role that U.S. mariners play in safely sustaining supply chains and supporting national defense at home and abroad,” said James C. Fowler, executive vice president and division president of Crowley Shipping & Logistics. The accident resulted in criminal proceedings against the master of the 'Solong', Vladimir Motin, a 59-year-old Russian national from St. Petersburg. In February 2026, Motin was found guilty of gross negligence manslaughter following a three-week trial and sentenced to six years in prison. Prosecutors said that the anchored 'Stena Immaculate' had been visible on radar for 36 minutes before the impact, yet Motin failed to take action to avoid the allision. The 'Stena Immaculate', after having been berthed in Great Yarmouth from April 11, 2025 until Oct 20, was repaired in Tuzla from Oct 21 until March 26, 2026, and then resumed operating as 'Enersea 1'. The burnt-out 'Solong' was found to be beyond economical repair and broken up at Galloo in Ghent since Aug 13, 2025. Report with photos: https://gcaptain.com/stena-immaculate-crew-honored-with-gallant-ship-award-following-deadly-tanker-collision/
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