An offshore supply vessel detained in Aberdeen for over a year due to unpaid wages to the crew has reportedly been withdrawn from auction after receiving a low bid.
As a reminder, the UK Maritime and Coast Guard Agency arrested the infamous vessel Malaviya Seven last March over unpaid wages to the crew.
The vessel, owned by India’s Gol Offshore, was also detained in mid-2016 for the same reason but was released after the wages were paid, only to be detained again in October 2016 .
Malaviya Seven was arrested by the UK Maritime and Coast Guard Agency at the request of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF). At the time, the ITF said that the crew of the vessel were abandoned in Aberdeen by its owners and were owed around $667,000.
According to BBC’s report on Tuesday, the vessel has been withdrawn from auction by auctioneer Dominic Daly after receiving a bid of £300,000 ($394,500). The auctioneer said he would try and negotiate a better deal with the man who entered the bid.
Daly also told BBC that the Malaviya Seven was in excellent condition, crediting the crew for the maintenance.
The British news agency further said that there were reports of interest from potential buyers all over the world ahead of the auction in Aberdeen. If the vessel had been successfully sold, the Indian crew would have been paid within two weeks of the sale.
As for the crew, BBC said that six crew members headed home earlier this month, while the remaining six decided to stay until the ship was sold.
Offshore Energy Today has contacted the auctioneer, Dominic Daly, for confirmation and further details on the auction. We will update the article if and when we receive a response.
Offshore Energy Today Staff