The R/V Odyssey Explorer was a salvage and recovery vessel owned by Odyssey Marine Exploration. It was sold in 2016 and renamed Empire Persia by the Latvian business conglomerate which purchased the vessel.[5]
 R/V Odyssey Explorer (front) and the RFA Argus, Falmouth, England
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | Farnella, later Northern Prince |
| Owner | Farnella Ltd., later Northern Prince Ltd.[2] |
| Builder | Clelands Shipbuilding Co., Ltd.[2] |
| Yard number | 572 |
| Launched | December 2, 1971[3] |
| Completed | April 24, 1972 |
| Renamed | April 1, 1994 |
| Homeport | Hull |
| Identification |
|
| Notes | Use: Stern Trawler, Deep-sea freight transport |
 Bahamas | |
| Name | Odyssey Explorer |
| Owner | Odyssey Retriever Inc.[2] (Odyssey Marine Exploration) |
| Operator | Marr Vessel Management Ltd.[2] |
| Acquired | August 7, 2003[1] |
| Homeport | Nassau, Bahamas |
| Identification | Call sign 3EGK2 |
| Status | Scrapped in Esbjerg, 2024 |
| Notes | Use: Rescue/Salvage Ship |
 Panama | |
| Name | Empire Persia |
| Owner | Risdon Beazley Marine Ltd |
| Port of registry | Panama |
| Acquired | 2016 |
| Identification | Call sign: 3EGK2 |
| Notes | Use: Offshore supply ship |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage | |
| Length | |
| Beam | 12.65 m (41.5 ft) |
| Draft | 8.11 m (26.6 ft) |
| Installed power | 2782 bhp[4] |
| Propulsion | Lister Blackstone diesel engine |
| Speed | max 9.3 kn (17.2 km/h; 10.7 mph) |
Falklands Conflict
editIn 1982 Odyssey Explorer was operating out of Kingston upon Hull under the name Farnella as a stern trawler.[6] Upon the outbreak of the Falklands Conflict, Farnella, along with three sister ships, was taken up from trade by the Royal Navy and commissioned as a stop-gap minesweeper for operations in the South Atlantic.[7] HMS Farnella was returned to her owners in October 1982.
Dispute with Spain
editOn October 16, 2007 Spain seized the Odyssey Explorer as it sailed out of port from the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. The vessel's captain, Sterling Vorus, claimed to have been in International Waters, but was forced to dock at Algeciras under what Vorus declared was "threat of deadly force". Once in port Vorus was eventually arrested for disobedience after refusing inspection of the vessel without first receiving approval of Odyssey Explorer's flag state, the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. Vorus was released the following day. Aboard the Odyssey Explorer at the time of seizure were about a dozen journalists and photographers, all of whom had their video tapes, tape recorders and computer memory storage devices seized by Spanish officials.[8]
Sold for scrap
editIn August 2024 the Danish firm Smedegaarden confirmed it had purchased the vessel for recycling. The ship's last voyage was under tow from Skagen to Esbjerg.[9]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e "Odyssey Explorer". MarineTraffic.com. Retrieved November 20, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f "Odyssey Explorer". DNV Exchange Vessel Info. Det Norske Veritas (DNV). Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
- ^ tynebuiltships.co.uk
- ^ Lloyd's Register of Shipping, 1982
- ^ "EXCLUSIVE: ODYSSEY EXPLORER REPORTED SOLD | thePipeLine". 7 June 2016.
- ^ "FARNELLA H135". Archived from the original on 2017-02-02.
- ^ Perret, Bryan (1982). Weapons of the Falklands Conflict. Poole: Blandford Press. p. 34. ISBN 0-7137-1315-1.
- ^ "U.S. ship held in $500M booty row". CNN. October 18, 2007. Retrieved April 26, 2010.
- ^ BBC news article 29-08-2024
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