© Yangon PoliceThe freighter Sam Ratulangi PB 1600 was last seen offshore Taiwan in 2009
After nearly a decade lost at sea the Sam Ratulangi PB 1600, finally ran aground on a sandbar approximately seven miles (11km) off the coast of Thama Seitta village of this week.
The fishermen boarded and inspected the ship after reporting it to local authorities. Teams from the navy, coast guard and police all subsequently searched the abandoned freighter which reportedly measures an impressive 177.35 meters in length, 27.91 meters in width and weighs 26,510 tons.
"No crew or cargo was found on the ship. It was quite puzzling how such a big ship turned up in our waters," Ne Win Yangon, local MP for the nearby Thongwa municipality said, as cited by the Myanmar Times. "The authorities are keeping a watch on it."
The ship is reported to have sailed under the flag of Indonesia and was last spotted off Taiwan in 2009. When the Burmese Navy inspected the ship on August 30, it had split in half having been beached on a sand bar for several days.
"In my opinion, the ship was recently abandoned. There must be a reason (why it was abandoned)," Aung Kyaw Linn, general secretary of the Independent Federation of Myanmar Seafarers said.
The Myanmar Department of Marine Administration is attempting to track down the ship's owner but may be forced to salvage the vessel itself, reports The Irrawaddy.
Reader Comments
Container ship SAM RATULANGI was reported aground some 7 nm off Thongwa, Gulf of Mataban, Myanmar, on Aug 30, wrote The Irrawaddy. According to Myanmar Maritime Authorities, the ship ran aground 3 days earlier, on Aug 27. The ship is derelict, there’s no cargo, also. Officials believe she was under tow and broke off towline. She was already unmanned when under tow, or crew abandoned her after towage failure. Latest available AIS records dated 2009. Most probably she was under tow to break yard. "don't you hate it when people post comments but never put in their sources.
The location of te disappearance AND the re-show fit, as does the era, also. It was Probably called BlackBush* Site #1984 and parked off Diego Garcia.
The fact tney can't track the owner/ownership history likewise fits.
Agree.anyone?
R.C.
I am happy to say that DM's site, The Center for an Informed America, (home of Laurel Canyon series; Wag the Moondoggie, some of the earliest 9/11 calls of BS, et al are still there), is back up and running, at [Link] ; last link try: [Link]
D.M. R.I.P.
R.C.