MV Lyubov Orlova
 Lyubov Orlova seen from Petermann Island.
| |
| Name | list error: <br /> list (help) Lyubovy Orlova (1976–1999) Lyubov Orlova (1999–2013) |
| Owner | Lubov Orlova Shipping Co Ltd, Malta & Novorossiysk |
| Operator | 2012–2013: Neptune Intarnational Shipping |
| Port of registry | list error: <br /> list (help) 1976–1992: Vladivostok,  Soviet Union 1992–1999: Vladivostok, Template:Russia 1999–2013: Avatiu,  Cook Islands |
| Builder | Brodogradiliste 'Titovo', Kraljevica, Yugoslavia (now Croatia) |
| Yard number | 413 |
| Launched | 1975 |
| In service | 1976 |
| Out of service | February 2012, to be broken up[1] |
| Identification | list error: <br /> list (help) Callsign E5U2246 IMO number: 7391434 MMSI number: 518296000 |
| Status | Arrested in Newfoundland, sold to Neptune International Shipping, February 2012, to be broken up[2] |
| General characteristics | |
|---|---|
| Tonnage | 4,251 gross tons |
| Length | 295 ft (90 m) |
| Beam | 53 ft (16 m) |
| Draught | 15 ft (4.6 m) |
| Ice class | L3 |
| Installed power | 5280bhp |
| Propulsion | twin screw |
| Speed | 11 knots |
| Capacity | 110 passengers |
| Crew | 70 (maximum) |
MV Lyubov Orlova (built as Lyubovy Orlova[3]) is a 1976 Yugoslavia-built ice-strengthened Mariya Yermolova class cruise ship. Once known for Antarctic cruises, the ship made headlines after it was abandoned dockside in St. John's, Newfoundland and then became a floating derelict in the North Atlantic Ocean in 2013.[4]
History
Lyubov Orlova was named after the Russian film star Lyubov Orlova. The ship was built for the Far East Shipping Company[5] based in the Soviet Union. She served as an expedition cruise ship, like her equally unlucky sister MV Clipper Adventurer. Her hull was built to withstand impacts with ice, and she often sailed in Antarctica and the Arctic.[6]
Lyubov Orlova was refurbished in 1999, and chartered by Marine Expeditions for cruises to the Antarctic Peninsula in 2000. She underwent extensive renovations in 2002 and was subsequently chartered by Quark Expeditions for the Antarctic[7] and Cruise North Expeditions for the Arctic.
Incidents
Lyubov Orlova ran aground at Deception Island on 27 November 2006.[8] She was towed off by Spanish Navy icebreaker, Las Palmas and made her own way to Ushuaia.
In September 2010, Lyubov Orlova was seized at St John's, Newfoundland due to debts of US$251,000[9] owed to the charterer, Cruise North Expeditions, from a cancelled cruise due to faults with the ship. In addition, the 51 crew members had not been paid in five months.[10] She was arrested in Newfoundland, and sold to Neptune International Shipping, in February 2012, to be broken up[2]
As of January 28, 2013 the Lyubov Orlova, has been drifting slowly eastward off the southeastern end of the Avalon Peninsula in Canada. The derelict vessel had been tied up in St. John's harbour for over two years and was being towed to the Dominican Republic to be scrapped. The tug Charlene Hunt, owned by American tug operator Hunt Marine, was initially contracted to tow the ship south to the Dominican Republic. Just one day after leaving the dock, the tow rope broke. The crew of the tugboat tried unsuccessfully to reconnect the line hampered by 35 kilometers an hour winds and three-metre waves.
On February 1, 2013, Transport Canada announced that the offshore supply vessel, Atlantic Hawk, with a 157 tonne continuous bollard pull rating, had successfully gained control of the drifting ship was no longer a risk to oil and gas operations in the region. Atlantic Hawk was under contract by Husky Energy and was tasked to regain control of the drifting vessel.
As of February 4, 2013, in response to fears of a possible collision with oil and gas installations off eastern Canada, Lyubov Orlova was secured by the Atlantic Hawk anchor handler on the 31st of January however, after the ship drifted into international waters, Transport Canada decided to cut her loose. “The Lyubov Orlova no longer poses a threat to the safety of offshore oil installations, their personnel or the marine environment. The vessel has drifted into international waters and given current patterns and predominant winds, it is very unlikely that the vessel will re-enter waters under Canadian jurisdiction,” the department said in a statement. Safety concerns were cited by Transport Canada in their reason to not pursue a salvage operation to retrieve the ship.
The ship was located on February 4 at approximately 250 nautical miles east of St. John’s, NL (approximately 50 nautical miles outside Canada’s territorial waters) and drifting northeasterly. If left alone she could end up almost anywhere from the Norwegian arctic, to western Africa, or stuck in the middle of the North Atlantic Gyre. Transport Canada reiterates that the owner of the vessel remains responsible for its movements, and measures have been taken to monitor the position of the drifting ship.[11]
References
- ^ Equasis
- ^ Equasis
- ^ Vessel's Details
- ^ Tu Thanh Ha, "Cruise ship without crew abandoned in stormy North Atlantic", The Globe and Mail, Feb. 3 2013
- ^ "Lyubov Orlova". Retrieved 7 May 2011.
- ^ "Lyubov Orlova". Adventure Smith Explorations.
{{cite web}}: Text "accessdate-7 May 2011" ignored (help) - ^ "Lyubov Orlova, Antarctic Peninsula". Last Frontiers. Retrieved 7 May 2011.
- ^ "Cruise Ship MS Lyubov Orlova Runs Aground Needing Rescue In Antarctica". CruiseBruise. Retrieved 7 May 2011.
- ^ Martin Cox (1 October 2010). "Lyubov Orlova Detained — Updated". Maritime Matter: Shipping News. Retrieved 7 May 2011.
- ^ "Dozens of Russians stranded in St. John's". CBC News. 30 September 2010. Retrieved 7 May 2011.
- ^ Russian ghost ship discovered off Ireland AdelaideNow (News Ltd) Accessed 22 February 2013.
External links
