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MV Eurabia Sun

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History
Netherlands
NameTheron
OwnerKoninklijke Nederlandsche Stoomboot Maatschappij, (KNSM), Amsterdam
Port of registryLloyd's Register of Shipping (LR)
BuilderGebroeders Pot N. V., Bolnes
Yard number942
Launched12 December 1960
History
Lebanon
NameEurabia Sun
NamesakeEurabia Shipping Agency Ltd.
OwnerEurabia Shipping Agency Ltd., Beirut
Acquired1974
General characteristics
Tonnage3840 grt
Length119.5 m (392.1 ft)
Beam14.9 m (48.9 ft)
Draught7.9 m (25.9 ft)
Propulsion
  • 2 x 8 cylinder oil engines
  • 1 screw
Speed16 knots (30 km/h)
Crew28

MV Eurabia Sun, originally named MV Theron, was a 1961 Dutch built cargo ship of the Koninklijke Nederlandsche Stoomboot Maatschappij. From 1974 it was owned by Lebanese Eurabia Shipping Agency Ltd.. On 28 October 1974 while en route from Gdansk, Poland to Tartous the ship sank near Schiermonnikoog, the Netherlands, after the ship tilted due to shifting cargo during a gale. All 28 crew members were rescued.

During a 1975 drugs investigation by the Dutch marine on the wreck, one person was killed.

Ship details

The steel ship measured 119.5 metres (392 ft 1 in) x 14.9 m (48.9 ft) x 7.9 m (25.9 ft). She had a gross tonnage of 3584 GRT and a Net tonnage of 1885 GRT. She was propulsed by 2 stroke single-acting 8 cylinder oil engines with a total of 3600 hp. She had a speed of 16 knots (30 km/h). She had yard number 942 and IMO number 5358725.[1] [2]

History

The ship MV Theron was built by Gebroeders Pot N. V. in Bolnes, the Netherlands for Koninklijke Nederlandsche Stoomboot Maatschappij, (KNSM). She was launched on 12 December 1960 and delivered on 10 May 1961. Her home port was Amsterdam. In 1966 she was lengthened by Boele's Scheepswerven & Machinefabriek NV. between March and May.[2]

In 1974 the ship was acquired by Lebanese company Eurabia Shipping Agency Ltd. and continued sailing under Lebanese flag with home port Beirut. She was renamed into MV Eurabia Sun.[2]

[3]

Fate

In October 1974 she was en route from Gdansk, Poland to Tartous with a cargo of iron, steel sheet and ammonium nitrate under command of Hussein Ali Hussein. During the night of 28 October there was a gale, with wind of Beaufort scale force 8-9. Due to shifting cargo there came a hole in the the ship's hull and the ship started tilting.[3] Captain Houssein Ali Houssein tried to sail to the coast, but failed to do so.[4] The first emergency call received Radio Scheveningen at 3am (local time) when the ship was at the time 10 miles north of Ameland, Netherlands. At 6:30am the captain of the ship called that the engines stopped running and wanted to be rescued because the boat was sinking.[5] The ship sunk at around 9am.[6]

25 of the 28 Syrian and Egyptian people onboard were able to get into rubber boats.[6] 15 people from one rubber boat were picked up by Swedish ship Alabama. The Dutch life boat Gebroeders Luden from Lauwersoog picked up the 10 people in the other boat and took over the 15 people onboard of the Alabama. The people arrived, soaking wet, at around 11:15am at Lauwersoog. The three remaining people onboard of the Eurabia Sun, inclusive the captain, were rescued in the meantime by a helicopter of the Netherlands Naval Aviation Service and brought to Leeuwarden.[7][8][9]


The ship sank 12 miles northwest of Schiermonnikoog, the Netherlands.[3]

Wreck

In February 1975 Royal Netherlands Navy diver Rinus Knol died during an investigation into the double bottom of the ship. Working in the double bottom is described as "dangerous"; because you have to get through tight spaces. According to a sailor involved in the mission, Knol may have come into contact with hazardous substances, because later divers also surfaced more or less unconscious.[10] During this investigation he was connected according to safety regulations to another diver; who surfaced alone.[11]

In the weeks following the navy had set up a large (search) operation with about 20 divers, a helicopter and an airplane.[10] After three week, his body was still not found.[11]

It was said that the operation was too large for only searching for the body. It was said that the Navy was also a drugs investigation, because there were suspicions that the ship was transporting drugs.[10][3] The Navy blown up the deckhouse and wheelhouse.[3]

1980s dives

In the 1980s people made dives to the wreck.[3]

References

  1. ^ "Theron MV (1961~1974) Eurabia Sun MV (+1974)". Wrecksite.
  2. ^ a b c "THERON - ID 6525". Maritiem Historische Databank.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Scheepswrak: EURABIA SUN". Wrakkenmuseum [nl] (in Dutch).
  4. ^ "Bemanning na schipbreuk veilig aan wal in Lauwersoog 'T is alsof we nieuw leven zijn begonnen'". Nieuwsblad van het Noorden (in Dutch). 29 October 1974 – via Delpher.
  5. ^ "Veel schepen in moeilijkheden | Libanees vrachtschip gezonken". De Waarheid (in Dutch). 28 October 1974 – via Delpher.
  6. ^ a b "Storm hield hevig huis". Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). 29 October 1974 – via Delpher.
  7. ^ "Schepen in nood door zware storm". Tubantia (in Dutch). 28 October 1974 – via Delpher.
  8. ^ "Lauwersoog". Leeuwarder Courant (in Dutch). 28 October 1974 – via Delpher.
  9. ^ "De redding komt vaak via de kabel". Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). 9 November 1974 – via Delpher.
  10. ^ a b c "Belangstelling van marine voor Libanees vrachtschip". De Telegraaf (in Dutch). 1 March 1975 – via Delpher.
  11. ^ a b "Speurtocht naar vermiste duiker duurt voort". De Volkskrant (in Dutch). 5 March 1975 – via Delpher.
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