Russian Master Drunk While in Command
Late on Jan. 7, ABP notified the Maritime & Coastguard Agency via Solent Coastguard after concerns were raised that a vessel Balu C was not being managed correctly on its passage into a berth at the port. The Master of the Balu C, Valery Semenov, was breathalysed by the Police upon arrival into Southampton Port, and he was found to have 94 microgrammes (mg) in 100 millilitres of breath. In the case of breath, 35 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres is the legal limit. Therefore Semenov, a 52 year old Russian national was nearly three times that legal limit. The Balu C is a 2008 built general cargo ship registered in Antigua and Barbuda. Her deadweight tonnage (carrying capacity) is 8,045 tonnes. She was on passage from Amsterdam to Southampton with a cargo of grain with a crew of 12.
Queen Elizabeth 2 Grouding
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) surveyors from the Southampton Marine Office have completed a full inspection of the Queen Elizabeth 2 liner after its Nov. 11 grounding near the Brambles sand bank in the Solent, and they have given the all clear for the ship to continue on its final journey. At 05.30 on Nov. 11 the crew of the 70,000 gross tons ship reported to Solent Coastguard that they feared she may have run aground two nautical miles north west of Cowes whilst en route into Southampton.
Solent CG Deals with Listing Rock Barge
Solent Coastguard are assisting the captain and crew of a tug and its rock barge after the barge deposited its entire load into the water ½ mile off Bonchurch , Isle of Wight this afternoon. The Coastguard began their communication with the captain of the tug this afternoon at just before 3.00 pm. The barge had begun to list, resulting in the whole of its cargo of industrial machinery, 1,000 tons of rock and a large number of railway sleepers being deposited into the sea on the south west side of the Isle of Wight. Solent Coastguard requested Ventnor Coastguard Rescue Team to attend and the Bembridge all weather lifeboat was launched. The Coastguard helicopter India Juliet was diverted from other duties, but was released when it became clear that all the crew were safe onboard the tug.
