The permit to lift the 72-year-old Charlotte Louise on land arrived – but not early enough to save the ship, as three days of bad weather battered the vessel and it sank again last night before it could be saved.

Last week, a group of individuals made an urgent plea to the government to help them in their endeavour to rescue the vessel – they had earlier taken the initiative to bring the vessel back to the surface where it had sunk in Marsa and towed it to Marsaxlokk, in the hope that it would lifted on land at the Hard Standing Facility.

But bureaucratical procedures delayed the issuing of the permit and, when this was eventually granted on Tuesday, the sea at Marsaxlokk Bay was too rough to allow the procedure. Three days passed and the worsening conditions over the past hours were unfortunately too much for the ship – and it sank again, this time after substantial damage was caused.

The initial request to lift the Charlotte Louise was refused as the vessel did not fall within the remit of what the facility should be used for. However the same group of individuals urged the government to make an exception before the vessel sustained further damage. The permit was eventually issued, but not in time.

It is evident the ship was well beloved by its owners. “It feels like we’ve lost a member of our family, and the worst part it all is that we were so close to lifting it up,” Sandro Lucia, who was involved in the operation to rescue the vessel, told The Malta Independent.  Mr Lucia claims many were those who discouraged them, stating the ship could not be floated. However they were not ready to give up easily. Now it seems, nature forced them to do so.

Gabriele V. Tortorici, the owner of the ship, has more hope. He said he burst into tears when he received the news this morning, but he is still optimistic that part of the ship could be restored.  

The 100-tonne boat has a rich history. Built in Scotland in 1942, it featured in several films, amongst which The Count of Montecristo.   The ship sunk twice before, most recently in Marsa in 2011. The first time it sank was back in 2007 in its moorings in Sliema.

Over the past days The Malta Independent online carried two exclusive stories on the plight of the Charlotte Louise.

The vessel was anchored close to the Marsaxlokk refuelling dolphin – a few hundred metres from where the LNG storage tanker will be moored – and was completely destroyed as it was repeatedly slammed into the same structure.

The police have received a number of reports from concerned members of the public and this paper is informed that a number of police officers arrived on the scene a few minutes ago after large chunks of debris floated into the bay.

http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2014-03-11/news/after-tmi-story-charlotte-louise-to-be-lifted-on-land-aftergovernment-accepts-request-4219076608/

http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2014-03-07/news/rescuers-of-the-charlotte-louise-make-urgent-plea-to-government-to-help-save-it-4161929224/