What Crew Members Say About Maersk-Athabasca

On December 10, 2023, at 0358 LT, the refrigerated cargo vessel West sent out a distress signal from its position at 53 35N 163 22E, approximately 195 nautical miles northeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy and 130 nautical miles southwest of the Komandor Islands in the Northwest Pacific. The vessel, which is contending with treacherous storm conditions, has reported intermittent failures with its steering gear, although it has not sustained any water ingress and is managing to navigate along the waves. In response to the urgent situation, the boxship ZIM Chicago, alongside two nearby fishing vessels, has commenced its journey to provide assistance. Two dedicated salvage vessels also departed Petropavlovsk at 0500 on the same day. The ZIM Chicago is anticipated to reach West by 1000 LT on December 10, making it the nearest support vessel. The reefer West is currently en route from the coastal town of Tilichiki to Petropavlovsk with a crew of ten onboard. As it faces winds from the northwest ranging between 20 to 25 meters per second and a challenging sea state of 6 meters, the air temperature remains a mild plus 2 degrees Celsius, limiting the risk of icing conditions. The West, built in 1990 and registered under IMO 8826723, has a deadweight tonnage of 242. It flies the Russian flag, managed by OOO Vostochnaya Gavan, and owned by OOO Atlantica, both based in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy. For more updates on this situation, visit Maritime Bulletin at http://www.odin.tc.