Did the Abandoned 'Ghost Ship' Finally Sink?

[Jason]

After months of drifting across the North Atlantic, a luckless, abandoned cruise ship spotted drifting off the coast of Ireland may have finally sunk beneath the waves.

The Lyubov Orlova, a 328-foot-long (100 meters) vessel named after a Russian screen siren from the 1930s, was built in 1976 and chartered for expeditions to polar waters.

But after the ship was abandoned in 2010 in Newfoundland, Canada, the Lyubov Orlova was sold for scrap to an outfit in the Dominican Republic, Phys.org reports.

While the ship was being towed to its Caribbean destination in January 2013, the towline snapped in rough seas and the crew was unable to reconnect the line, leaving the ship to drift eastward across the Atlantic Ocean.

With no crew, no warning lights and no GPS system, the ship appeared doomed. But in February, the ship was spotted by the Atlantic Hawk, an oil industry supply ship, which managed to attach a towline.

Transport Canada, however, ordered the Atlantic Hawk to release the vessel since it was by then in international waters and no longer under Canadian jurisdiction.

Months passed with no sign of the Lyubov Orlova until it was spotted by the U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, a Defense Department mapping service, drifting some 1,300 nautical miles (2,400 kilometers) west of the Irish coast, Gizmodo reports.

The ship hasn't been seen in months, and some speculate it may have finally sunk.

The star-crossed ship hasn't had an easy life: In 2006, it ran aground off Antarctica and had to be towed to safety by a Spanish icebreaker.

The Lyubov Orlova was seized in St. John's, Newfoundland, in 2010 because of a financial dispute between the ship's Russian owners and a charter company. The crew, bereft with no pay and nothing to eat, were forced to rely on food donations from Canadians for several months before returning to Russia.

A French environmental organization, Robin du Bois, labeled the Lyubov Orlova an imminent threat to health and safety.

"In case of a collision or sinking or any accident, the Lyubov Orlova will immediately release fuel … other toxic liquids, asbestos ... mercury and other non-degradable floating waste," the group declared in a statement.

The Irish Coastguard received a signal in March from the emergency position-indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) of the Lyubov Orlova. An EPIRB is activated when it contacts water, the Irish Examiner reports.

By Marc Lallanilla, Life's Little Mysteries Assistant Editor, LiveScience.com

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[Sarge6870]

I think the main thing that causes me concern is the statement, "A French environmental organization, Robin du Bois, labeled the Lyubov Orlova an imminent threat to health and safety."In case of a collision or sinking or any accident, the Lyubov Orlova will immediately release fuel … other toxic liquids, asbestos ... mercury and other non-degradable floating waste," the group declared in a statement.". Why was this vessel allowed by the International community to be adrift for so long without any monitoring? The fact that it had been re-secured in International waters THEN ordered by the Canadian government to release the tow is inexcusable. Somewhere along the line, someone should have stepped up and took control of the drifting vessel especially when it presented a danger to other vessels at sea. Now, if the vessel did sink as reported, all that fuel and the toxins aboard are now in the sea endangering sealife. Funny how you hear nothing from the mass media about this especially since it has been an ongoing issue. Media seems to be concerned about how cruising is going to kill you!!!!

[WeCruiseToo]

I’m afraid it probably comes down to money. In international waters it seems that no one is forced to be responsible for it. Consequently, nobody is willing to face the expense (and potential danger) with no chance to recoup that investment. It’s sad, but doing things “for the good of the world” seems to happen less and less…

[JohnG]

Also strange, because whoever had secured it with a tow would have salvage rights to ownership of the vessel, as I understand it. They could have then sold it for scrap.