YEARS AFTER LAUNCH, CREW STAYS WITH ABANDONED SHIP

Nearly four years into their odyssey at sea, the five-member crew of oil tanker MT Iba is still unable to set foot on dry land. A seafaring job turned into what the men call a nightmare, when the tanker’s owner, Alco Shipping, fell into financial trouble and stopped paying their salaries 32 months ago. The crew was left to fend for itself. The tanker ran aground in umm Al Quwain of the united Arab emirates in late January, after rough seas severed both of its anchors. The Mission to Seafarers has been providing regular food aid and checking on the sailors’ wellbeing since their ship was abandoned. The vessel provides their only leverage against the company. Maritime laws also mean that if they abandon the ship, they could be detained and held responsible.