A Turkish harbor pilot descends from a tanker after accompanying its captain during its passage on the Bosphorus strait in Istanbul, Turkey, Feb. 23, 2022. (Xinhua/shadati)
by Zeynep Cermen
ISTANBUL, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- As a fully-loaded oil tanker was passing through the calm yet narrow Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul, Rescue-7, a tugboat dwarfed by the behemoth, closely followed behind despite the fog.
The surveillance tugboat was dispatched by the Turkish Coastal Safety to guard the Bahamian-flagged tanker "Estrella" along the 30-km sinuous strait in case of any urgency until it reached the Marmara Sea.
It would take at least an hour and a half for the 229-meter long tanker to sail through. Beneath the often calm waters, a feast for the eyes among many visitors, the high currents, sharp turns and some points with merely 700 meters width put big ships at higher risks.
Recently, southbound vessels were ordered to pass through the waterway as soon as possible after maritime officials received a two-day marine warning of strong winds and heavy rains in Istanbul.
"There is no safe harbor for the ships to take shelter in the Black Sea, we have to exert more efforts to take them to the Marmara Sea as soon as possible. That's why traffic will flow from north to south all day long today," Baris Gul, chief operator of the Istanbul Ship Traffic Services, told Xinhua.
"If the vessel derails due to a malfunction, such as a mechanical or rudder failure, the tugboat will immediately intervene," Cem Savrunlu, captain of Rescue-7, said while sailing through foggy and rainy weather conditions.
As one of the busiest sea routes in the region, Bosphorus' traffic could be up to 110 passages of ships per day, requiring close monitoring and painstaking coordination from the Ship Traffic Services, a branch of the Directorate General of Coastal Safety.
"We do not allow tankers over 200 meters in length, carrying dangerous cargo, such as explosive materials, to pass through the Bosphorus at night," said Sukru Hakan Kaya, manager of the Traffic Services, at the services' coordination center.
When it comes to tankers, preventing oil spills is a top concern. "Estrella carries 110,000 tons of oil, and it is almost impossible to stop such a giant block in a risky situation from a distance, and therefore close physical contact is the best option to prevent a disaster," Savrunlu said.
Tugce Bakcepinar, second captain of Rescue-7, told Xinhua that at critical turns, the tugboat will get even closer to Estrella to allow for faster and more effective intervention.
Despite all vigilance, some mishaps remain inevitable.
In 2018, the Maltese-flagged Vitaspirit, a 225-meter long bulk carrier, crashed into a historic mansion along the Asian shores of the strait after an engine failure. The accident occurred at the narrowest point of the strait, blocking the entire traffic for hours. ■
A cargo ship passes through the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul, Turkey, Feb. 23, 2022. (Xinhua/shadati)
Cem Savrunlu, captain of Rescue-7, a Turkish tugboat, sails on the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul, Turkey, Feb. 23, 2022. (Xinhua/shadati)
A Turkish coastal safety boat carries a harbor pilot to a Bahamian-flagged tanker on the Bosphorus strait in Istanbul, Turkey, Feb. 23, 2022. (Xinhua/shadati)
Baris Gul, chief operator of the Istanbul Ship Traffic Services, speaks to Xinhua in Istanbul, Turkey, Jan. 11, 2022. (Xinhua/shadati)
A cargo ship passes through the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul, Turkey, Feb. 23, 2022. (Xinhua/shadati)
A cargo ship passes through the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul, Turkey, Feb. 23, 2022. (Xinhua/shadati)