We have run several articles on the Russian freighter that was abandoned in Motril Port after arriving in September 2018 and its owners going bankrupt.

The crew on the Zapolyarye stayed on, conscious that if they left the ship then they would break their contract even though there was no food, heating nor electricity.

Some of the crew did return to their home country in desperation but a skeleton crew of half a dozen remained, hanging on in the hope of a miracle.

None came… except for the charitable reaction of locals who often supplied foodstuffs etc.

In the meantime, the Port Authorities had been in contact with the ship’s owners, who had no intention of reclaiming the ship – they owed almost as much as it was worth to the port for berthing fees, etc – so the port began a legal process in order to obtain permission to auction off the ship so that they can recuperate what was owed to them.

The auction is fast approaching, as the 1st of February is the closing day for offers and the auction takes place on the 1st of March.

The starting price is 3.18m euros. If there are no bids the Autoridad Portuaria can hold three successive auctions with the starting price set at 20%, 45% and 55% of the original set price.

The double-hull ship is a bulk carrier, which was structurally reinforced to be classified as an icebreaker, that has its machinery in “very good condition,” as well as communications & navigational equipment.

Editorial comment: probably not the best buy for water skiing… just saying!

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