2007 December 30 archive at Tims Times

Archive for December 30th, 2007

Drunken sailor

Published December 30, 2007 in booze, accident and Bulkers. 3 Comments

On Christmas day the Wilson Garston ran aground outside Helsingborg in Sweden. The stretch of water between Helsingborg and Helsingör on the Danish side is thick with ferries back and forth between Sweden and Denmark, a place where the traffic heading North and South has to be on full concentration for any eventual manouvres that may be required to give way for a ferry and vice versa.
The mate on the bridge of the Wilson Garston was asleep due to the effects of alcohol, so the ship was running out of control in one of the busiest waterways in the region. Several ships tried in vain to make contact with the ship but to no avail, in the end he ran aground. Fortunately there was not much damage to the ship or the environment, the sleeping watchkeeper got a rude awakening and was arrested suspected for being drunk in charge of a ship, the court case to be held in a week, while he dries off in remand.
The consequences could have been disastrous but this case will go largely unnoticed because of the lack of damage, some Christmas present for the shipping company and the drunken sailor who is cooling his jets in a Swedish prison for the holidays.
It also casts a smear on the trade and gives the general public the image of jolly jack tar the drunkard, sad really because it is not the case.

Report in English from The Local