Russian Fishing Vessel Alpha Crux Sinks Alongside in Montevideo
An error during an internal fuel transfer is blamed for the loss of stability
The Russian-flagged fishing vessel Alpha Crux lost stability and sank while lying alongside in Montevideo, Uruguay. Authorities attribute the emergency to an error during a fuel transfer between tanks.
The 50-metre vessel, built in Spain in 2003 and measuring 946 gross tons, began listing to port at around 19:30 local time on Tuesday, August 25. All 41 crew were evacuated without injury.
Personnel from the National Ports Administration and the Montevideo Port Prefecture activated emergency protocols. The shipping agency Idernol Oriental Shipping engaged the Nueva Era Oil Spill Response Organization, which deployed containment equipment, specialist personnel and floating booms to limit environmental damage. An extraction pump was also put into operation to recover the oily liquids observed on the surface, which initially appeared to be bilge water.
No liquid fuel spills have been verified so far. The shipowner has begun salvage procedures with its protection and indemnity insurer, and salvage operations were scheduled to start in the following days.
The Alpha Crux had operated under the Russian flag since 2023 and held an active Antarctic toothfish fishing licence valid through August 2026. Montevideo is one of the principal support ports for the southern ocean fishing fleets, and vessels frequently spend extended periods alongside there between seasons.
Internal transfers are among the more routine operations aboard a fishing vessel, and free surface effect in partly filled tanks is a well-documented mechanism for the rapid loss of stability that follows when one goes wrong.
A vessel that sinks at a berth also creates a different problem from one lost at sea. The wreck occupies commercial quay space, has to be lifted rather than left, and the recovery has to be carried out inside a working port with fuel and lubricants still aboard. That is why the containment booms went in before any salvage plan was settled.
