Pic(k) of the week 16: IBA

April 20, 2021

Pic(k) of the week 16: IBA - NEVER GIVE UP

Living 44 months non-stop on a ship without setting foot on land. It sounds like some record breaking attempt but this is what happened to 5 sailors that worked on the 5000T oil tanker "IBA"...

What started as a normal seafaring job in 2017, turned out to be hell for 5 merchant sailors from Myanmar, India and Pakistan. About three years ago, the ship owner Alco Shipping ran into financial trouble and stopped paying salaries. IBA was anchored several miles off-shore for several years, when in January 2021 it broke two anchors in rough seas and started drifting. Eventually it grounded on a beach in the Northern Emirate of Umm al Quwain.

Typically sailors won't abandon their ship for a couple of reasons. First of all no ship shall be left off-shore or drifting with no crew on board as it endangers the safety of others. Secondly by Maritime law, when abandoning a ship, outstanding salaries can no longer be claimed back.

Last week, I visited the spot where IBA grounded. It looked like it had been moved several hundred meters from the original place, but it wasn't clear if it was in open water again. Local media have been reporting that an agreement with the 5 crew members has been made with regard to the pay-out of the majority of the outstanding salaries as well as plan for repatriation to their home countries. If correct, this is obviously good news for all involved!

Of all the images I shot, the best storytelling image for me was one where a small boy was walking on the beach in front of the vessel. As most of the crew all had small kids back home, it feels like the child was desperately looking for his dad...

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