RMS SCANLARK
| IMO number: |
8505915 |
|---|---|
| Call sign: |
J8B3399 |
| MMSI number: |
375354000 |
| Flag: |
St. Vincent & Grenadines |
| Port of registry: |
Kingstown |
| Registered owner: |
Scan Maritime Inc., Kingstown |
| ISM Manager: |
Vista Shipping Agency AS, Tallinn |
| Commercial manager: |
Vista Shipping Agency AS, Tallinn |
| Shipyard: |
Gebr. Kötter Schiffswerft-Sägewerk, Haren-Ems / 78 |
| Keel laid: |
10-04-1985 |
| Launch date: |
16-11-1985 |
| Delivery date: |
17-12-1985 |
| Gross tonnage: |
1371 |
| Net tonnage: |
587 |
| Deadweight: |
2008 |
| Length overall: |
75.17 M |
| Length BPP: |
71.76 M |
| Beam: |
10.20 M |
| Draught: |
4.32 M |
| TEU: |
nb |
| Main engine: |
Krupp MaK 6M332 |
| Power: |
600 kW |
| Speed in knots: |
11 |
Ship history & data
Ship history data | |
1985: DROCHTERSEN  DFZFGauensiek / Germany (17-12-1985) | Owner: Werner Pott Schiffahrts KG, Gauensiek Manager: Werner Pott Schiffahrts KG, Gauensiek |
1993: DROCHTERSEN  P3GT5Limassol / Cyprus (00-00-1993) | Owner: Werner Pott Schiffahrts KG, Gauensiek Manager: Werner Pott Schiffahrts KG, Gauensiek |
| 1994: DROCHTERSEN P3GT5 Limassol / Cyprus (00-00-1994) | Owner: Trentino Shipping Ltd., Limassol Manager: Pohl Shipping Schiffahrtsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, Hamburg |
| 1996: DROCHTERSEN P3GT5 Limassol / Cyprus (00-00-1996) | Owner: Werner Pott Schiffahrts KG, Gauensiek Manager: Pohl Shipping Schiffahrtsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, Hamburg |
| 1998: ÖLAND P3GT5 Limassol / Cyprus (00-08-1998) | Owner: Partenreederei ms “Öland” Tom Wörden GmbH, Oldendorf Manager: Schiffahrtskontor tom Wörden GmbH, Oldendorf |
2006: RMS SCANLARK J8B3399Kingstown / St. Vincent & the Grenadines (01-02-2006) | Owner: Scan Maritime Inc., Kingstown Manager: Vista Shipping Agency AS, Tallinn |
| 2009: SCANLARK J8B3399 Kingstown / St. Vincent & the Grenadines (01-05-2009) | Owner: Scan Maritime Inc., Kingstown Manager: Vista Shipping Agency AS, Tallinn |
Additional info | |
| 09-01-2015: | Disabled enroute from Ijmuiden to Apenrade between Kiel l/h and Fehmarn island. The ship had suffered engine damage and dropped anchor close to Kiel l/h, but the anchor dragged in a storm with gale force Gusts, and the vessel was drifting into the fairway around midday. The Kiel-based tugs “KIEL” and “BÜLL” were tasked around midday to take the ship in tow. Due to the storm they succeeded to do so only at 3 p.m., but more trouble arose in an attempt to lift the anchors which held the ship in position 54° 28.29′ N 010° 15.59′ E. Once the ship was freed, it was to be pulled into the East Shore Port in Kiel where it was safely berthed at 7.20 p.m. |
| 20-12-2022: | En route from Abenraa to Aarhus, ran aground on Samso island. Six crew are of Russian nationality, alcohol test was negative. The ship didn’t change course as she should, and ran aground at rather high speed. Watch most probably, fell asleep. No leaks reported. |
| 04-08-2023: | En route from Kiel to Ærøskøbing, ran aground at Ærøskøbing Havn entrance. |
| 26-08-2025: | According to the Flensburg prosecutor’s office and the Schleswig-Holstein criminal police, there are strong grounds to believe that a Russian spy drone was launched from the “SCANLARK”. It allegedly flew over a German Navy warship to gather intelligence and record video. |
| 05-09-2025: | Departed from Rotterdam-Botlek to Eurajoki. |
| 07-09-2025: | Special police units in Germany conducted a large-scale operation against the cargo ship, which was moving through the Kiel Canal. Armed special forces boarded the ship and checked the crew in connection with suspicions of espionage and possible acts of sabotage. Even before “SCANLARK” entered the Kiel-Goltenau lock, the observation deck was closed and the Canal’s webcams were turned off. Subsequently, divers joined the search and spent several hours exploring the ship’s hull. The Kieler Nachrichten newspaper claims that during the search, materials were found on board that confirm suspicions of espionage. During the transit from the lock to the Voithkai, the crew members were guarded by special forces from the Lower Saxony police. A rubber dinghy from the Lower Saxony police escorted the freighter along the canal. Police began storming the ship around 4 p.m. on Sunday and continued to search until Monday, detaining the crew and blocking access to the ship from the shore. |
| 11-09-2025: | While the crew of the “SCANLARK” received a visit from the Seamen’s Mission on board, the ship has not been confiscated, and the crew has not been arrested. But after the robust police operation. the suspected spy freighter is no longer seaworthy. Security-relevant doors were reportedly broken open, which can now no longer be closed and equipment necessary for the safe navigation of the ship has been confiscated. The German Employers’ Liability Insurance Association (BG Verkehr) would have to release the “SCANLARK” to continue its voyage from Kiel after a port state inspection, which has not yet taken place. At the moment, the ship is not seaworthy, and an inspection cannot be foreseen in the near future. As long as the appropriate equipment is not on board, an inspection makes no sense. This means that replacement equipment would probably be needed, as the original equipment has been confiscated as evidence for an initially indefinite period. The total amount of evidence the police removed from the ship during the raid is not publicly known. However, a glance at the deck alone confirmed the suspicion that it could be a spy ship. 360-degree cameras and GPS antennas are not normally found on such a freighter. |
| 01-10-2025: | Departed from Kiel to Euraaminne with 1,500 tons of pig iron loaded in Rotterdam for a Finnish steel mill. Following a raid in Kiel no sufficient evidence was found; the six crew members were questioned and allowed back on board while seized equipment remains under investigation. The Flensburg Prosecutor continues the case but did not order the ship’s seizure. A port state inspection identified 14 deficiencies, including fire extinguishers, crew quarters, lifesaving appliances and watertight doors, though none serious enough for detention. The crew, five Russians and one Ukrainian, were confined to the vessel at the Voith Quay and supported by the Seamen’s Mission, without permission to go ashore. Concerns were raised about possible insolvency of the Estonian owner, which could have led to lay-up and eventual auction of vessel and cargo. |
| 06-10-2025: | Arrived in Eurajoki, moored only about three kilometers from the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant and met by customs, border guard and police. |
Latest data adjustment: 06-10-2025
