After the ship Julietta D went adrift on January 31, the Dutch authorities detained the captain and chief mate, questioning their actions for leaving the vessel.
The Coastguard of the Netherlands responded to a call received from the bulker requesting assistance, with a spokesperson telling local media that the Coastguard in those situations does not question the captain’s judgment that there is an emergency.
The bulker reported that its anchor chain had parted causing the vessel to hit an anchored chemical tanker creating a small hole in the hull.
As a result, the ship was drifting out of control in the storm where winds were gusting up to 75 mph and the seas were running 16 to 20 feet.
Two Dutch helicopters along with lifeboats were deployed, also requesting assistance from the Belgian Coast Guard. A little later they managed to locate the bulker between 15 and 20 miles off the coast.
An airlift removed the 18 crew members including the captain and chief mate from the vessel.
However, the police detained the captain and chief mate as part of an investigation. As the authorities report, the captain and mate should have remained aboard the vessel for as long as possible and only left if there was imminent danger.
Now, they are both being investigated for prematurely abandoning the vessel that could then have gone aground on the Dutch coast.
The investigation will also examine the damage caused by the bulker when it hit the foundation for a transformer in the under construction Hollande Kust Zud wind farm.
After the incident, four salvors from Boskalis’ salvage division, SMIT Salvage, were airlifted onto the Julietta D by helicopter and were able to secure a towline to prevent the vessel from going aground.
A second tug also attempted to make a towing connection, but that was not possible due to the very rough conditions.
A second large Boskalis tug, loaded with salvage equipment and additional personnel, was also sent to the bulker and was able to secure a second towing connection.
The tugs then brought the Julietta D to Rotterdam as the wind reduced and the waves were lower.
