MV Eurabia Sun
{{Short description|Dutch-Lebanese cargo ship (1961–1974)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
| {{Infobox ship begin |display title=MV Eurabia Sun}}
{{Infobox ship career |Hide header= |Ship country= Netherlands |Ship flag= {{shipboxflag|Netherlands|civil}} |Ship name=Theron |Ship pennant= |Ship namesake= |Ship owner= Koninklijke Nederlandsche Stoomboot Maatschappij, (KNSM), Amsterdam |Ship operator= |Ship builder= Gebroeders Pot N. V., Bolnes |Ship yard number=942 |Ship callsign =PHYG |Ship laid down= |Ship launched=12 December 1960 |Ship delivered =10 May 1961 |Ship acquired= |Ship registry= Lloyd's Register of Shipping (LR) |Ship struck= |Ship honours= |Ship notes= }} {{Infobox ship career |Hide header=title |Ship country = Lebanon |Ship flag = {{shipboxflag|Lebanon|civil}} |Ship name=Eurabia Sun |Ship owner= Eurabia Shipping Agency Ltd., Beirut |Ship namesake=Eurabia Shipping Agency Ltd. |Ship acquired= 1974 |Ship fate=Sunk on 28 October 1974, 10 miles north of Ameland, the Netherlands |Ship registry= }} {{Infobox ship characteristics |Ship class= |Ship displacement= |Ship length={{cvt|119.5|m|ftin|abbr=on}} |Ship beam={{cvt|14.9|m|ftin|abbr=on}} |Ship draught={{cvt|7.9|m|ftin|abbr=on}} |ship power= {{cvt|3600|hp}} |Ship propulsion=* 2 × 8-cylinder oil engines
|Ship speed={{convert|16|kn}} |Ship tonnage= {{GRT|3840}} |Ship crew=28 |Ship notes= }} |
MV Eurabia Sun, originally named MV Theron, was a 1961 Dutch-built cargo ship of the Koninklijke Nederlandsche Stoomboot Maatschappij. In 1974 it was sold to Lebanese Eurabia Shipping Agency Ltd. On 28 October 1974 while en route from Gdańsk, Poland to Tartous the ship sank near Ameland, the Netherlands, after the ship tilted due to shifting cargo during a gale. All 28 crew members were rescued.
During a 1975 investigation by the Royal Netherlands Navy on the wreck a diver died.
Ship details
The steel ship measured {{convert|119.5|m|ftin}} by {{cvt|14.9|m|1|abbr=on}} by {{cvt|7.9|m|1|abbr=on}}. She was measured at {{GRT|3584|disp=long}} and a {{NRT|1885|disp=long}}. She was propelled by two-stroke single-acting eight-cylinder oil engines creating a total of {{convert|3600|hp|lk=on}}. She had a speed of {{convert|16|kn|lk=in}}. She was given the yard number 942 and IMO number 5358725.{{Cite web|url= https://wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?166224 |work= Wrecksite|title= Theron MV (1961~1974) Eurabia Sun MV (+1974)}}{{Cite web|url= https://www.marhisdata.nl/schip?id=6525 |work=Maritiem Historische Databank|title= THERON - ID 6525}}
History
The ship Theron was built by Gebroeders Pot N. V. in Bolnes, the Netherlands for Koninklijke Nederlandsche Stoomboot Maatschappij, (KNSM). She was launched on 12 December 1960 and delivered on 10 May 1961. Her home port was Amsterdam. In 1966 she was lengthened by Boele's Scheepswerven & Machinefabriek NV. between March and May.
In 1974 the ship was bought by Lebanese company Eurabia Shipping Agency Ltd. and continued sailing under Lebanese flag with home port Beirut. She was renamed Eurabia Sun.{{Cite web|url= https://wrakkenmuseum.nl/wrakken/eurabia-sun |work= {{ill|Wrakkenmuseum|nl}}|title= Scheepswrak: EURABIA SUN |language=nl}}
=Fate=
In October 1974 she was en route from Gdańsk, Poland to Tartous with a cargo of iron, steel sheet and ammonium nitrate under command of Hussein Ali Hussein. During the night of 28 October there was a gale, with wind of Beaufort scale force 8-9. Due to shifting cargo there came a hole in the ship's hull and the ship started tilting. Captain Houssein Ali Houssein tried to sail to the coast, but failed to do so.{{Cite news|url= https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:011017127:mpeg21:a0040 |work= Nieuwsblad van het Noorden |title= Bemanning na schipbreuk veilig aan wal in Lauwersoog 'T is alsof we nieuw leven zijn begonnen' |date=29 October 1974|via=Delpher|language=nl}} The first emergency call received {{ill|Scheveningen Radio|nl}} at 3am (local time) when the ship was at the time {{convert|10|mi}} north of Ameland, Netherlands. At 6:30am the captain of the ship called that the engines stopped running and wanted to be rescued because the boat was sinking.{{Cite news|url= https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:010375993:mpeg21:a0004 |work= De Waarheid |title= Veel schepen in moeilijkheden {{!}} Libanees vrachtschip gezonken |date=28 October 1974|via=Delpher|language=nl}} The ship sunk at around 9am.{{Cite news|url= https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=KBPERS01:002904025:mpeg21:a00086 |work= Algemeen Dagblad |title= Storm hield hevig huis |date=29 October 1974|via=Delpher|language=nl}}
25 of the 28 Syrian and Egyptian people onboard were able to get into rubber boats. They were rescued about an hour later. 15 people from one rubber boat were picked up by Swedish ship Alabama. The Dutch lifeboat Gebroeders Luden from Lauwersoog picked up the 10 people in the other boat and took over the 15 people onboard of the Alabama. The people arrived, soaking wet, at around 11:15am at Lauwersoog. The three remaining people onboard of the Eurabia Sun, inclusive the captain, were rescued in the meantime by a helicopter of the Netherlands Naval Aviation Service and brought to Leeuwarden.{{Cite news|url= https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=KBPERS01:003417024:mpeg21:a00012 |work= Tubantia |title= Schepen in nood door zware storm |date=28 October 1974|via=Delpher|language=nl}}{{Cite news|url= https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:010619780:mpeg21:a0005 |work= Leeuwarder Courant |title= Lauwersoog |date=28 October 1974|via=Delpher|language=nl}}{{Cite news|url= https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=KBPERS01:002911008:mpeg21:a00189 |work= Algemeen Dagblad |title= De redding komt vaak via de kabel |date=9 November 1974|via=Delpher|language=nl}} The crew members were brought to the {{ill|Zeemanshuis|nl|Zeemanshuis (Amsterdam)}} in Amsterdam and later flew home by plane.
The ship sank 10 miles north of Ameland, the Netherlands.{{Cite news|url=https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=KBNRC01:000031408:mpeg21:a0014 |work= NRC Handelsblad |title= Zware storm: schepen in moeilijkheden |date=28 October 1974|via=Delpher|language=nl}}
Wreck
=Navy investigation and death of Rinus Knol=
In February 1975 a Royal Netherlands Navy diver died during an investigation into the double bottom of the ship. Working in the double bottom is described as "dangerous"; because you have to get through tight spaces. According to a sailor involved in the mission, Knol may have come into contact with hazardous substances, because later divers also surfaced more or less unconscious.{{Cite news|url=https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:011198734:mpeg21:a0590 |work= De Telegraaf |title= Belangstelling van marine voor Libanees vrachtschip |date=1 March 1975|via=Delpher|language=nl}} During this investigation he was connected according to safety regulations to another diver; who surfaced alone.{{Cite news|url= https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ABCDDD:010881756:mpeg21:a0143 |work= De Volkskrant |title= Speurtocht naar vermiste duiker duurt voort |date=5 March 1975|via=Delpher|language=nl}}
In the weeks following the navy had set up a large (search) operation with about 20 divers, a helicopter and an airplane. The operation was complicated by the fuel oil still present on board, which could cause environmental problems tf it were to flow into the sea. After three weeks, his body was still not found.
Newspapers reported that people had questions. It was said that the operation was very large for a search for the body. It was said that the Navy was also doing a drugs investigation.
=Later dives=
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=KBPERS01:003417025:mpeg21:a00101 Newspaper image of the sinking ship]
- [https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=KBPERS01:002904025:mpeg21:a00086 Newspaper image of the sinking ship]
- [https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=KBPERS01:003417025:mpeg21:a00101 Newspaper image of the sinking ship]
- [https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:010619780:mpeg21:a0005 Newspaper image of the rescued crew]
- [https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ABCDDD:010881415:mpeg21:a0161 Newspaper image of the rescued crew]
{{1974 shipwrecks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eurabia Sun}}
Category:Ships built in the Netherlands
Category:Maritime incidents in 1974
Category:October 1974 in Europe
Category:Merchant ships of Lebanon
Category:Merchant ships of the Netherlands
Category:Shipwrecks of the Netherlands
Category:1974 in the Netherlands