- Tanzanian-flagged Alta washed up at Ballycotton, County Cork, on Sunday
- It was last spotted off West Africa and is believed to have drifted past Spain
- Its crew of ten were saved 1,300 miles southeast of Bermuda in October 2018
- It was also sighted by the Royal Navy in September who went to check on it
A ghost ship which has floated for thousands of miles without a soul on board was washed up by Storm Dennis on the coast of Ireland yesterday.
The Alta, a Tanzanian-flagged cargo vessel, has been adrift since the US Coast Guard rescued its crew of ten men 1,300 miles southeast of Bermuda in October 2018.
The ship, which was last spotted off West Africa, is believed to have made its way north past Spain and the west coast of England before landing at Ballycotton, County Cork on Sunday.
Ballycotton RNLI Lifeboat chief John Tattan told The Irish Examiner: 'This is one in a million.
The crew of the Tanzanian-flagged Alta were rescued 1,300 miles southeast of Bermuda in October 2018, the vessel was then spotted in the mid-Atlantic by the Royal Navy in September last year and most recently it is believed to have made its way from West Africa before being driven landward to Ireland by Storm Dennis
It is believed to have made its way from the west of Africa, north past Spain and then the west coast of England before landing at Ballycotton, County Cork on Sunday
Ballycotton RNLI Lifeboat chief John Tattan said the ship's washing up was 'one in a million'
A spokesman for the Waterford Coast Guard said the boat was not polluting the environment, however, he is expressed concerns that high tide could soon take the ship back out to sea, presenting dangers to vessels in the area
'It has come all the way up from the African coast, west of the Spanish coast, west of the English coast and up to the Irish coast.
'I have never, ever seen anything abandoned like that before.'
Mr Tattan said that efforts were being made to contact the ship's owner. However, the US Coast Guard found their own efforts in this regard fruitless when it was first discovered.
A spokesman for the Waterford Coast Guard said the boat was not polluting the environment, however, he is expressed concerns that high tide could soon take the ship back out to sea, presenting dangers to vessels in the area.
The Royal Navy also came across the 250ft unmanned boat while sailing in the mid-Atlantic last September.
HMS Protector tweeted at the time: 'We closed the vessel to make contact and offer our assistance, but no one replied! Whilst investigations continue we're unable to give you more detail on this strange event.'
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In October 2018, the vessel, which had been without power for 20 days, was airdropped supplies by the US Coast Guard while drifting 1,380 miles southeast of Bermuda.
The 44-year-old ship had become disabled when journeying from Greece to Haiti, the Coast Guard said.
A week later the Coast Guard's Cutter Confidence sped out to the vessel to rescue the crew ahead of Hurricane Leslie's arrival.
At the time the US officials said they had been working to establish who the ship's owner was so they could organise for a commercial tug to take it ashore.
However, marine sources have said that it is possible that the vessel has been hijacked at some point in its history, perhaps more than once, making its owner difficult to trace.
The Minister for the Marine, Michael Creed, is now responsible for the vessel as per Ireland's Merchant Shipping (Salvage and Wreck) Act, 1993.
The 250ft boat was spotted in September last year by the Royal Navy in the mid-Atlantic
Ballycotton RNLI Lifeboat chief John Tattan said efforts were being made to contact the ship's owner
Barrister Darren Lehane told The Journal: 'The person who finds a wreck can't just do whatever they want with it ... In this case, the responsibility falls with the minister. A receiver of wreck will be appointed by the minister with the consent of the Revenue Commissioners.'
If the owner comes forward they will have to prove their claim on the vessel and otherwise the state has control of it.
'If it was a smaller boat, and you took it away, you'd be guilty of a criminal offence.' The lawyer told the paper. 'If you board or attempt to board it, you'd be guilty of a criminal offence.'
He added that the Irish state would be able to claim the costs of recovering the vessel from the owner's at a later date if they can be traced.
In British waters, if a wreckage goes unclaimed for more than a year it becomes the property of the Crown.
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