Ro-ro Cometa IMO 7922166, dwt 4450, built 1981, flag Faroes Islnds, owner Nor Lines AS.On Nov 10, 2010, at 5.55 a.m. the "Cometa" ran aground on the Fugletangskjær between Asmaløy and Kirkeøy with a speed of 9 knots.
The ship had on board a crew of 10 and was underway from Oslo to Fredrikstad with general cargo.
By 9 a.m., Coastguard and a pilot boat were on scene. The situation is so far stable, the ship with a draught of 4,5 metres is stuck on solid ground.
There is no leakage reported.
The wind on scene was 6,8 m/sec. After the grounding, ballast water was pumped out, while the ship was waiting for tug assistance. The cause of the grounding was yet unclear, however, captain and chief officer are allowed to travel along the Norwegian coast without a pilot.
The Cometa sailing under the flag of the Faroe Islands but has a Norwegian crew. The Coast Guard on board started to explore the cause of the stranding. "We have put aboard a research team that has begun to do a little research, which included an alcohol analysis and interviews with the crew. At the moment there is no suspicion of alcohol. There is no one was hurt and we see no oil leaks, "said Captain Pål Brattbakk the Norns in the NRK. The Norns for combating oil pollution equipped. Brattbakk has no idea of the cause of the accident: "It is too early to say something. I have not received any report of a technical malfunction and could not say what exactly the cause. "
The Cometa is close to a fixed light beacon on the reef stalled. The nature Kosterhavet consists mostly of water and relatively few droughts. Living in the area more than 6000 different plant and animal species. “We know that the main route to Fredrikstad by nature going. We can at most be glad that there are no injuries. It is especially oil spills, we're concerned about, " says director Bernt Erik Larsen of the nature reserve. The ship has 130 tonnes of fuel oil and 40 tonnes of diesel on board. A plan for salvaging the owner of the Cometa must first be approved by the authorities. The captain and first mate of the Cometa were free from compulsory pilotage on the route to Fredrikstad. The Cometa therefore had no pilot on board. The vessel is no water in the master. The Cometa is owned by Nor-Lines. She measures 4,450 dwt and was built in 1981.