Drunken Captain Grounds Ship off Rostock, Germany

Peak Group Dutch cargo ship Abis Bergen ran aground on Saturday, March 26th at the entrance of the German port of Rostock blocking the access to the port while its captain was under the influence of alcohol. According to the German water police, during the investigation on board, it was found that the captains breadth smelled of alcohol and a further breathalyzer test found that the captain was absolutely unfit for duty as the results showed 1.48 promiles of alcohol in his blood, well above the allowed limit. The ship was shortly after pulled free and towed away from the site, the police said. The police has launched an investigation into the case and imposed a bail of EUR 6,000 for the captains release. In addition, the unnamed captain is also facing criminal charges for endangering naval traffic and piloting a vessel in a drunken condition. The Abis Bergen is an open top heavy cargo MP vessel built in 2011 and operated by Peak Project Carriers AS (PPC). Peak Group added the ship to its fleet in October, 2015. World Maritime News Staff