MV Prestige

MV Prestige was an oil tanker owned by a Greek company based in Athens and operating under a Bahamian flag of convenience, that on 19 November 2002 sank off the coast of Galicia, Spain. The sinking caused a major environmental disaster, polluting thousands of miles of coastline with 50,000 metric tons (49,000 long tons; 55,000 short tons) of oil.^[3]

MV Prestige under emergency tow shortly before it sank in November 2002
History
Name	Prestige
Owner	Mare Shipping Inc.(1994–2002)[1] Lancer Corporation (1988–1994)[2] Monarch Tankers (1976–1988)[2]
Port of registry	Nassau, Bahamas (1994–2002)[1] Greece (1989–1994)[2] Liberia (1988)[2] Panama (1976–1988)[2]
Route	Riga – Gibraltar – Singapore
Builder	Hitachi Shipbuilding and Engineering Co.[1]
Launched	10 December 1975
Completed	1976
Renamed	Gladys (1976–1988)[2] Prestige (1988–2002)[2]
Identification	IMO number: 7372141[1] ABS number: 7603948[1] MMSI number: 308957000[2] Maritime call sign: C6MN6[2]
Fate	Foundered 19 November 2002.
General characteristics
Type	Aframax Single-Hull
Tonnage	81,589 DWT[1] 42,820 GT[1]
Length	243 m (797 ft 3 in)[1]
Beam	34.4 m (112 ft 10 in)[1]
Draft	14 m (45 ft 11 in)[1]
Depth	18.7 m (61 ft 4 in)[1]
Installed power	1 × 900 kW alternator[2] 2 × 480 kW alternators[2]
Propulsion	Burmeister and Wain Type 8K84EF, 8-cylinder diesel, 14,711 kW (19,728 hp)[2]
Speed	15.4 knots (28.5 km/h; 17.7 mph)[1]
Crew	27
Notes	Use of Maltese Cross by ABS

Design and construction

Prestige was a single-hulled oil tanker with a length overall of 243 metres (797 ft 3 in), a beam of 34.4 metres (112 ft 10 in), a hull depth of 18.7 metres (61 ft 4 in), and a draft of 14 metres (45 ft 11 in). It had a 42,820 gross tonnage (GT) and a total cargo capacity of 81,589 tons deadweight (DWT).

The ship was launched on 10 December 1975 and completed on 30 March 1976 by Hitachi Shipbuilding and Engineering Co. in Maizuru, Kyoto, Japan. At the time of its sinking, it was owned by Mare Shipping, and registered in the Bahamas.^[4]

See also

• List of oil spills
• Plataforma Nunca Máis
• Aegean Sea, another oil tanker that sank off the Galician coast in 1992