Most Sky.

[Jim Brady]

The Panmanian Registered Most Sky (Turkish Owned) is presently tied up in Birkenhead,it's Eastern European crew have not been paid for the past four months.There is no power on the ship as everything is shut down to save fuel,one of the crew has a Kebab grill in his cabin to keep warm,also there is very little or no food on board.A local skip hire company has been down to the ship and given the crew coats and hats to wear to keep warm.The Seamans Mission and other people are also looking after them.The Union are on the case and they have a Maritime Lawyer acting on their behalf.The Company are at the moment organising a replacement crew to fly in to replace the present crew it will be interesting to see what happens when the new crew arrive as the present crew are going no where until they are paid.
It was the L iverpool Pilot who brought the ship in that expressed his concerns to the authorities'
The ship is only four years old and reported tobe a "Rust Bucket",the cargo of steel is damaged through water.
Anybody interested in this story can log onto The Liverpool Echo go to Most Sky.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[Gulliver]

Thanks for that Jim.
　
TO QUOTE FROM ARTICLE
　
"
The crew has been provided with the services of a maritime solicitor and the vessel has also been arrested on their behalf for their owed wages.
Mr Molloy was also scornful of the 2010 Year of the Seafarer initiative to improve standards, and said there was nothing more than "lip service" being paid to the it.
He said: "People who think there is should get out of their offices and have a look at what is really going on.
"As far as I have found on my inspections, it is no more the Year of The Seafarer now than it was in 1910."

　
Strong Words...he's probably right,too!
　
2 Articles here:-
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2010/11/16/crew-could-face-months-of-waiting-after-ship-detained-in-birkenhead-100252-27667459/


http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2010/11/18/captain-denies-most-sky-crew-in-birkenhead-dock-are-left-hungry-100252-27671991/



　
Gulliver
　
　

[Richard Cotton]

We in the UK can't do much about such ships until they arrive in our ports, but once they do the ships should be seized, confiscated and scrapped. No arguments. We can't take action against foreign owned companies, not with ease anyway, but I think seasure and scrapping of such ships would ensure somewhat better pay and conditions for those poor sods employed on them.
I wouldn't object to the crew being repatreated at Public Expence either.
This type of ship owner is no better than a Somali pirate, possibly worse, as the pirates probably look after their crews.

[happy daze john in oz]

Richard while I magree with your sentiment the reality is it will not happen. As soon as one is treated this way the shipping company will never visit thta port again and will go to ports where they know they can get away with it.

[Richard Cotton]

Richard while I magree with your sentiment the reality is it will not happen. As soon as one is treated this way the shipping company will never visit thta port again and will go to ports where they know they can get away with it.

I agree with you that it won't happen, but it should, and if we were to do as I suggested, I don't think that the UK's trade would suffer. Where there's a demand there will always be someone willing to carry the cargo. When the message got out that we, and other respectable countries, weren't prepared to accept cargoes from such carriers, then decent ship owners would be prepared to carry the goods. It needn't cost the customer any more either. It might cost the ship owner a bit more, as they would have to pay the crews a proper wage. Which is what most shipping companies do anyway.
It would have to be done either nationally or globally though, I suspect that individual ports and harbours aren't that fussy, as long as they get the trade coming through their port at the cheapest cost.
If I recall Most Sky was detained in the first place because of her mechanical condition, and debts and not because of the condition that the crew were living in, or the fact that they hadn't been paid for months. I may well have read it wrong, but if I'm correct then the welfare of the crew came well down the list of priorities, and I think that's wrong, and should be changed.

[Jim Brady]

The crew of this ship have now been paid and flown home,the ship is still under arrest until conditions on board have been improved for the new crew,also other reason regarding cargo matters.
Hi Gulliver,I know you were interested in this story,there is a further two stories in todays Liverpool Echo,I dont know how todo the attachments if you read the stories maybe you will put them up,
Regards.
Jim.B.

[Gulliver]

Thanks again,Jim.Here's that new link.

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2010/11/25/most-sky-ship-crew-get-wages-and-tickets-home-after-birkenhead-detention-100252-27715760/2/

Video Link here:-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-11764764

　
Here's another link;- to the ITF union site.(and the ship info section)

http://www.itfseafarers.org/look_up_ship2.cfm/section/shiplookup/imo/9389370
　
The crew( of 14) consisted of :- Azerbaijan(2), Georgian(3), Turkish(7), Syrian(2)
I see she had a problem in a few ports,notably Ceuta with a Port State Control detention in Feb.2009
I presume Birkenhead will now be added to the list.
　
Regards　
Gulliver