Spain’s rescue agency was called into action to intercept two tankers that dragged their anchors in strong winds off Gibraltar overnight on Tuesday.
Salvamento Maritimo said it helped the 159,000-dwt suezmax Mercury (built 2006) and 74,000-dwt product tanker Agnes (built 2007), which were anchored off the British territory.
In the early hours, the 5,100-hp tug Maria Zambrano (built 2008) was sent from Algeciras in Spain to help the ships, while tugs from the Port of Gibraltar also fixed a tow line to the tankers.
The operation took four-and-a-half hours.
Ownership of the two ships is unclear.
The Mercury is the former Cap Charles, which Belgium’s Euronav said was sold and delivered to an unnamed third party on 16 February.
Euronav gained $22.1m from offloading the debt-free tanker.
The vessel has changed its flag from Liberia to St Kitts & Nevis.
AIS showed the Mercury as “stopped” at the anchorage on Tuesday morning, having left Algeciras earlier in the month.
The Agnes remained at anchor, having arrived from Lagos in Nigeria.
Its last named owner was Product Shipping & Trading of Greece, under the name La Boheme, but it no longer appears in the fleet list on this company’s website.
The Agnes has changed its flag from the Marshall Islands to the Palau register.
