Damaged Russian ship with cargo of explosive fertiliser anchored off Margate.

[Concerto]

Anchored off 3km off Margate at the entrance to the Thames is a Russian ship that ran aground earlier and has cracked her hull. Her cargo is ammonium nitrate, the same fertiliser that caused a massive explosion in Beruit harbour in 2020, except it is carrying 7 times as much. She has already been ordered to leave Tromso, Norway, but why has she not returned to Russia?

MSN

 

[Lodestone]

Near enough to make a move on the SS Richard Montgomery? I hope the powers that be are considering this.

 

[Dave 71]

Currently anchored here with tug Kamarina in close attendance along with Fortuna III, a UK registered Bunkering Tanker so perhaps we're giving them fuel to help them on their way....

MarineTraffic: Global Ship Tracking Intelligence | AIS Marine Traffic

Technically it's Maltese, not Russian, which must go some way to explaining why it's still afloat. Does cause me to raise an eyebrow as to where an EU member is importing from....

 

[Stemar]

"I don't want to scare you" No, I want to terrify you.

 

[Mark L]

Anchored off 3km off Margate at the entrance to the Thames ....

3km off Margate? I just looked on vessel finder and she is currently showing as 14Nm off the coast, so closer to 26km. Possibly a risk to a few passing seagulls, but nothing to justify all the press attention that this ship seems to be getting. Ammonium nitrate (on its own) is not that dangerous.

 

[Slowboat35]

Dear me, what hystrionic nonsense. it's 15-18miles off Margate so it might break some windows if it blew up but probably little more than that. As for 'setting off' the Richard Montgomery, tell me that's a joke, no? It's 35-40 miles away!

Ammonium Nitrate is shipped in bulk carriers like that the world over and has been for decades, it's pretty inert stuff as evidenced by the fact ports, road carriers, storage silos and farms the world over accept it and it has never made the news before except for Beirut.

Talk about a storm in a teacup!

 

[cherod]

"I don't want to scare you" No, I want to terrify you.

But really , who watches this type of shit ?

 

[WindyWindyWindy]

Perhaps we could have a whip round and persuade them to move it closer to Margate?

 

[Lodestone]

Dear me, what hystrionic nonsense. it's 15-18miles off Margate so it might break some windows if it blew up but probably little more than that. As for 'setting off' the Richard Montgomery, tell me that's a joke, no? It's 35-40 miles away!

Ammonium Nitrate is shipped in bulk carriers like that the world over and has been for decades, it's pretty inert stuff as evidenced by the fact ports, road carriers, storage silos and farms the world over accept it and it has never made the news before except for Beirut.

Talk about a storm in a teacup!

Its not 35-40 miles away if she pulls up her anchor and deliberately sets sail for the Medway with intent. Who's going to stop it.
Both the vessel's course and the decision making of the crew have been erratic which is why it has caught the attention of various governments.
Sympathetic detonation is a 'thang'. The MCA and MOD worry enough about the masts falling off the RM let alone a planned thump to it.
Who's to say the cargo of the Ruby is pure.
Of course Kent has already experienced the effects of a boosted nitrate explosion if you know your history.
There have been plenty of ammonium nitrate explosions this side of the noughties without a state actor deliberately initiating them.

And then you sunk your own argument by mentioning Beirut (whilst in ignorance of all the other news you just haven't heard).

 

[RivalRedwing]

We are doomed, all doomed I tell you......

 

[mrming]

Perhaps we could have a whip round and persuade them to move it closer to Margate?

If it was amyl nitrate they’d have the red carpet out.

 

[Mark L]

Its not 35-40 miles away if she pulls up her anchor and deliberately sets sail for the Medway with intent. Who's going to stop it.

You are suggesting that the professional crew of a Maltese ship would conduct a suicide attack (why?) by trying to detonate some fertiliser (why?) in the vague hope that it would be sufficient to set off some old ammunition that has sitting on the bottom of the sea for 80 years, and all because it would (in some unspecified manner) benefit Russia. I really don't understand why this is attracting so much attention.

 

[Lodestone]

You are suggesting that the professional crew of a Maltese ship would conduct a suicide attack (why?) by trying to detonate some fertiliser (why?) in the vague hope that it would be sufficient to set off some old ammunition that has sitting on the bottom of the sea for 80 years, and all because it would (in some unspecified manner) benefit Russia. I really don't understand why this is attracting so much attention.

Yes that is quite clear.

 

[14K478]

Yes that is quite clear.

Too much reading of Lord Rothermere’s Organ going on. I recommend a course of Gnome.

 

[cherod]

Omg , and there was me thinking that this was a forum for adult boat owners , or is this the way the modern paranoia / war culture has some people thinking ,,, too many shoot em ups as a yoof methinks

Its not 35-40 miles away if she pulls up her anchor and deliberately sets sail for the Medway with intent. Who's going to stop it

 

[Lodestone]

Omg , and there was me thinking that this was a forum for adult boat owners , or is this the way the modern paranoia / war culture has some people thinking ,,, too many shoot em ups as a yoof methinks

It certainly isn't a forum for adult behaviour by the looks of it
There are better mannered ways of disagreeing if you'd care to look into them.
Thanks for dragging the tone down.

 

[cherod]

It certainly isn't a forum for adult behaviour by the looks of it
There are better mannered ways of disagreeing if you'd care to look into them.
Thanks for dragging the tone down.

Ty , but you beat me to it

 

[Mark-1]

Its not 35-40 miles away if she pulls up her anchor and deliberately sets sail for the Medway with intent.

Intent to do what?

 

[PlanB]

Bit of fact here, if anyone is interested.

Cargo ship carrying explosive ammonium nitrate heads to UK waters

 

[dunedin]

Bit of fact here, if anyone is interested.

Cargo ship carrying explosive ammonium nitrate heads to UK waters

Yes, rather more balanced - and to quote the BBC article
“The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said the vessel is "currently securely anchored outside UK territorial waters waiting for appropriate conditions to refuel at sea before passing through the English Channel".
So not even close enough to be in UK territorial waters - ntot sure where the OP got the “3km off Margate” from, but sounds like scaremongering.
Could be a challenge finding somewhere willing to unload the cargo though.