AoS helps ship's crew stranded for three months

stranded vessed

The crew of a cargo ship, the Westwind II, have been stranded in an English harbour now for more than three months. On 17 October, the ship ran aground on the north east breakwater of Portland harbour in Dorset, with 11 crew onboard. Portland Harbour despatched tugs to bring the vessel to the port where she was detained by the Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA) for a "significant number of deficiencies". The ship was later arrested by the Admiralty Marshal.

Over the last three months local volunteers of the seafarers' charity Apostleship of the Sea have visited the ship many times. As the crews situation became increasingly precarious not knowing whether the ship would be sold or whether unpaid wages would be met, the Apostleship of the Sea volunteers provided much needed support and continue to do so.

This support ranges from the very practical supply of phone cards and internet access so they can speak to family and loved ones back home to liaising with the MCA and Admiralty Marshal about the ships arrest.

Local port chaplain Roger Stone detailed examples of the local Apostleship of the Sea team's care for the crew when they arranged for the ship's chief engineer to visit a local dentist for treatment and in early December whilw visiting the crew at 6.30 in the morning speedily arranged for an ambulance for a crewmember who had suffered serious burns from a ruptured hot water pipe.

The Apostleship of the Sea team is working with the seafarers' trade union, the ITF to ensure that unpaid crew wages are settled. Roger said: "many partners together with the local Apostleship of the Sea volunteers are providing much support and comfort to the crew, in what in any case is an extremely stressful time, well done to the Apostleship of the Sea Portland volunteers".

For more information on the AoS see: www.apostleshipofthesea.org.uk