What Crew Members Say About Sea-Eagle

On December 11, 2019, at approximately 10:30 PM, the bulk carrier 'Sea Eagle' encountered trouble and ran aground on the Seine River. The grounding occurred between Port-Jérôme-sur-Seine and Rives-en-Seine, specifically at the Saint-Maurice d'Etelan area, positioning the vessel at coordinates 49° 26.59' N 000° 38.32' E. The tug 'Capitaine Louis Thomas' was engaged to assist in refloating the ship but was unsuccessful in the initial attempts. The following morning, on December 12, at 7:00 AM, a second tug named 'Penfret’ from Rouen joined the salvage efforts. The 'Sea Eagle', which was on route to the port of Rouen carrying a cargo of fertilizer from Ashdod, had previously made a stop in La Rochelle (La Pallice) and presented a draft of 8.86 meters at the wharf in Petit-Couronne. By midday on December 12, three additional tugs, including 'Capitaine Jean Thomas', 'VB 16 Tornade', and 'RMT Penfret', along with the service boat 'Lalonde', had joined the scene. The first refloat attempt started at 10:15 AM; however, it did not succeed as tidal conditions were not favorable. The operation was postponed until nightfall for another attempt with the rising tide. Reports indicated that the vessel was stable on a sandy, flat seabed, which offered some hope for recovery. At 7:15 PM, the tug 'VB Octeville 11' (IMO: 9393709) departed from Le Havre to assist further, collaborating with 'VB St. Adresse 25' (IMO: 9202742). Sadly, two additional refloat attempts on the same day were unsuccessful. Finally, on December 13, at 10:00 AM, a successful refloat operation was executed, allowing 'Sea Eagle' to resume its journey to Rouen. The bulk carrier proceeded with the support of tugs 'RMT Penfret' (IMO: 9502702) and 'TSM Loch' (MMSI: 227464770), with an estimated arrival time of 2:00 PM. Following the incident, 'Sea Eagle' set sail again on December 19 at 11:30 AM, heading for Amsterdam, with an expected arrival time of December 20 at 6:00 PM. For further details and images of the incident, refer to these French reports: [Paris Normandie](https://www.paris-normandie.fr/actualites/faits-divers/en-images-un-navire-en-route-vers-rouen-s-echoue-en-seine-pres-de-port-jerome-MA16076921), [France 3 Regions](https://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/normandie/seine-maritime/navire-echoue-amont-port-jerome-seine-76-1761851.html), and others.