Readers will remember that we ran an article in September on a Russian ship in Motril Port, whose owners had gone bust.

If a docked ship has not paid its port fees within three months then it can be put up for auction to cover its debts, which is what is happening in this case as the ship has been there for nearly five months.

The freighter is valued at 7-million euros and its cargo (salt), some 600,000 euros. The money obtained will go to paying off the port fees, the crew, and any traders that have supplied goods since September. Anything left over goes to the Spanish State.

Some of the crew have remained on board in all of this time because if they leave the ship, they lose their right to be paid. The ship owners have been supplying their victuals in the meantime. The trouble is, once the ship is auctioned off, the crew will enter into a sort of judicial limbo

You can read our original article to find out how and why it ended up in Motril Port.

(News: Motril, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)