MV Hephaestus was a steel-built tanker with a tonnage of 595 GRT. It was 61.33 m (201.2 ft) long, with a beam of 7.93 m (26.0 ft). It had one 6 cylinder Ruston Stafford 6 CSRKM 4 Stroke diesel engine with a single shaft and one screw. The vessel's power was 410 kW (550 hp) and it had a speed of 11 kn (20 km/h; 13 mph).[3]
Career
The vessel was built in 1965 by Broderna Jonssons Torrdocka (Kallansdso Varv AB) in Linköping, Sweden. By 2018, it was owned by the Orbiter Navigation Corp. and managed by Volont Maritime S.A.[1] It was registered in Lomé, Togo.[3]
2018 grounding
At the time of the 2018 grounding, the Hephaestus was commanded by Bangladeshi captain Joynal Abedin.[4] The other crew members were from Bangladesh, Russia and Egypt.[1] The vessel had been at sea for about four months, and from January 2018 it had been anchored at Is-Sikka l-Bajda off Qawra, Malta while there was a dispute relating to payment of crew's wages.[4][5]
Qawra Point, near which the vessel was grounded in February 2018
On the morning of 10 February 2018, the vessel was caught in a severe storm with rough seas.[6] At about 05.30, Abedin attempted to sail the vessel into a sheltered area, but the crew lost control within minutes and the vessel was beached on a rocky coastline in an area known as Fra Ben, close to the Qawra Tower. After informing authorities of the accident, all seven crew members disembarked the vessel using a rope ladder, and Abedin was treated for a minor[1] shoulder injury at Mater Dei Hospital.[4]
The vessel was not carrying any cargo at the time of its grounding.[5] A minor diesel leak was reported on 17 February, but authorities reported that the wreck's risk of pollution was low.[7] The Marine Safety Investigation Unit of Transport Malta launched an investigation into the accident and published its findings in a report.[1] The ship's crew were accommodated at the Seafarers' Centre in Floriana before leaving Malta on 27 February.[8]
In the months after the grounding, the Hephaestus shipwreck became a popular photo backdrop for Maltese and foreign social media users.[9] Recovery operations were carried out by Cassar Ship Repair Ltd., which plugged in holes within the ship's hull before pulling it out to sea using tugboats and hydraulic jacks on 15 August 2018. It was successfully towed to Cassar's facility in Marsa,[10] but the vessel's owners deemed that repairing the damage would be too costly.[9]
2022 scuttling
Scuttling.
By 2019, the Professional Diving Schools Association of Malta, Gozo and Comino (PDSA) made plans to scuttle the Hephaestus off Qala, Gozo as a diving attraction.[9] Prior to scuttling, some of the vessel's equipment was removed and efforts were made to clean it of pollutants.[11]
The wreck is located approximately 30 m (98 ft) off the Xatt l-Aħmar coast,[11] resting upright[13] on a sandy seabed at a depth of about 46 m (151 ft).[3] It is close to wrecks of the MV Karwela, MV Xlendi and MV Cominoland, which were previously also deliberately scuttled as diving attractions.[11]
Notes
^Official documents generally use the prefix "MT" or "M/T" (for Motor tanker) when referring to the Hephaestus,[1][2] but the prefix "MV" (for Motor vessel) is sometimes also used.[2][3]
MT Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania MT-LB Pascal/MT+ Mt. San Antonio College Mt. Gox .mt MT Framework MT-55 Mt Xinu Renault MT Mt. Scott Park Roland MT-32 MT Højgaard IBM MT/ST Mt. Egypt MT-Propeller Mt Eden (musical artist) MT-ND4 Casio MT-40 Mt. Angel, Oregon MT-ND3 MT-ND2 Yamaha MT-09 Mt. Lebanon station MT-ND1 Mt. Joy (band) MT-ND4L Mt. Hood Community College Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra Mt. SAC Relays Yamaha MT series MT-ND6 RotorSport UK MT-03 Mt. Zion (film) Mt. Helium Yamaha MT-07 Mt. San Jacinto College Mt Gravatt Hawks FC MT-ATP6 Mt Kenya United F.C. Grevillea lanigera 'Mt Tambo…
ritha' Mt. Olivet Baptist Church Mt. Royal/MICA station MT-ATP8 Mt. Sterling Essex MT Pegasi MT-USA MT-TV Mt. Fuji Records Mt. Lebanon School District Mt. Edgecumbe High School Mt. Spokane High School Dederang-Mt Beauty Football Club Mt. Scott-Arleta, Portland, Oregon Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park Mt. Baker Ski Area MT-12 Tenjō-Yama Park Mt. Kachi Kachi Ropeway MT-class minesweeper MT-TV (band) Mt. Gilead Christian Church Kaplan MT / Harimau Mt. Harlan AVA Trainguard MT Mt. Hope High School MT-CYB MT Phoenix (1974) Mt. Olympus, Los Angeles Mt. Ararat High School Mt. Broderick Pullman Car Mt Hagen Eagles Mt. Moriah Masonic Lodge No. 155 MT-TT MT-TW MT-TH Mt. Sinai Baptist Church MT-TR MT-TG Mt-SNP MT Princess Empress oil spill MtPaint Victorian Railways MT type carriage Mt. Healthy City School District Board of Education v. Doyle Mt. Shasta Brewing Company Mt. Elgon Constituency MT-TN MT-TI MT-TA MT-TQ Mt. Beacon Fire Observation Tower MT-TY MT-TF MT-TL2 Mt. Angel School District MT explosive motorboat Mt. Washington station MT-TL1 Mt. Angel Pioneer Cemetery Anderson v. Mt. Clemens Pottery Co. MT-Energie MT-ND5 MT-TE AutoGyro MT-03 MT-TM MT-TP Mt. Vernon Township High School (Illi
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