News - Story - Tricolor

The English Channel is one of the worlds busiest shipping lanes. Every day about 500 ships safely pass each other.

On Saturday 14th December 2002 there was thick fog, but with modern radar this isn't usually a problem.

There was a really expensive collision the between the tricolor, which was carrying luxury cars

and kariba a container ship

The container ship was able to limp back to port, but tricolor sank in the shallow water

Monday - 16th December 2002
Unbelievably another ship ran aground on the wreck of the tricolor. Fortunately tugs were able to pull Nicola off!

Hopefully they can refloat tricolor before there are any more collisions.

Wednesday - 1st January 2003
Unbelievable another ship has run into the wreck of the Tricolor. Vicky a 43,000 tanker carrying 70,000 tons of kerosene.
"I saw some light buoys but I didn't understand what it meant or why they were there because my normal charts don't show any light buoys." [Skipper of the Vicky explaining how he came to run aground on top of the Tricolour]

Thursday - 23rd January 2003
The salvage tug Alphonse Letzer ran into the Tricolor rupturing a fuel tank causing an oil slick
It is beginning to look like it won't be possible to salvage the ship and it may have to be broken up.

Sunday - 3rd August 2003
The first section of the Tricolour was lifted out of the English Channel onto a large barge.

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