Belomorye

The 'Belomorye', which has been moored in Freifjorden since Nov 24, has been given a date for departure. The ship had suffered steering problems and went adrift in the Norwegian Sea. Following accusations of espionage in Eemshaven, the freezer ship has been banned from Dutch ports. The police have carried out a border check on the vessel as a standard procedure because they have passed the Schengen outer border. As of Dec 10, the ship remained anchored in pos. 63° 01' N 007° 49' E.

The 'Belmorye', loaded with 1,950 tonnes of frozen fish, encountered steering problems and began to drift approximately 100 nautical miles northwest of the island of Frøya on the evening of Nov 24, 2024, amid stormy winds and high seas. When it turned out that the crew was unable to solve the problem, they contacted the maritime traffic center of the Norwegian Coastal Administration in Vardø and asked for assistance. The MTC in Vardø contacted the ship's Norwegian agent and the Norwegian insurance company, Skuld, to find a vessel that could assist. On the evening of Nov 25, the shipowner contracted the Bukser og Berging to take the ship in tow. The Norwegian Coastal Administration, in cooperation with the Norwegian Defense Forces, has referred the vessel to a suitable anchoring position at Kristiansund. On Nov 27 at 9.15 a.m. a towing connection was established with the tug 'BB Coaster'. The weather conditions were good and the towage got ahead at a speed of 7-8 knots. The Norwegian Coastal Administration's pilot went on board at 8.30 p.m. to bring the vessel to the assigned anchorage point. The ship was safely anchored in Freifjorden at Kristiansund at 11.50 p.m. it will remain at the anchoragefor a week, awaiting another towing vessel which will take the cargo ship to Kaliningrad for permanent repairs to the rudder defect.