MV Alta

MV Alta is an abandoned merchant vessel currently located in Ireland.[2] Constructed in 1976 with the name Tananger, Alta was abandoned at sea in October 2018 and washed ashore in Ireland in February 2020, where its wreckage remains.

MV Alta aground at Ballyandreen, Co. Cork
History
Name:
  • 2017-: Alta
  • 2015-2017: Elias
  • 2013-2015: Avantis I
  • 2000-2013: Avantis II
  • 1993-2000: Polar Trader
  • 1990-1993: Pomar Murman
  • 1976-1990: Tananger[1]
Port of registry: Panama or Tanzania
Launched: 17 March 1976
Identification:
Fate: Abandoned in October 2018; currently grounded at Ballycotton, County Cork, Ireland
General characteristics
Tonnage: 2295 t
Length: 77.32 m (253 ft 8 in)
Installed power: Diesel
Speed: 7.2 knots (13.3 km/h; 8.3 mph)
Capacity: 1640 t DWT

Career

MV Alta was constructed in 1976 as the Tananger, and has had several other names before becoming the Alta in 2017.[2] By 2015, the ship was equipped with an Automatic Identification System (AIS) which allows its movements to be tracked. The ship periodically switched the AIS on and off as it mostly travelled around the Mediterranean Sea. Deactivating the AIS is unusual, as is the numerous name changes the ship had in its later years, which sometimes can indicate involvement in illegal activity.[3]

Abandonment

In October 2018, the ship was on a voyage from Greece to Haiti. Such a long trip is unusual for a ship of this type and size, which typically stays closer to shorelines.[4] The ships engines failed in the Atlantic Ocean, leaving the crew stranded. The US Coast Guard rescued the crew about 2,200 km (1,400 mi) south-east of Bermuda, and the ship was abandoned.[5]

After its abandonment, the ship's next moves are uncertain. An unverified report suggested that it was towed to Guyana and possibly hijacked, only to be abandoned a second time.[4] Regardless of what happened, the ghost ship was next sighted by HMS Protector, in August or September of 2019, near Bermuda. After this sighting, it likely continued to drift at very low speeds before eventually arriving in Ireland. However, the AIS was not functioning after its abandonment, making its course uncertain.[3]

Wreckage

On 16 February 2020, the Alta ran aground on the Irish coast near Ballycotton, Cork amid Storm Dennis.[6][7][8] The rare story of a modern day ghost ship, as well as the length of time it spent floating without crew or captain at sea (18 months), caught the global public's imagination and curiosity.[9]

The responsibility of the wreck fell to Irish Minister for the Marine as per the Salvage and Wreck Act 1993, until a receiver of wreck is appointed. Despite efforts to determine the ownership of the ship—so that the Irish state can try to recover costs incurred[10]—as of December 2020 ownership had not been established.[11][12] Although the ship's commercial scrap value is "low," the cost to the Irish exchequer of removing the wreck could exceed €10 million.[13] Alta had previously been the subject of an ownership dispute, with claims it was once hijacked and towed to Guyana, but efforts have been made to establish where it was last registered. Some reports suggest the ship was sailing under a Panamanian flag when its crew were rescued and it was abandoned in October 2018, while other reports suggest it was registered in Tanzania.[7][14] Sixty-two full barrels of oil were ultimately removed from the wreck by helicopter.[15] Afterwards, the ship was sealed off and made inaccessible.

By October of 2020, the wreckage had deteriorated to the point that the Cork County Council feared that the ship would break apart. The County has requested assistance from other departments of the Irish government in removing the ship. Three options are under consideration for the wreckage: to leave the ship in place, to tow it out to sea and let it sink, or to dismantle and scrap it.[12]

References
  1. "M/S Tananger - Sjøhistorie". www.sjohistorie.no. Retrieved 2020-02-17.
  2. "ALTA: Vessel Details". marinetraffic.com. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  3. Burgess, Matt (2020-03-29). "The mysterious final voyage of the Alta, Ireland's doomed ghost ship". Wired UK. ISSN 1357-0978. Retrieved 2020-12-30.
  4. Hilliard, Mark. "MV Alta: The unmanned voyage of the Ballycotton 'ghost ship'". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2020-12-30.
  5. Gary Dixon (5 September 2019). "Mystery cargoship found drifting in mid-Atlantic". Trade Winds News. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  6. Roche, Barry (16 February 2020). "Storm Dennis washes abandoned 'ghost ship' onto rocks off Co Cork". Irish Times. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  7. "Storm Dennis: 'Ghost ship' washes up on Irish coast". BBC News. 17 February 2020.
  8. Thomas, Cónal (29 March 2020). "Coast Guard warned ghost ship could be 'pilfered' and urged Council to provide security". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  9. "In Ireland, shipwrecked MV Alta ran aground after floating around the world without crew or captain for a YEAR. Authorities are struggling to find out..." outl.it. Retrieved 2020-05-05.
  10. "Contractor to board Cork 'ghost ship' at low tide tomorrow morning". The Journal. 17 February 2020. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  11. O'Sullivan, Jennie (May 4, 2020). "MV Alta could cost €10m to salvage - expert" – via www.rte.ie. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  12. Thomas, Cónal. "Cork Council warns ghost ship could 'break apart' and seeks State solution for shipwreck". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 2020-12-29.
  13. Carroll, Rory (5 May 2020). "Ireland faces bill for millions to remove 'ghost ship' from rocks". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  14. "Storm Dennis sends abandoned cargo ship to Ireland". Marine Industry News. 17 February 2020. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  15. Burke, Róisín (26 February 2020). "Almost 100 oil barrels removed from ghost ship; Council now closing down the wreck". The Echo. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
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