Smarta Vessel Reviews and Specifications

A distressing incident unfolded on December 4, 2019, when a skipper couple in Nieuwegein found themselves in grave danger after being exposed to high levels of toxic gas within the cargo hold of their vessel, the 'Fox' (IMO: 02313718). The couple was airlifted by fire brigade personnel from the ship, where they had been in contact with phosphine, a potent rodenticide, for several hours. Initial assessments revealed that the concentration of phosphine in the cargo hold reached a staggering 15 parts per million (ppm), significantly exceeding the acceptable safety threshold of 0.2 ppm. Following the incident, both skippers were admitted to a local hospital's intensive care unit. The wife’s condition deteriorated, necessitating her transfer to the University Medical Center Utrecht, where she was placed in a medically induced coma. The cargo hold contained sunflower meal pellets, utilized as animal feed, which had been treated with chemicals for pest control. The 'Fox' had received this shipment from the cargo vessel 'Smarta', which had docked in Amsterdam after transporting the feed from Yuzhniy on November 27. Authorities from Rijkswaterstaat and the SZW Inspectorate initiated an investigation into the event, tracing and alerting additional vessels that had taken on cargo from the 'Smarta'. Safety measures resulted in five ships being barred from sailing pending the outcome of inspections. Following the incident, the 'Smarta' continued its journey to Riga, departing Amsterdam on December 4, with an estimated arrival date of December 10. The vessel later encountered mechanical issues off the coast of Malta on May 18, 2020, leading to long-term repairs conducted by technical teams in Chornomorsk starting June 1.

On April 15, a critical medical emergency unfolded onboard the vessel 'Smarta' as a 58-year-old crew member required urgent hospitalization. The situation prompted the crew to alert the Elefsina Port Authority for assistance. Following the call for help, the 'Nikalaos M,' a ship from Lantza, swiftly arrived on the scene to undertake the medical evacuation. The injured crew member was successfully transferred to the port of Elefsina, where an ambulance was on standby. He was then promptly taken to the General Hospital of Elefsina for essential medical treatment, ensuring his immediate needs were addressed.