Wexford vessel declared unsafe

A Co Wexford-based vessel has been taken out of operation in Southampton after being declared unsafe by British authorities.

Celtic Mist,chartered by Wexford based Ro-Ro operator Celtic Link, was inspected by the Classification Society in Southampton after it was reported to the British Maritime Coastguard Authority by the International Transport Federation (ITF) yesterday.

The vessel can no longer operate in Irish or British waters until major repairs are carried out. According to the ITF, the vessel was chartered from Jay Management of Greece for Celtic Link's daily freight service between Portsmouth and Cherbourg.

The ITF said it had reported the state of the vessel after crew members and contractors working on board contacted them about conditions on it.

ITF Inspector Tommy Molloy said: "The engine room is a nightmare. There is heavy fuel oil sludge almost a foot deep in the bilges. The continuous vibrations mean huge bolts undo themselves as others are being tightened.

"The boiler room is so dangerous that the engineers have now refused to work in it. They say they risk C02 poisoning. One man has already been declared unfit for work as a direct result of C02 poisoning received in the boiler room.

"He was taken to hospital in Portsmouth and was told he could not work for at least two weeks. Two days ago he was told he was being paid off and was taken in a taxi to the airport from where, he claims, he had to pay for his own ticket back to Lithuania," Mr Molloy said.

"Crew accommodation is probably the worst I have seen. I don't think any prison cell in the UK would offer worse accommodation than afforded to this crew. They have had enough. They want the wages they were promised and they want to go home."

The vessel was moved last night from Portsmouth to Southampton for extensive repair work.