The bulk carrier Blue Shark found itself stranded off the coast near Vityazevo, close to Anapa, after a powerful storm swept across the Northern Black Sea. The vessel remained aground for hours as waves battered its hull and winds roared through the coastal area. Local observers reported the ship geolocated near the village as the storm intensified, pushing the ship six to seven miles from its original anchorage near Taman.
A coordinated effort began with two tugboats arriving on scene to assist in refloating the vessel. Before the Blue Shark could be brought back to deeper waters, divers conducted a thorough underwater inspection to assess any hull damage and to confirm the condition of critical systems. Once the inspection concluded and the vessel was deemed seaworthy, navigational clearance was granted and the ship slowly moved off the bank and back into open water.
At the time of the incident, the Blue Shark carried a cargo of 2,746 tons of barley with a value estimated at 24 million rubles. The cargo represented a significant economic stake for the voyage, highlighting the impact of weather on supply chains and on regional grain movements.
The grounding occurred on November 27 when a severe storm pushed the bulk carrier close to the Krasnodar Territory coast near the fishing settlement of Vityazevo. Strong winds and heavy seas drove the ship away from its anchor position in the Taman area, complicating rescue operations. The weather was severe enough that assistance from shore and sea-based tugboats could not reach the vessel immediately, leaving the 21 crew members temporarily without assistance.
Prior to the grounding, reports indicated the Blue Shark had briefly disconnected its anchor as the storm intensified, a common precaution when vessels encounter sustained high winds and rough seas. The ship later faced a separate incident when it briefly drifted after an anchor release during the chaotic conditions. Some sources note that the vessel may have faced another maneuver earlier in the week as it navigated the Turkish coastal region amid the same storm system.
As the weather began to ease and rescue teams coordinated, the Blue Shark began to stabilize. The successful refloating marked a return to safer waters, allowing for a careful assessment of the vessel and its cargo before resuming the voyage. Throughout the event, observers emphasized the resilience of maritime operations in the face of sudden meteorological challenges and the critical role of tug assistance and underwater inspection in preventing further escalation. The incident serves as a reminder of how weather extremes can disrupt supply chains and require swift, well-coordinated responses from port authorities, shipmasters, and support vessels.
Citations from maritime authorities and independent trackers confirm the sequence of events, the cargo details, and the timeline of the refloat. These reports provide a consolidated view of the incident for seafarers and coastal communities alike, ensuring transparency about risk management and salvage operations in dynamic sea states.
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