# HAWK & ENSCO 101



## MauriceJ (Mar 12, 2009)

Can anyone please explain the strange course taken by the semi-submersible heavy-lift ship HAWK recently ? According to AIS tracking websites she anchored in the Forth Estuary and on 14th June tugs towed the oil rig ENSCO 101 from Dundee, taking it near her but on 20th June they apparently took the rig back to Dundee. By 30th June it had been taken to the Forth again and was loaded aboard the HAWK which sailed for St. Petersburg - an area I do not associate with oil wells or shipbreaking. She sailed out into the North Sea but did a 180 degree turn, coming back off the Forth before heading north off Montrose, doing another about-turn and going south to off Berwick. Then she headed in the expected direction and into the Kattegat, nearing Elsinore - but turned again and came back into the Skagerrak. On 10th July she was north of Denmark doing about 9 knots but left her westward course by turning east for about 20 miles, then 20 miles west, 20 miles east, 20 miles west before resuming her passage. After anchoring off St. Petersburg, the HAWK is now sailing to Rotterdam and ENSCO 101 is at the Russian Kronstadt naval base. Why ?


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## bobha (May 24, 2016)

That sounds like a very good question.

Bob


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## Freeboard (Sep 27, 2018)

Yes I can. As Marine Warranty Surveyor I was in attendance until loaded on to HAWK. We left Dundee towed by Maersk Handler. On Fri 18th we were instructed to heave to in a sate position off Isle of May as HAWK not ready due to an insurance issue. Class required 101 to seek safe Haven. Hence return to Dundee. Weather and lack of tugs delayed departure for second time.2nd attempt was good. I then departed after off load to HAWK and secured for passage to kronstadt to under 1 year upgrade by new owners Russian Co. AMNGR. plan to resume drilling operations. Ensco 101 renamed NEVSKAYA means River Neva on which St Petersburg sits. The rig drilled successfully in Dutch sector for a few years. I moved it a couple times then. After leaving Forth there was weather sea state problems delayed its passage. There was also port entry delays at Kronstadt.


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## MauriceJ (Mar 12, 2009)

Dear Freeboard,
Thank you very much for your interesting and informative comments, which I really appreciate. You certainly explain a lot of the story very well, but although you were not then aboard do you also know why the HAWK took her very strange course off Denmark, including retracing her route for hundreds of miles ?
Thanks again, and very best wishes,
MauriceJ.


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## MarnockBS54 (Dec 2, 2019)

MauriceJ said:


> Dear Freeboard,
> Thank you very much for your interesting and informative comments, which I really appreciate. You certainly explain a lot of the story very well, but although you were not then aboard do you also know why the HAWK took her very strange course off Denmark, including retracing her route for hundreds of miles ?
> Thanks again, and very best wishes,
> MauriceJ.


Hi MauriceJ - sorry I have no explanation for the deviations off Danish Coast. I can only assume it was either weather/sea state related or more issues with Insurance Certification.


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## MauriceJ (Mar 12, 2009)

Dear Marnock,
Thank you. Although you cannot explain the later routing I really appreciate your kind helpfulness, and other ship enthusiast friends who were also puzzled were delighted to learn the reasons for the initial detours etc. Thus thanks again, and all the very best,
MauriceJ.


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## MauriceJ (Mar 12, 2009)

Dear Marnock,
Thank you. Although you cannot explain the later routing I really appreciate your kind helpfulness, and other ship enthusiast friends who were also puzzled were delighted to learn the reasons for the initial detours etc. Thus thanks again, and all the very best,
MauriceJ.


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