Incident involving the M/Y Parranda
January 14, 2009
17h00 GMT
The Vessel M/Y Parranda
On January 14, at 03h50 GMT, M/Y Parranda issued a distress call from position 00° 16’ 30” S, 90° 33’ 11” W at its anchoring point in Bartolome Island, Galapagos. The vessel had anchored at 02h50 GMT, at a depth of 20 meters and about half a mile from shore. Reports from the Captain indicate that at around 03h30 the fire alarm went off and smoke was detected on the bridge area of the yacht. As per the regular procedures in the case of fire or smoke on board, all 15 passengers were woken up to be gathered at the Muster Station on the bow of the ship. After locating the area where the smoke was originating from and the initial attempts by Captain and crew to contain the damage, the automatic fire horn went off for around 20 minutes when the bridge caught fire. Immediately the order was given by the Captain to abandon ship. The ship’s entire complement of 15 passengers, 10 crew members and 1 naturalist guide (26 in total) were evacuated safely to the ship’s Zodiacs as the emergency life rafts (located on both sides of the ship and just above the bridge) were too close to the fire to be safely deployed.
Additional assistance came from the vessel, M/Y Coral I that was anchored at North Seymour Island nearby. All 15 passengers and crew members were taken onboard M/Y Coral I where they spent the night.
The passenger and staff nationalities included: 13 British, 2 Americans and 11 Ecuadorians.
The M/Y Coral I proceeded this morning to Baltra Island where all of the Parranda’s passengers, staff and crew disembarked by 9h00, local time, to return to the mainland. We are currently assisting them with their return home.
Causes of the fire
At the moment it is too early to determine the causes of the fire or to speculate why it spread so quickly. An investigation will be carried out by the surveying company designated by the insurance company and the P & I club. We will keep you informed on the developments of the investigation.
Galapagos National Park Assistance
At 10h00 local time, a boat from the Galapagos National Park went to the scene of the incident to inspect the site and assess any environmental damages and the condition of the Parranda. On board the boat were 2 captains and 1 engineer from Quasar Nautica Expeditions along with professional staff from the Galapagos National Park.
Possible Environmental Impacts
The boat from the Galapagos National Park has returned from the scene of the incident and the staff from the Park has informed us that at the moment there are no indications of any fuel contamination on the site or any other contamination as a result of the fire. The Galapagos National Park is expected to issue a formal report of the situation later today and a copy of this report will be available later in the day by clicking on the link below. The GNP's report will also include information on it's plan for full resolution of any remaining environmental issues posed by the accident.
GALAPAGOS NATIONAL PARK OFFICIAL REPORT ON PARRANDA INCIDENT
If a “Page Not Found” error appears when you click on the link above, it means that we have not yet received the official report from the park to be uploaded to our server. Please check back again later in the day if you get this error.
Contact Information:
QUASAR NAUTICA EXPEDITIONS: www.quasarex.com
(Quito, Ecuador, Eastern Standard time).
Dolores Gangotena de Diez | Commercial Vice-President
Quasar Nautica Expeditions
Jose Jussieu N41 – 28 y Alonso de Torres
Quito, Ecuador
(593 2) 225-7822 | fax (593 2) 331-6592
ddiez@quasarex.com
Quasar Nautica Expeditions M/Y Parranda Statistics
Type of Vessel: Motor Yacht
Capacity: 16 passengers, 8 crew plus 1 naturalist guide
Length: 38 meters (125 feet)
Beam: 7.0 meters (22.1 feet)
Draft: 2.3 meters (7.4 feet)
Builder: Jacobson, Shipyard: USA
M/Y Parranda was certified to operate by numerous overarching national and international regulations which include the Galapagos National Park, DIGMER and ISM (International, Classification Society and Port State Inspections etc.).
Hull and Machinery Insurance: Marsh Ltd. London, England
Protection and Indemnity: Shipowners: Luxembourg
DIGMER - Galapagos Registration No. TN-01-0096
Ministry of the Environment – Forestry Registration No. 156
Galapagos National Park – Forestry Registration No. 127
M/Y Parranda received its full inspections and certifications, which included a Conditions Survey, required by Insurers Marsh Ltd. and Shipowners, as well as all inspections and certifications required by DIGMER (Ecuador’s Marine Merchant Entity).
Quasar Nautica Expeditions Update, January 14, 2009 17h00 GMT