Coastguard prepared for ghost ship scare

Friday 24 January 2014

An abandoned ship containing a horde of cannibal rats drifting across the Atlantic is unlikely to hit the Channel Islands, say the coastguard.

The Lyubov Orlova, a former Soviet cruise ship, has been drifting out of control in the Atlantic for almost a year. Reports in the national media suggest emergency beacons were activated aboard the 4,250-ton liner last year, and there are fears she could be about to hit the Cornish coast.

But Jersey Coastguard say there is no likelihood whatsoever that it will reach the Island.

The story comes just days after States Members called for investment to attract cruise ships to the Island.

Assistant Harbourmaster Captain Peter Moore said he doesn’t believe the Yugoslavian-built Lyubov Orlova will enter our waters anytime soon, but he said that if it does it will be picked up on the Coastguard’s radar and the harbour tug, the Duke of Normandie, which would be capable of attaching a line, would be sent out.

Captain Moore said because of the Island’s position, it would be much more likely to be picked up by the French Coastguard first.

The last official sighting of the liner was in Canadian waters in April last year.

The Lyubov Orlova used to sail to the Arctic and Antartica. It ran aground in 2006 and was due to be scrapped last year. It was heading from New Foundland to the Dominican Republic when the tow rope broke in rough seas.