Living conditions on a Greek bulker with a stranded crew aboard are getting worse while the owner says the situation will be resolved within a month.
A relative of a seafarer on the 30,838-dwt Free Neptune (built 1996) told TradeWinds the crew have run out of food.
He added: “They extract salt out of sea water and are forced to cook on fire just up on the deck.
“The only food left on board is rice, not sure how much they have.”
Twenty-two Ukrainian seafarers remain stranded off the port of Sohar, Oman, and claim they have not been paid for up to 11 months.
This led them to start a hunger strike early last December.
FreeSeas said at the time it was intensifying efforts to sell the vessel and repatriate the seamen.
An executive from the company told TradeWinds earlier today that the vessel is expected to leave the port in three to four weeks.
He added that supply provision on the Free Neptune has been scheduled for early next week.
It is still not clear whether the ship will be sold to another company or if FreeSeas will maintain ownership.
International institutions such as the Liberian Registry and the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) have also stepped in to resolve the situation.
The crewmember’s relative added that three men who agreed to get repatriated with the assistance of the Liberian Registry are still on the ship.
Cases of abandoned crew have risen over the past few months as shipping companies continue to suffer.
A total of 15 Indian nationals have been stranded on a ship controlled by Vera Shipping off Algeria while Greece’s NewLead Holdings has been facing similar situations on some of its vessels.
