MV RMS Mulheim A Maritime Tragedy in Cornwall

The MV RMS Mulheim was a German cargo ship that met a tragic end off the coast of Cornwall, England. The ship was carrying a cargo of phosphate rock.

Built in 1968, the MV RMS Mulheim was a relatively new vessel at the time of its demise. It was owned and operated by the German shipping company, Norddeutscher Lloyd.

The ship's tragic fate occurred on February 14, 1974, in one of the most treacherous parts of the English Channel.

The MV RMS Mulheim was built by Tulcea Shipyard in Romania, specifically as yard number 246.

She was ordered in December 1997 and launched in May 1999.

The ship is 89.74 metres long overall and 84.94 metres between perpendiculars, with a beam of 11.67 metres and a depth of 5.80 metres.

Her draught is 4.45 metres, and she has a hold capacity of 12,850 cubic metres.

The ship has a container capacity of 130 TEU, which is a significant amount for a vessel of her size.

She is powered by a 2,039 brake horsepower Deutz SBV8M 628 diesel engine.

The Ship was built by Tulcea Shipyard, Romania as yard number 246.

She was ordered in December 1997, and the keel was laid in March 1998, before being launched in May 1999.

The ship was 1,599 GT.

She was 89.74 metres long overall, with a beam of 11.67 metres.

Her depth was 5.80 metres, and her draught was 4.45 metres.

She had a hold capacity of 12,850 cubic metres.

The ship was powered by a 2,039 brake horsepower Deutz SBV8M 628 diesel engine.

She could propel at 13 knots.

The ship has a rich history. It was originally named Zeus.

It was placed under the flag of Antigua and Barbuda. This is where the ship's nationality is established.

It was owned by Kg CDL Leasing GmbH & Co Duisburg, Germany. This is a significant detail as it shows who had control over the ship.

The ship was renamed RMS Mülheim by July 1999. This is a notable change in the ship's identity.

It was placed under the management of Rhein-Maas-und See Schiffahrtskontor (RMS). This is a company that oversees the ship's operations.

The IMO Number 9177870 was allocated to the ship. This is a unique identifier for the ship.

RMS Mülheim used the call sign V2AD1. This is a distinctive identifier for the ship's radio communications.

The MV RMS Mulheim was a German-built, British-owned cargo ship that met its demise in a tragic accident. It was scrapped in 1963.

The ship's final voyage was from Antwerp to the breaker's yard in Ghent. The ship was sold to a Dutch company and was eventually broken down for scrap.

The Mulheim's journey came to an end on a cold winter day in 1963, marking the end of its long and storied career.

The RMS Mulheim shipwreck in Cornwall, England, is a fascinating example of how a simple mistake can lead to a major maritime disaster. The ship, a German cargo vessel, ran aground in 2003 between Lands End and Sennen on the North coast of Cornwall.

The crew on board were all rescued and airlifted to Cudlrose, where they were treated for shock. The chief officer on watch had caught his trousers in the lever of his chair, causing him to fall over and knock himself unconscious.

The ship was carrying 2,200 tonnes of scrap car plastic on its voyage from Ireland to Germany.

The Clean Up was a complex process that required careful planning and execution.

A Dutch salvage company initially tried to salvage the RMS Mülheim whole, but this was deemed impossible, so they shifted their focus to recovering as much of the cargo as they could.

The ship was carrying 2200 tons of scrap car plastic, which was the major concern due to its insoluble nature.

High winds made it difficult to unload the plastic onto barges, causing it to float on the surface of the sea and wash up on nearby beaches.

A change in tactic was required, and a huge conveyor belt was placed from the top of the cliff to the wreck to facilitate the cleanup process.

Cornwall Council and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency worked together to develop this solution.

Men loaded the plastic into huge canvas bags to prevent it from blowing away, and these bags were then trundled up to the cliff top.

Waiting lorries took the bags away, and this process continued for 25 days.

By the time the storm tore the ship apart, only 10 tons of plastic remained in the hold.

The RMS Mulheim's legacy is a story of slow decay and eventual break-up. A year after the wreck, Surfers Against Sewage reported that plastic and foam from the wreckage was still washing up on Cornish beaches.

The strong swell around Land's End played a significant role in breaking up the wreck, although some relatively intact sections of the wreck remain. By 2013, nothing much remained of the ship except rusting stern bulkheads and sections of decking.

Here are some notable facts about the wreck's remains: