In February, we posted “The Long Strange Voyage of the “Ghost Ship” MV Alta,” about a derelict ship that, after 17 months abandoned and adrift, washed up unexpectedly on the Irish coast near the village of Ballycotton in County Cork. Now three months later, the Alta remains where she was dashed onto the rocks by the hurricane-force winds of Storm Dennis. No one is entirely sure what to do about her.

The problem is that the owner of the “ghost ship” has apparently ghosted. The authorities have had no luck locating those who own and are responsible for the 44-year-old, 77-meter cargo vessel. The concern is that the scrap value of the ship is close to zero and if the owner is not located the cost of removing the wreck will be borne by the Irish government. 

RTE reports: “We’re still trying to establish ownership and that process may take up to a year,” a spokesperson for Ireland’s revenue commissioners, who act as “receiver of wreck”, a statutory function, said on Tuesday. …

If no owner is found, the Irish state will face a choice: spend millions of euros removing the vessel or let the elements determine its fate.

The Alta caught the public’s imagination but locals bristle at the prospect of a rusting ruin remaining on their shores, a magnet for curious and in some cases reckless sightseers. Before Covid-19 restrictions, there were reports of people boarding the vessel despite warnings that it was dangerous and unstable.

Salvage experts estimate that it may cost upwards of €10m to remove the wreck of the Alta.

MV ALTA The abandoned ‘Ghost Ship’ washed ashore during storm Dennis