The tugboat “Dola”, formerly “Conde de Gondomar”, detained in Senegal

Since February 2015, the tugboat “Dola”, formerly “Conde de Gondomar”, has been held in Senegal after being arrested by the authorities of that country, with a crew composed of thirteen Nigerians and one Ghanaian, under the pretext that it did not have authorization to navigate those waters and that there were some stowaways on board, reports naval expert Julio A. Rodríguez Hermosilla.

The Nigerian crew members were released and repatriated in August of the same year to Nigeria, except for two who died during the forced stay, although it seems that the Togolese-flagged vessel remains detained in the port of Dakar, with its current situation unknown.

This tugboat, built in 1968 in Italy under the name “Saipem Orsa”, belonged between 1996 and 2010 to the company Remolcadores Nosa Terra (Remolcanosa), first under the name “Remolcagure Bat” and from 2003 with the new name “Conde de Gondomar” and registered in the naval registry of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, during which time it served the State Salvage Society.

Weighing 758 gross tons, it measures 56 m in length, 11.43 m in beam, and 4.70 m in draft. Powered by two FIAT GMT A230 engines totaling 3,500 horsepower, it allowed for a speed of 13 knots and a towing capacity of 30 tons. IMO Code 6826793.

Photo: Julio A. Rodríguez Hermosilla