MV Danny F II

Don Carlos (top) and Danny F II (bottom)
Career
Name:	Don Carlos (1975–94) Danny F II (1994–2009)
Owner:	Rederei AB Soya (1976–85) Wallenius Lines Singapore Ptd Ltd (1985–94) Rachid Fares Enterprise Proprietary (1994–2009)
Operator:	Rederei AB Soya (1976–85) Wallenius Lines (1985–94) Rachid Fares Enterprise Proprietary (1994–2000) Danny F II (2000–05) Falcon Point Intl Co. (2005–09)
Port of registry:	Stockholm (1976–85)  Singapore (1985–95)  Liberia (1995–2000)  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (2000–05)  Panama (2005–09)
Builder:	Oy Wärtsilä Ab Turku shipyard
Yard number:	1220
Launched:	14 November 1975
Completed:	April 1976
In service:	30 April 1976
Out of service:	17 December 2009
Identification:	IMO Number 7359462 Callsign J8KU6 (Don Carlos) Callsign 3EDI3 (Danny F II) MMSI Number 371575000
Fate:	Capsized and sank
General characteristics
Tonnage:	14,478 GT 7,258 NRT 14,800 DWT
Length:	202.62 m (664 ft 9 in)
Beam:	28.15 m (92 ft 4 in)
Draught:	8.48 m (27 ft 10 in)
Installed power:	1 x Sulzer 6RND 90 diesel engine
Speed:	20 knots (37 km/h)
Capacity:	5,000 cars (1976–85)
Crew:	77

Danny F II (originally Don Carlos) was a cargo ship built in 1975 as a car carrier. It was renamed Danny F II when rebuilt as a livestock transporter in 1994. The ship capsized and sank off Lebanon on 17 December 2009, carrying 83 people, 10,224 sheep, and 17,932 cattle.^[1] 39 people had been rescued and nine human bodies recovered. All the other people and animals are presumed to have died.^[2]

Construction

Don Carlos was built by Oy Wärtsilä Ab Turku shipyard, Finland, as yard number 1220.^[3] She was launched on 14 November 1975, and completed in April 1976.^[4] She was 202.62 metres (664 ft 9 in) long, with a beam of 28.15 metres (92 ft 4 in) and a draught of 8.48 metres (27 ft 10 in).^[5] The ship was 14,478 GT, 7,258 NRT and 14,800 DWT. Her Sulzer 6RND 90 diesel engine could give her a speed of 20 knots (37 km/h).^[3]

History

Don Carlos was built for Rederei AB Soya, Stockholm.^[3] Originally a car carrier,^[6] she was delivered on 30 April 1976. In October 1985, Don Carlos was transferred to Wallenius Lines Singapore Ptd Ltd, Singapore. In July 1994, she was sold to BSA Transportation Pte, Ltd. of Singapore and renamed Danny F II.^[3]

Danny F II arrived at Singapore on 15 August 1994 for rebuilding as a livestock transporter.^[3] The work was carried out by Pan United Shipyards.^[6] She was sold in 1995 to Rachid Fares Enterprise Proprietary, Fremantle, and reflagged to Liberia. On 25 April 2000, she was registered to Danny F II, St Vincent and the Grenadines.^[3] On 16 September 2000, Danny F II rescued the 25 crew of Cocos Islands. Madona had developed a severe list after her cargo shifted.^[7] On 24 October 2005, Danny F II was registered to Falcon Point International, Panama.^[3]

In 2005, it was reported that Danny F II had been detained at Adelaide because of defects which included holed bulkheads, defective navigation lights and radio equipment and defective watertight doors.^[8]

Sinking

On 17 December 2009, Danny F II capsized and sank in bad weather in the Mediterranean Sea, 11 nautical miles (20 km) from Tripoli, Lebanon, while sailing from Montevideo, Uruguay, to Tartarus, Syria, carrying six passengers, 77 crew, 10,224 sheep and 17,932 head of cattle.^[1] At least 38 survivors were rescued, and, to date, so far nine bodies have been recovered including a man who died before reaching a hospital. The ship's British captain John M Milloy is reported to have remained onboard when the ship rolled over in the high seas.^[9] All the livestock are presumed perished.^[1]

After a distress call made at 15:55 local time (13:55 UTC), a rescue effort was launched comprising ships from the Lebanese Navy and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, the latter including two ships of the German Navy and one of the Italian Navy. A Bell Griffin HAR2 helicopter from 84 Squadron, Royal Air Force, based at RAF Akrotiri and Cyprus Police Aviation Unit helicopters (Bell 412) following a request from the rescue coordination centre in Larnaca were dispatched to assist in the rescue.^[1]

Rescue efforts were hampered by poor weather conditions, high waves and floating carcasses of the ship's livestock cargo.^[10]

As of January 25, 2010, 26 people were unaccounted for, presumed dead.^[11]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Search as ship sinks off Lebanon, BBC News, December 18, 2009.
2. ^ Spencer, Richard. Two Britons among 35 missing from cargo ship, The Daily Telegraph, December 18, 2009.
3. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} "M/S DON CARLOS." (in Swedish). Fakta om Fartyg. http://www.faktaomfartyg.nu/don_carlos_1976.htm. Retrieved 18 December 2009. 
4. ^ ""7359462"" (subscription required). Miramar Ship Index. R.B. Haworth. http://www.miramarshipindex.org.nz. Retrieved 18 December 2009. 
5. ^ "m.v. DON CARLOS (II)". Mareud. http://www.mareud.com/Postcard/wallenius_don_carlos2.htm. Retrieved 18 December 2009. ^{[dead link]}
6. ^ ^{a b} "Ship conversion". Pan United Shipyards. http://www.panunited.com.sg/shipyard/services_sc.html. Retrieved 18 December 2009. 
7. ^ "Vessel Loss Dispatches 2000". Countryman & McDaniel. http://www.cargolaw.com/presentations_casualties.0.html. Retrieved 18 December 2009. 
8. ^ "Live export trade: "excessive mortalities" and cover-ups". Communist Party of Australia. http://www.cpa.org.au/z-archive/g2005/1214live.html. Retrieved 18 December 2009. 
9. ^ "British captain dead and dozens missing as ship sinks". London: The Times. 18 December 2009. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article6961250.ece. Retrieved 18 December 2009. 
10. ^ "Dozens missing after freighter sinks off Lebanon". France24 (Paris). 18 December 2009. http://www.france24.com/en/node/4951169. Retrieved 18 December 2009. 
11. ^ "Ethiopian airliner crashes on takeoff in Lebanon: official". The Age (Melbourne: Fairfax Media). 25 January 2010. http://www.news.com.au/world/ethiopian-airliner-crashes-on-takeoff-in-lebanon-official/story-e6frfkyi-1225823318428. Retrieved 25 January 2010.