International concern has been mounting over the last fortnight as to the whereabouts of the Russian-owned, Maltese-flag Arctic Sea.
The vessel, with a cargo of timber worth $US1.8 million, was on a voyage from Finland to the Algerian port of Bejaia.
The ship disappeared off radar screens after passing through the English Channel and on July 30, was sighted in the Bay of Biscay.
Last week, a ship matching its description was spotted in the mid-Atlantic, about 400 nautical miles off the Cape Verde Islands, but reports that it was Arctic Sea cannot be proved.
There are several theories about what might have happened to the vessel, including one on hijacking, but authorities are very puzzled and worried over its disappearance.
Arctic Sea is a 3988gt, 4706dwt, 97.80m long vessel owned by Solchart Arkhangelsk Ltd. since 2005.
The vessel was the 14th of a class of 22 sister ships based on a Russian design that were built at Tuzla, Turkey, by Sedef Gemi Endustrisi S. A. and delivered from 1990-93.
The missing ship was completed in April 1992, as Okhotskoe.
Renamed Zim Venezuela in 1996, it was given the names Alrai and Torm Senegal, both in 1998, then traded as Jogaila from 2000-05.
Interestingly, reports surrounding the disappearance of the vessel also make reference to her unstable sisters.
Torm Alexandra, built in 1991, while berthed port side to at Monrovia, Liberia, capsized on July 25, 1991, while discharging containers.
The vessel rolled over on to the port side, some containers were lost overboard and water entered the engine room.
The bow section was later refloated but despite continual pumping, the stern section remained submerged.
The ship was finally raised this year on May 7, and is to be cut up for scrap.
Another sister, the 1991-built Tiger Force, was abandoned by its crew after developing a 45deg list in the Indian Ocean on July 9, 1998.
The ship, on passage from Colombo to Tuticorin, subsequently sank, 65km from Colombo.
Also consigned to a watery grave on March 9, 2006, was 1990-built sister Trevilka.
The vessel, carrying a cargo of containers, sank in heavy weather 75 nautical miles from Port Said with the loss of three lives.
More fortunate was Nova Spirit, also dating from 1991.
In 2004, also loaded with containers, the ship developed a list after encountering heavy weather in the Mediterranean, but was later taken in tow to safety. Although MSC Marbella brought a new name into the port last Friday, the ship is no stranger here.
It called on its maiden voyage on January 19, 2003, to make the first of six visits as P&O Nedlloyd Mairangi.
Then from April 28, 2006, to October 19, 2007, it made 10 visits as Maersk Denton.
The ship, still carrying Maersk markings, has been on charter to MSC for almost a year.
It has replaced Maersk Dominica on the Tanjung Pelepas service and is expected to revert to its former name in the coming weeks.
Another of the Challenge series of new product tankers that have been operated by the NYK group since 2005, called last week.
Challenge Paradise, owned by Mi-Das Line S.
A. and registered at Panama, is the fifth of these vessels to have berthed here since November 2005.
The 28,063gt, 45,980dwt vessel was built by the Shin Kurushima yard at Onishi.
It was launched on June 5, 2007, and delivered on September 20, 2007.
