MT Phoenix (1974)
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The MT Phoenix is a 164 meter long bulk freighter which went aground in heavy seas just north of Ballito near Durban, South Africa on the morning of 26 July 2011.
The Phoenix was on tow by a salvage tug of the company Smit Amandla Marine when it encountered stormy seas off KwaZulu-Natal, causing it to drop anchor and cast off the towline. On the evening of 25 July the Phoenix started dragging her anchor and drifting to shore. The salvage tug attempted to reconnect the tow, but the effort was abandoned because of high seas, with waves of 4-6 meters and winds gusting to 30 knots. The vessel grounded some 200 meters from shore. The NSRI arranged for the despatch of three helicopters from South African Air Force 15 Squadron based at Durban and the skeleton crew of 15 were airlifted to safety. Failed attempts were made by Smit Amandla Marine to refloat the vessel. [1][2]
Three weeks earlier the vessel, under way to India to be scrapped, had almost run aground near the Eastern Cape town of Hamburg and had been taken on tow by the tug Smit Amandla. The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) contacted the owners who initially undertook to charter a tug to replace the Smit Amandla and complete the voyage to India. When communications broke down, SAMSA applied for a court order for the detention, seizure and sale of the vessel. The order was granted on 22 July but its execution was delayed by further red tape. During this delay the weather deteriorated considerably.