On December 19th, the chemical tanker Cape Bon suffered a glitch which started a fire in an electrical panel. The ship was adrift in a busy shipping lane and was reportedly carrying a cargo of 32,200 tons of flammable liquid, a potentially dangerous cargo, and officials wanted a swift resolution.
The incident occurred when the ship was making a transit of the English Channel. The loss of the control caused the ship’s service power to be knocked out and unable to be maneuvered.
The ship raised a distress call and a French intervention tug Abeille Languedoc departed from Boulogne-sur-Mer was dispatched to the scene. Additionally, a French Navy helicopter was also sent to the scene to carry an evaluation and intervention team, and after a thorough inspection, they determined that she should be towed to an anchorage.
The French maritime authorities ordered the vessel’s owner to make commercial arrangements for a tug. On Tuesday, the Bon’s owners contracted with Multraship for the services of the towing vessel Multratug 20. A helicopter rescued personnel from the Abeille Languedoc and the Coastal Maritime Safety Vessel (VCSM) Scheldt to supervise the towing operation. By afternoon, the Bon was under tow, escorted by the Languedoc and the Scheldt. The ship is currently anchored off Calais. Authorities said that after an evaluation she will be taken into the port of Dunkirk for repairs.
The 2003-built Bon has no record of port state control detentions within the past ten years, but her most recent inspection found two fire safety deficiencies, one for fire dampers and one for means of escape.
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Source: Préfecture maritime de la Manche et de la mer du Nord
