Abandoned ship at the Port of Santos faces uncertain future

Since October 2020, the Srakane, of Panamanian flag, has been docked near a shipyard on the Left Bank in Guarujá (Alexsander Ferraz/ AT)

Present in the Baixada Santista for almost four years, since October 2020, the Srakane, of Panamanian flag, continues to face an uncertain future. The vessel is docked near the Wilson Sons shipyard on the Left Bank of the Port of Santos Canal in Guarujá, on land originally owned by the Cooperativa Mista de Pesca Nipo Brasileira.

Two months ago, A Tribuna reported on this story. The team got close to the ship by sea and observed a vessel in poor condition, deteriorated and capsized. Last Tuesday, there was supposed to be a meeting between Captain of Ports Marcus André de Souza e Silva and the Port Authority of Santos (APS) where the Srakane was to be discussed. However, the meeting was canceled, and a new date has yet to be scheduled.

The São Paulo Port Authority (CPSP) continues negotiations with the ship's owner, Vintage Trading SRO, a company based in Slovakia and legally represented in Brazil by the Varea & Dionísio law firm, to mitigate risks arising from the current condition of the Srakane. The company Thurf Comercial was interested in acquiring the hull.

According to CPSP, measures related to the ship, agreed upon in meetings and carried out over the years, included periodic water pumping to ensure stability and maintenance and monitoring of the mooring lines. Emergency repairs were also made to ensure watertightness (to prevent leaks). The Port Authority does not confirm rumors that the vessel will be removed from the location soon but states that it continues to monitor the ship and assures that there are no other vessels in the same state of abandonment at the Port of Santos.

Crew In 2021, the Srakane made headlines due to the difficulties faced by its crew, who were left without water, food, and fuel and were eventually repatriated to their home countries. In May 2021, the vessel had an outstanding debt exceeding \$111,000, equivalent to R\$ 602,000 at that time, due to unpaid crew wages.

On May 22 of this year, a fire drill conducted by the Fire Department, lasting two and a half hours, once again drew attention to the ship. According to the firefighters, all relevant authorities were notified of the exercise, and the activity did not disrupt the routine of the Port of Santos. However, the fire caused alarm among many who thought it was a real incident. “There is no normative impediment issued by CPSP prohibiting the conduct of drills or simulations aboard ships; it is up to the owners or legal representatives to comply with the regulations applicable to each type of activity”, states the Port Authority.

In poor condition The vessel is not in a navigable condition due to structural issues and machinery deficiencies, in addition to lacking a crew, according to the Port Authority.

“It should be noted that since its arrival at the Port of Santos in 2020, the ship had been towed due to a maintenance contract with the shipyard, aimed at addressing discrepancies pointed out by the Brazilian Navy after an inspection by the Delegacia da Capitania dos Portos de São Sebastião”, it explains.

As nothing was resolved, given the absence of a current maintenance contract and the repatriation of the crew, which resulted in the abandonment of the ship, CPSP views it as “a ship out of operation with serious issues of watertightness and stability, thus worrying the Maritime Authority and other Port of Santos authorities due to the risks to navigation safety”.