MT Phoenix (1974)

The MT Phoenix is an 18 000 tonne 164 meter long bulk freighter which went aground in heavy seas at Sheffield Beach just north of Ballito near Durban, South Africa on the morning of 26 July 2011. The vessel was owned by Suhair Khan of Dubai or Marika Investments, Lagos, Nigeria.

The Phoenix was at anchor off KwaZulu-Natal, in terms of a court order, when it was hit by a storm. On the evening of 25 July the vessel started dragging her anchor and drifting to shore. The salvage tug Smit Amandla, which was still in the area after having towed the Phoenix, attempted to reconnect the tow, but the effort was abandoned because of high seas, with waves of 4-6 meters and winds gusting to 30 knots. The following morning the vessel grounded some 200 meters from shore, just off a tourist beach. The NSRI arranged for the despatch of a helicopter from South African Air Force 15 Squadron based at Durban and the Indian skeleton crew of 15 were airlifted to safety. Failed attempts were made by the Smit Amandla to refloat the vessel. A second tug, the Smit Siyanda, was despatched to the scene. Some 400 cubic metres of diesel fuel on board was pumped to containers on shore.

Three weeks earlier the vessel, under way to India to be scrapped, suffered engine failure and almost drifted ashore near the Eastern Cape town of Hamburg. The salvage tug Smit Amandla had been despatched to tow it to Durban. The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) contacted the owners who initially undertook to charter a tug to replace the Smit Amandla and complete the voyage to India. When communications broke down, SAMSA applied for a court order for the detention, seizure and sale of the uninsured vessel. The court order was granted on 22 July, but its complete execution was delayed by further red tape when South Africa's chief harbour master, Rufus Lekala, refused to allow the tanker to berth in Durban. During this delay the weather deteriorated considerably in the area where the Phoenix lay at anchor, in compliance with the order.

The clean-up operation of leaked diesel fuel and oil has thus far cost R10-million and could run to R200-million, a bill which South African taxpayers are expected to foot.

• IMO number : 7359503
• Name of ship : MT PHOENIX
• Call Sign : 5IM294
• MMSI : 677019400
• Gross tonnage : 18029
• DWT : 29999
• Type of ship : Oil Products Tanker
• Year of construction : 1977 Kvaerner Masa Yards Turku Turku, Finland
• Flag : Tanzania (since 01-12-2009)