Germany Accidental oil tanker towed to Sassnitz
After hours of towing, the tanker "Eventin", which was wrecked in the Baltic Sea north of Rügen, arrived off the town harbor of Sassnitz in the early morning. The unmaneuverable ship was being held in position by two tugboats in a roadstead around five kilometers off the coast, said a spokesman for the Central Command for Maritime Emergencies. A roadstead is an anchorage in front of harbors, for example, where ships can wait.
12.01.2025, 10:02
SDA
The tanker, loaded with around 99,000 tons of oil, is to remain there until a decision has been made on how to proceed. "The CCME assesses the situation as stable," said the spokesperson. The weather has improved.
How strong is the wind?
According to the information, wind force 5 prevailed in the morning - according to the German Weather Service, wind speeds of between 30 and 35 kilometers per hour are expected. The wind should continue to decrease throughout the day. "The chosen position also offers protection from the northerly winds," it said.
It is not yet clear when and where the 274-meter-long tanker with 24 crew members on board will be repaired. It suffered a total systems failure, a so-called blackout, on Friday night. The ship was adrift on the Baltic Sea for hours.
Rescue teams managed to establish towing connections to the "Eventin" on the high seas on Friday afternoon. According to a spokeswoman for the Central Command for Maritime Emergencies, the ship was watertight and there was no danger to the environment.
Change of destination during towing
From early Saturday morning, several tugs initially towed the "Eventin" towards a sea area north-east of Rügen. During the course of the day, the plan was changed and the new destination was the roadstead of the city harbor of Sassnitz. There are numerous wind turbines in the sea near the original destination.
