After a saga lasting more than a month, a stricken damaged ship full of potentially explosive cargo has finally left Kent’s shores.
Ruby – a Maltese-owned and registered vessel – has been at an anchorage point about 15 miles off Margate since September 25 awaiting repairs having suffered damage during bad weather shortly after leaving Russia in August.
She is carrying about 20,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, a chemical used in agricultural fertiliser, that can explode if mistreated or mishandled but is relatively safe if uncontaminated and stored properly.
But the ship has now moved away from the Kent coast after being accepted into a port in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, where she and the crew arrived at about 7am this morning.
There, its potentially dangerous cargo will be unloaded onto a different ship allowing the Ruby to be taken to dry dock for her required maintenance.
Serenity Ship Management, which is managing Ruby’s movements, has assured the load “poses no risk to the surrounding area in its present state”.
Ammonium nitrate is a fertiliser which caused a huge explosion in Beruit in 2020, killing 218 people, after it was stored incorrectly.
Ruby – which sailed from Russia – is thought to be carrying seven times the amount which ignited in the blast in the Lebanese capital four years ago.
A spokesperson for Serenity Ship Management said: “We are pleased to report an agreement has been reached with Peel Ports Group to take the Ruby into Great Yarmouth port to complete a transhipment of the vessel’s cargo of ammonium nitrate.
“The vessel is scheduled to enter Great Yarmouth port whereby she will go alongside to unload the packages of ammonium nitrate, which will immediately be transferred onto another vessel following which both vessels will depart from the port.
“The vessel’s cargo poses no risk to the surrounding area in its present state.
“The owners and managers of the Ruby would like to take this opportunity to thank the UK authorities for their support throughout the vessel’s stay in UK territorial waters, while we express gratitude to Peel Ports Group for accommodating our request to complete a transhipment at Great Yarmouth.”
The boat suffered damage to its hull, rudder and propellor after leaving the Russian port of Kandalaksha on August 22.
The ship was temporarily repaired in Norway on September 5, and classed as seaworthy again, but needed a permanent fix and had to be escorted by a tug at all times.
Before Great Yarmouth’s acceptance, no ports had been willing to grant her passage into the harbour and no agreement had been made to transfer the cargo to other ships to allow Ruby to carry on sailing.
She was reportedly initially headed for Africa until running into difficulties, leaving her stricken off the Kent coast.
Last week, Herne Bay and Sandwich MP Sir Roger Gale (Con) reassured constituents that the vessel “poses no risk”.
Some reports initially referred to the bulk carrier being Russian-owned – but it is owned by a Maltese firm and sails under the island nation’s flag.
