The incident occurred in the early hours of Mar. 30, 2020, but Columbia Cruise Services only released an official statement on Apr. 1. The company, which is headquartered in Germany, said the RCGS Resolute was drifting just over 13 miles off the coast of Isla La Tortuga, a Venezuelan island situated some 60 miles off the country's northern coast, when ANBV Naiguatá, also known by its hull number GC-23, approached it. The Venezuelan Navy ship ordered the cruise ship to follow it to Puerto Moreno on Isla De Margarita, located to the east, accusing it of violating the country's territorial waters.
Germany: 1
Venezuela: 0
The local commander wanted to loot it.
“Not an April Fools joke but funny.”
Click-bait?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RCGS_Resolute
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guaicamacuto-class_patrol_boat
The Venezuelan patrol boat looks very new and stealthy with its slab sides. Is it one of those alumnium hull deals?
Ah. some good news for today.
Also: Freighter Full of Sheep Accidentally Sinks Russian Spy Ship
Let me get this straight.
Is this article saying that the Venezuelan Navy has become a bunch of Pirates? Why else would a patrol ship repeatedly ram into a cruise liner? Is that what just happened?
Maduro Baghdad Bob News
“Venezuelan authorities have disputed this version of events, claiming Resolute “in a cowardly and criminal manner fled collision site and didn’t try to rescue the crew of sinking ship.” Venezuelan Minister of Defense Vladimir Padrino also described the cruise ship’s actions as an “act of imperial aggression” and “piracy.””
A little-known piece of ship-handling doctrine: hitting things is bad.
Once again, Newton wins.
Well, how about that... size matters.
I’m wondering what an icebreaker was doing near the equator...
Is there any doubt about the insanity of the Venezuelan government critters?
LOL!
Waiting for the usual sources / idiots to blame DJT and the USofA. You know it is coming!
Wow! Resolute (~8300 tonnes) is roughly five times the tonnage of Naiguata (~1700 tonnes)! And built to take a hit from an iceberg besides!
Glad to hear no lives were lost in the kerfuffle, but damage control on the Venezualan ship sounds like it was abysmal.
RCGS Resolute is in port in Curacao.
ANBV Naiguatá shows “no records found”
https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/ships/shipid:370230/mmsi:255806208/imo:9000168/vessel:RCGS_RESOLUTE
Warning shots were fired, Master of RESOLUTE (RESOLUTE indeed!) refused to obey and maintained her course.
Apr 1 UPDATE: I’ve been correct in my assumption, that the decision to flee was justified, or so it seems, judging from updates published by local sources. According to Curacao media and their information, ANBV NAIGUATA did attempt to seize cruise ship and take her to Margarita Island, east of Tortuga, under a dubious pretext of “violation of Venezuela territorial waters”. Ships navigating in these waters enjoy the right of free passage, so it looks like an attempt to hijack cruise ship. That explains this strange leg in ship’s track and unexplainable Tortuga approach.
Captain of cruise ship is to be commended for his exceptional personal bravery and seamanship skills. He saved his crew from a very harsh ordeal, and called all fire on himself, because he’s to be the main target of Venezuelan wrath and lawsuits and so on.