Estonia's oldest tall ship remains stranded

Photo: Politsei- ja piirivalveamet

Estonia's oldest tall ship, Blue Sirius, remains stranded in shallow waters off the island of Aegna not far from Tallinn after running aground there late on Friday night.

Ivar Treffner, chief coordinator at the maritime and air rescue coordinating center of the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board, said on Monday waves have moved the vessel to the center of the shallow area. «There are pros and cons alike in this. Shallow water reduces waves, at the same time getting the vessel out is difficult. Of course it is possible to salvage the ship, but everything depends on how much it will cost,» Treffner told BNS.

He said west winds were forecast to blow at speeds of up to 10 meters per second in the area on Monday, making salvage more difficult compared with the weekend.

Elerin Urbalu, representative for the center for safety investigation at the Ministry of Economy and Communications, said it will be clear by Tuesday at the latest whether the Estonian Maritime Administration or the center for safety investigation will handle the investigation.

The 22-meter vessel is in a starboard list and its starboard side is in places narrowly under water.

The police were notified at 11:13 p.m. on Friday that the sailing ship Blue Sirius needs help in the Gulf of Finland as it had run aground northwest of Aegna, was taking in water and was in danger of sinking. The police were also told that there were 11 people on board the vessel.

A border guard speedboat was dispatched from the Pirita yacht harbor at 11:17 p.m. and rescue volunteers in the municipality of Viimsi, a border guard board and the border guard helicopter, as well as a Tallink ship that occurred nearby were notified of the vessel in distress.

The border guard speedboat arrived near the Blue Sirius at 11:40 and Viimsi volunteers a few minutes later. By that time the ship's starboard was under water. By 11:55 all the people on board, seven adults and four children, had been rescued.

The rescued were examined by paramedics at nearby Rohuneeme port and no injuries or complaints were recorded.

The tall ship sailing under the Estonian flag was en route from Tallinn to the north coast port of Viinistu. The vessel had to be abandoned because it was partly filled with water, in a strong list, and towing was impossible.

The accident happened in complete darkness. Wind in the area was blowing with a speed of 13 meters per second and waves were up to two meters high.

«According to the initial estimate the accident may have been caused by a navigation error, work is under way to establish all circumstances,» a spokesperson for the Police and Border Guard Board said on Saturday.

Built in Norway as a shipping vessel in 1907, Blue Sirius is in the Estonian ship register since 2006 and belongs to Tuletorn Fond (Lighthouse Foundation), a foundation dealing with German and Estonian young people with behavioral problems.