Guess she will just become part of the great garbage patch..
From the Irishtimes.com
An abandoned Russian
cruise ship, drifting in the sea with no crew or warning lights, has turned up off the
west coast of
Ireland.
The MV Lyubov Orlova – once used by the Soviet Union for polar cruises and expeditions - was being towed from
Canada to a scrapyard in the
Caribbean in January when a cable snapped setting it adrift in international waters.
At the time, the Canadian authorities said it was decided not to pursue the drifting vessel as there are no people aboard the ship and there was a serious concern for the
safety of Canadian sailors involved in the
salvage operation, given the
weather and dangerous sea conditions.
Transport
Canada later claimed the ship was no longer Canada's responsibility because it had drifted out of the country's jurisdictional waters.
A week or so later on February 1st, the derelict vessel was intercepted by the Atlantic Hawk, a supply craft used by the Canadian energy firm Husky Energy, only to be cut loose once again in response to fears of a possible
collision.
Following this incident, Transport Canada insisted the vessel no longer posed a threat to "the
safety of
offshore oil installations, their personnel or the
marine environment".
“The vessel has drifted into international waters and given
current patterns and predominant winds, it is very unlikely that the vessel will re-enter waters under Canadian jurisdiction,” it said.
A week or so later on February 1st, the derelict vessel was intercepted by the Atlantic Hawk, a supply craft used by the Canadian energy firm Husky Energy, only to be cut loose once again in response to fears of a possible collision.
Following this incident, Transport Canada insisted the vessel no longer posed a threat to "the safety of
offshore oil installations, their personnel or the
marine environment".
“The vessel has drifted into international waters and given
current patterns and predominant winds, it is very unlikely that the vessel will re-enter waters under Canadian jurisdiction,” it said.
However, earlier this week, maritime officials admitted they did not know the location of the ship as its global positioning system was no longer functioning. Since then there have been conflicting reports as to the ship whereabouts.
That was until* a document from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency obtained by the AFP news agency yesterday said the Lyubov Orlova had now been spotted about 1,300 nautical miles from the Irish coast.
The ice-strengthened ship - named after the Soviet star of the same name – was built in 1976 by the Russian-based Far East
Shipping Company.
She served as an expedition
cruise ship before being abandoned dockside in St John’s,
Newfoundland.