The Lyubov Orlova tow off Newfoundland is like a hot potato game now, as the Port of St. John's in company with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans has refused entry to the ship should it reach the coast.
According to press reports it is the Minister of Transport that is paying tugs to tow the ship around endlessly on the North Atlantic until they can determine what to do with it.
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At some point this evening the AHTS Atlantic Hawk is going to pass the tow over to another AHTS, the Maersk Challenger. Operated by The Maersk Company of Canada Ltd, it was built in 1986 at Orskov shipyard in Frederikshavn, Denmark, as Challenger III, becoming OIL Challenger in 1986, until acquired and re-named by Maersk in 1991. It came under Canadian flag in 2002, and has worked out of Halifax and St.John's.It is also a well equipped anchor handling/supply tug of 14,348 bhp. It is powered by four V-12 MAN engines through twin controllable pitch screws.
According to press reports it is the Minister of Transport that is paying tugs to tow the ship around endlessly on the North Atlantic until they can determine what to do with it.
1. Maersk Challenger in Halifax in 2004.