What Crew Members Say About Bonita

On June 20, 2025, at 05:20 a.m., the cargo vessel 'Bonita' issued a distress call after experiencing an engine failure five nautical miles north of Guernsey. Unable to resolve the issue while at sea, the crew called for assistance. A French emergency tugboat was promptly dispatched from Cherbourg, followed by additional support from another tug based on the southern coast of England. The rescue operation culminated in the successful towing of the 'Bonita' to St Peter Port harbour, where it safely arrived on June 21 at 03:15 a.m. The vessel dropped anchor in position 49° 28' N and 002° 31' W. At the time of the incident, the 'Bonita' was transporting a load of sand from Terneuzen bound for St Sampson's, Guernsey. As of June 24, the ship remains stationary at the harbor. Thankfully, there were no injuries reported, and no pollution was linked to the incident.

In a concerning maritime incident, the freighter 'Bonita' was involved in a collision with the self-propelled tank barge 'Noordereiland' (665 ts, EU-No.: 03270717) on the night of February 13, 2020, just one day after the vessel had departed Rotterdam following repairs for grounding damage. The collision occurred at the Houtrib lock in Lelystad when the 'Bonita' entered the lock but was unable to reverse its engine in time, striking the tanker that was navigating from Amsterdam. The force of the impact also resulted in significant damage to the lock gate itself. Fortunately, there were no injuries reported in this incident. As a precautionary measure, both vessels were prohibited from sailing by the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) pending an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash. Preliminary assessments suggest that a defect in the 'Bonita' may have led to the mishap. The 'Noordereiland' made its way to a berth near the Princess-Beatrix-Locks in Nieuwegein on February 15, while the freighter 'Bonita' departed Lelystad on February 20 at 7:35 a.m., heading toward Grimsby with an estimated time of arrival set for February 21 at 1 p.m. The 'Noordereiland' resumed its operations the following day, February 16, and was reported to be docked in Gertruidenberg. For additional coverage including photographs of the incident, check out the Dutch reports linked below: [Destentor](https://www.destentor.nl/lelystad/botsing-tussen-tanker-en-zeehandelsschip-in-sluis-bij-lelystad~a99df8ab/), [Transport Online](https://www.transport-online.nl/site/112007/aanvaring-twee-binnenvaartschepen-bij-houtribsluis-foto/), [Omroep Flevoland](https://www.omroepflevoland.nl/nieuws/178356/schepen-in-botsing-bij-houtribsluis), [Ship Spotting](http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=3117862).

On June 25 at 6 p.m., the maritime saga of the 'Bonita' reached a turning point as the vessel was finally dislodged from the rocky embrace of the Lurö archipelago, where it had grounded over a week earlier. Following successful efforts, the ship was towed to Hällekis port, situated north of Lidköping in Västergötland, arriving at 7:55 p.m. Throughout the day, crews worked diligently to lighten the cargo of animal feed while simultaneously pumping in ballast to ensure the ship's stability during the towing operation. Once the cargo holds were cleared, the ballast was subsequently removed, allowing 'Bonita' to float freely again. Despite sustaining hull damage, the vessel was able to navigate safely across Vänern, with onboard pumps managing water ingress effectively. Swedish authorities collaborated closely with the ship's owner and concerned insurance companies to formulate a plan moving forward. In the meantime, the Swedish Transport Agency has implemented a sailing ban on the vessel. 'Bonita' arrived in Rotterdam on July 4, where it has remained at the Bolnes site since then. For further details, viewers can access Swedish reports featuring photos and videos: https://www.svt.se/nyheter/lokalt/varmland/bargningen-av-grundstott-fartyg-har-startat and https://www.svt.se/nyheter/lokalt/varmland/fartyget-bonita-har-bogserats.