Delphinus

Actually, the empty cargo ship anchored directly east of Fort Lauderdale Beach Park over the last three months is formally "under arrest" by the U.S. Marshal Service and must remain trapped there — with its 11-member crew on board — until it can be sold at auction Aug. 11. The M/V Delphinus, flagged in Antigua and Barbuda, is clearly visible from the heart of Fort Lauderdale's beachside resort area. But unlike the nearly 1,700 container ships that travel in and out of Port Everglades each year, this one has no containers to pick up and no destination on its manifest. The ship's last cargo was offloaded just before it was seized April 23 because of a financial dispute between its owner and the company that chartered it, Afco Shipping Line LLC, according to Alan Swimmer, president of National Maritime Services Inc., which has custody of the ship under agreement with the federal government. After the arrest, the ship's owner surrendered the vessel to the custodian, who is keeping the ship operational while its sale is pursued in a process similar to a bankruptcy. On Thursday and Friday, the non-profit Seafarers House, which provides aid and comfort to mariners in distress, sent a boat to pick up crew members who had not stepped foot on dry land since the April arrest. More at http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/fl-ship-under-arrest-anchored-in-ocean-20160728-story.html

The "Delphinus" suffered engine failure on Feb 20, 2016, in the Yucatan Channel, while en route from Santo Tomas de Castilla, Guatemala, to Port Everglades in Florida. In the morning of Feb 24 the vessel was anchored in Yucatan Channel, some 35 nm west of Cuba’s westernmost tip with the working to fix the propulsion problems and to restart the main engine. A salvage tug is on standby in case of weather spoils. It was expected the vessel would resume sailing within 1-2 days The crew reported local authorities about engine failure and inspection was to be held in the next port.

6 months charter, trading Caribbean, Crowley