The Eems-Carrier: Crew Feedback and Vessel Data

In a significant legal action concerning maritime safety, a Russian captain has been penalized after his vessel, the 'Eems Carrier', ran aground while he was intoxicated. The incident took place on February 21 off the coast of Langeland. On June 19, the court in Svendborg reached a conviction, imposing a fine of DKK 20,000 and revoking the captain’s maritime license for a year. The 49-year-old captain managed to free the vessel from the ground after it ran aground, but he was subsequently instructed to anchor the ship until a thorough assessment of the hull for any damages and leaks could be conducted. Following this, he was taken to the police station in Odense, where a subsequent blood test verified the presence of alcohol in his system, ultimately leading to his conviction for drunk sailing.

On February 21, 2019, at 9:35 p.m., the cargo vessel 'Eems Carrier', sailing from Vigeroe to Liepaja, ran aground near Spodsbjerg on Langeland, Denmark. The ship's 49-year-old Russian captain initially managed to free the vessel but was later instructed to drop anchor. After contacting the Funen police, authorities suspected the captain was under the influence of alcohol. The following morning, on February 22, he was taken to a police station in Odense for questioning, aided by an interpreter. Preliminary assessments revealed his blood alcohol content exceeded the legal limit of 0.5 per thousand, although the results of his blood test were still pending. As a result of sailing under the influence, the captain faced charges for violating the Maritime Act, with potential outcomes including release, administrative deportation, or detention, depending on his previous offenses. Fortunately, there were no indications that the 'Eems Carrier' was leaking any cargo. In response to the grounding, the Armed Forces Operation Center dispatched an environmental ship to the area. Once the captain regained control of the situation, the 'Eems Carrier' was directed to Nakskov, where it docked at berth 2 at 2:15 p.m. on February 22. After completing investigations, the vessel resumed its journey to Liepaja on February 23, departing at 2:45 p.m. with an estimated arrival on February 25 at 4 p.m. For more details, you can view the Danish report with video coverage here: https://www.tv2fyn.dk/artikel/beruset-kaptajn-sejlede-fragtskib-paa-grund-ved-spodsbjerg.