BYB Othello Grounds at Bosphorus Entrance in Storm

A dry cargo ship grounded at the northern entrance to the Bosphorus in the early hours of November 6 after its main engine failed during severe weather.

BYB Othello, a 97-metre vessel registered in St. Kitts and Nevis, ran aground near the Istanbul Anadolu Lighthouse at 0240 local time while carrying a cargo of steel. It had 13 crew aboard. The Turkish Coast Guard evacuated all of them to shore via breeches buoy before 0600. The ship remained aground by mid-morning.

The Maritime Executive reports the vessel had accumulated 90 deficiencies across six recent port state control inspections. Engine failure in rough weather brought the ship onto the rocks before assistance could reach it.

The Bosphorus has seen a cluster of recent casualties. Three weeks ago, war-damaged tankers ran aground near Istanbul in the same general area. A day before the BYB Othello incident, a Turkish tug struck its tow in a Black Sea storm north of the strait.