MY Titanic
| Career | |
|---|---|
| Name: |
Toko Maru (1971-1996) Kelso (1996-2009) Titanic (since 2009) |
| Namesake: | RMS Titanic |
| Owner: |
Ministry of Agriculture & Forestry - Fisheries Agency, Japanese Government (1971-1996) Kyoei Kaiun KK, Yokohama (1996) Eurex Ltd/Premier Fishing SA (Pty) Ltd, Cape Town (1996-2005) Ovenstone Agencies Pty Ltd, Cape Town (2005-2009) White Star Line Ltd, Basseterre (since 2009) |
| Port of registry: |
 Tokyo (1971-1996)22x20px Panama (1996-1998) 22x20px Belize (1998-2009) 22x20px Basseterre (since 2009) |
| Builder: | Hayashikane Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd, Nagasaki |
| Yard number: | 800 |
| Launched: | 30 Nov 1970 |
| Completed: | 28 Feb 1971 |
| Identification: |
IMO Number 7338561 Call sign V4LE[1] |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage: | 1,678 GT |
| Displacement: | 1,900 tonnes |
| Length: | 78.64 metres (258 ft 0 in) |
| Beam: | 11.00 metres (36 ft 1 in) |
| Depth: | 8.01 metres (26 ft 3 in) |
| Installed power: | 4 Niigata 6MQG31EZ diesel engines - total 8,000bhp |
| Propulsion: | single screw |
| Speed: | 14 knots [2] |
The motor yacht Titanic is a 1,700 tonne yacht that was formerly the Japanese Government's research/fishing vessel Toko Maru and later Kelso. In March 2010, she developed a leak while sailing in the Caribbean, the rescue was co-ordinated from the United Kingdom.
Description
Originally built in 1971, Titanic is a former research/fishing boat.[3] She is 78.64 metres (258 ft 0 in) long, with a beam of 11.00 metres (36 ft 1 in) and a depth of 8.01 metres (26 ft 3 in). She is powered by four Niigata 6MQG31EZ diesel engines.[4] and displaces 1,900 tonnes.[3] The IMO Number 7338561 is allocated.[5]
History
The ship was built in 1971 by Hayashikane Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd, Nagasaki as Toko Maru. In 1996,[4] she was sold to Premier Fishing, South Africa and renamed Kelso. In 2009, she was sold to Bill Schlagel from California who intended to convert her into a luxury motor yacht, and renamed her Titanic.[6] On 16 August 2009, Titanic visited St Helena where it was discovered that she was not displaying her name. The vessel's name was not on shipping registers either. It was established that the vessel was bona fide.[7] She departed the next day.[6]
Titanic is now owned by White Star Line Ltd.[8] On 31 March 2010,[3] Titanic developed a leak while on a voyage from Grenada to Puerto Rico where she was to undergo a refit. A skeleton crew of three people were on board. Water in the engine room reached a depth exceeding 8 feet (2.44 m).[8] Crew member Mark Corbett used the yacht's satellite phone to call his best friend Alex Evans mobile phone.[3] Evans, a lifeboatman,[8] received the call while in a DIY shop in Aberystwyth, Wales. He took down details including the position of the ship,[3] which was 108 nautical miles (200 km) south east of St Croix,[9] (at 16°17.276′N 63°44.239′W / 16.287933°N 63.737317°W), writing the details on a till receipt. Evans then went to the local RNLI lifeboat station and telephoned the Coastguard at Milford Haven and asked to be put through to the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC) at Falmouth from where the rescue was co-ordinated at a distance of over 4,000 miles (6,400 km).[3]
The MRCC contacted the United States Coast Guard at Portsmouth, Virginia who relayed a message to colleagues at San Juan, Puerto Rico.[9] A French aircraft was sent to search for Titanic.[3] A United States Coast Guard helicopter was despatched from CGAS Borinquem, Puerto Rico.[9] The helicopter landed a salvage pump on board the yacht,[3] which was later taken under tow by Template:USCGC. The tow was later taken over by the tug Mitchel.The yacht was taken to Frederiksted, United States Virgin Islands.[9]
References
- ↑ "Particulars - Ship Name: TITANIC". International Telecommunication Union. http://www.itu.int/online/mms/mars/ship_detail.sh?lang=&1991449&TITANIC. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
- ↑ all ship details checked with Lloyd's Register-Fairplay database 8 Apr 2010
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 "Aberystwyth lifeboat man's DIY store Caribbean rescue". BBC News Online. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/mid/8603276.stm. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Petits Reportages, 17 Fevrier 2010" (in French). Marine Marchande. http://www.marine-marchande.net/Jourlejour2/AujourleJour-234.htm. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
- ↑ "SHIPS INDEX". E-ships. http://e-ships.net/index/T8.shtml. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "2009 shipping news". Tristan da Cunha. http://www.tristandc.com/newsshipping2009.php. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
- ↑ 20090821.pdf "Motor Yacht Titanic". St Helena Herald. 21 August 2009. http://www.news.co.sh/Newspapers/SHH 20090821.pdf. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 "I'm on the Titanic and she's sinking! How sailor was saved by phone call to friend 4,000 miles away in Aberystwyth". Mail Online. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1263922/RNLI-volunteer-saves-life-friend-sinking-Caribbean-disaster--DIY-store-Wales.html. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Smithen, Corless. "Coast Guard rescues crew from Titanic". Virgin Islands Daily News. http://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/index.pl/article_home?id=17645212. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
