Tug Christos XXII towing a hull from Emden to Turkey, got a hole and is sinking off Hope's Nose, off Torbay. Vessel slowed down to a near stop at around 21:30 UTC Jan 14 2013 to check the towline, and was struck by the hull she was towing.
8 crew tried to patch the hole, or the gash some 40 cm long, with wooden pegs, but failed and issued distress call. Crew was rescued by a rescue boat, either Exmouth or Torbay.
Tug is reportedly still afloat, rescuers are trying to at least prevent her sinking so close to the shore, as the tug has some 200 mt of fuel on board, threatening the coast with possible pollution. It’s not clear and explained yet why the tug changed her course before the accident, and headed for British coast. Maybe because of fouling weather?
Bron Vesseltracker.com via Joost Zaal
UPDATE
Tug hit by towed former German training ship,
both vessels threatened to sink
An attempt to save the "Christos XXII" from sinking off Tor Bay was under way early on Jan 14, 2013.
The Torbay lifeboat had been at the scene late in the night along with the Exmouth lifeboat and HMS "Severn" and HMS "Lancaster" along with a rescue helicopter´, and concerted efforts were made to pump water out of the stricken ship. The main danger was an environmental one, as the "Christos XXII" contained about 200 tonnes of diesel oil. The tug had been abandoned just before midnight and had been expected to sink in shallow water just off Hopes Nose within an hour. The Brixham Coastguard co-ordinated the efforts to save the tug. Torbay lifeboat's on-scene commander had called for all non-essential crew to be taken off the tug, and two men were taken ashore to Walls Hill at Babbacombe by the Navy helicopter.
There were fears at one stage that the tug might have had to be beached at Torre Abbey or Broadsands. But the tug "Brent" was brought alongside with stronger pumps, and water levels inside the "Christos XXII" were finally said to be falling. The intention was to tow the tug away. The Torbay lifeboat took eight crew members back to the Brixham RNLI boathouse. The "Christos XXII", which had been towing the former German training vessel "Emsstrom", 1716 gt (IMO: 6922705), first to Aliaga, later up the Channel, had been struck by the vessel on Jan 13 at around 7 p.m., causing a large gash in its hull. The tug slowed and was then hit by the following vessel, which was also said to be sinking just before midnight. The "Christos XXII" was taking in water faster than it could be pumped out, and the crew of the Torbay lifeboat took pumps from HMS "Lancaster" on to the tug in choppy seas in an effort to clear the water. Conditions below decks on the tug were such that the lifeboat volunteers had to don breathing apparatus.
At around 11 p.m. the crewmen were airlifted off the "Christos XXII", which was said to be listing heavily. Half a dozen crewmen from HMS "Lancaster" were on board trying to pump water out, along with three remaining Christos crew members and two members of the Torbay lifeboat crew. At 11.45 p.m. the order was given for the tug to be abandoned, and there were also reports that the "Emsstrom" was going down. The ship, being no longer attached to the "Christos XXII", was further out to sea than the tug. The Exmouth lifeboat kept watch on the vessel. The tug was reported to have had around 200 tonnes of diesel on board. An inflatable boom was being used to contain any pollution.
At 7.20 a.m. said RNLI and Royal Navy vessels had now left the scene. The water level on the "Christos XXII" was continuing to fall. The "Emsstrom" had been berthed in Leer since 1997 until being sold to breakers and left the port on Jan 9, accompanied by some difficulties as the tugs "Ems Pull" and "Ems Tug" had to pull the ship over several mud buckles. The "Emsstrom" was listing to starboard signicicantly when being pulled to Emden on Jan 10.
By 9 p.m. the tow left the port with Harlingen as first destination on its way to the Turkey. In the evening of Jan 13 the course was altered towards the British coast
Bron Vesseltracker.com via Joost Zaal
12 december 2012 in de Maasmond
CHRISTOS XXII
Bouwjaar 1972, imonummer 7230135, grt 545
Eigenaar Christos XXII Spanopoulos Tugs Maritime Co., Griekenland
Werf N.V. Scheepswerven v/h H.H. Bodewes / 702
Vermogen 6.000 pk, snelheid 14,0 knoop
Eerst:
1972 / SMIT ENTERPRISE
Smit Enterprise N.V., Willemstad Smit Int. (Antilles) N.V.
1983 / Smit Colombo
Smit Int. South East Asia Pte Ltd., Nassau
1992 / Banckert
Eigenaar: Bergingsbedrijf van den Akker B.V., Nassau
1996 / BANCKERT
B.V. Bergings- & Transportbedrijf van den Akker, Vlissingen
2000 / BANCKERT
Smit Union Coastal Towage B.V., Vlissingen
7 juli 2003 thuishaven veranderd Antwerpen
Augustus 2010 verkocht, herdoopt CHRISTOS XXII
© Leo Varekamp - Rozenburg
2e UPDATE
Stricken tug stable, Emsstrom picked up on sea
After the "Christos XXII" got in distress. the RNLI Torbay all-weather lifeboat and the Exmouth all-weather lifeboat were sent to the scene, along with a local harbour tug from Brixham, the Royal Navy vessels HMS "Lancaster" and HMS "Severn", the RAF search and rescue helicopter from Chivenor and the Torbay Coastguard Rescue Team.
It had been feared the tug would go down but latest reports indicate the tug "Brent" has come alongside and pumps had stabilized the stricken vessel. The master and the master and chief engineer of the "Christos XXII" already returned to the scene on one of the Royal Navy vessels to attempt a salvage. Six of the 8 crew of the Christos ertr taken off by the Torbay lifeboat and taken to Brixham. The Exmouth lifeboat stood by to monitor the situation. Zhe Emegerncy Coxswain, went into the engine room to investigate the damage but, even with two pumps running, the "Christos XXII" was still making water and in danger of sinking.
Additional pumps were transferred by the nearby HMS "Lancaster", but still the water level was rising. The crew of the "Lancaster" was then able to plug the leak by effecting a temporary repair using wooden wedges, reducing the ingress of water by some 60%. Meanwhile the towed "Emstrom" had been cast adrift and was picked up later by the local tug "MTS Vulcan". The helicopter from RNAS Chivenor was also on scene and stood by at Walls Hill, Torquay in case it was needed. With the crew safely off and on board the lifeboat, the focus then moved to saving the ship and reducing the pollution threat, from the 200 tons of diesel oil on board.
The Dutch salvage tug "Brent" arrived on scene at approximately 1.30 a.m. on Jan 14, being equipped with more powerful pumps and managed to start reducing the water level within the ship. By daybreak, the "Brent" was confident that she could keep the "Christos XXII" afloat to allow for underwater welders to apply a patch on the 35-cm-breach in the hull of the tug. The Exmouth lifeboat picked up its equipment and returned to their station just before 4 a.m.
Bron Vesseltracker.com via Joost Zaal
Eerder gezien als BANCKERT
inkomend Nieuwe Waterweg bij Rozenburg
© Bob van Raad, Zeist
