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Grounding on Charente

The "Fluvius Taw" ran aground on the Charente off Soubise on July 25, 2019, at 10:40 p.m. while sailing towards the open sea. The vessel had set sail from Tonnay-Charente at 9 p.m. and approached the passage of Soubise at the normal speed aof 5 to 6 knots. The ship was loaded with cereals loaded at the commercial port of Tonnay-Charente. The water level was very low, and the vessel got stuck on the left river bank. On July 26 at 10.15 a.m. a maneuver was started to refloat the ship while the tide was rising, creating favorable conditions for this operation which succeeded in the late foremidday assisted by two tugs. The ship sailed downstream and reached the exit of the estuary of Charente at 12.30 p.m. The authorities gave him the green light to sail to Aveiro, the next stop, with an ETA as of July 29. The grounding could have been caused by a lack of effectiveness of the rudder caused by the load balance. The vessel was moving slightly nose down, which would have resulted in slightly raising the rear and reduce the effectiveness of the rudder. It had taken the ship one hour to cover the distance between Tonnay-Charente and Rochefort, while half an hour would have been normal, penalized by this problem of the rudder. French report with photos: https://www.sudouest.fr/2019/07/26/charente-maritime-un-cargo-s-echoue-sur-la-charente-une-course-contre-la-montre-engagee-6383219-1621.php

Drunk chief sacked for drinking and flown home

A Russian sailor found drunk in charge of the engine room of the "Fluvius Taw" has been given a 12-month conditional discharge. The 55 year old chief engineer Mikhail Irusglotov was discovered heavily over the limit twice in three days while the vessel was sailing in Belfast Lough, both on and off duty. He was to be sacked for the maritime offences and flown home to Russia. But a judge declined to impose a fine on him after being told it would result in him being imprisoned through having no money to pay it. He faced counts of being a professional master of a ship and having excess alcohol while on duty and off. Police were first called on Mar 28, 2014, after the captain of the "Fluvius Taw" found him drunk on board. The ship, with a crew of eight, was moored in Belfast Lough after transporting coal to Kilroot power station when a loss of engine revolutions was detected. Irusglotov was the only engineer working at the time. He was brought to court on Mar 29 before being released on bail to return again on Mar 31. But he was arrested for breaching those conditions on Mar 29 after failing another breath-test. Although Irusglotov was off duty at the time, the captain believed he was too drunk to perform his tasks if required. A prosecution lawyer said his actions had allegedly put the ship at risk. The Defence solicitor confirmed the sailor has lost his job over his drunkenness. He urged the District judge not to impose a fine, arguing that it would lead to his client being imprisoned. All wages owed to him are to be used to pay for his flight back to Russia and onward journey to his remote region. His employment was terminated. The vessel left Belfast on Mar 30 bound for Wicklow.