01.04.2020

The Corona crisis also slows down our ship

Almost exactly one month ago the Sea-Watch 4 left her former home port Kiel with the destination port Burriana in Spain. The crossing went without any problems despite rough weather and could be used by the crew to get to know the ship and to prepare for the upcoming missions. In a concentrated shipyard phase in Spain, necessary conversions were to be carried out in order to finally turn the former research vessel into a rescue ship.

Already at Easter the ship should be in operation; so far the plan. But unfortunately the Corona crisis has Spain firmly in its grip. Public life stands completely still. And also the work on board of the Sea-Watch 4 has to pause for the time being. About half of the volunteers have now left, necessary building materials are not available at the moment because the shops have largely closed.

Fortunately, all remaining crew members are healthy and highly motivated. With the building materials and tools available on board, they continue to work on the ship as best they can and make progress with the conversion as far as possible.

We regret this very much, but see how everyone involved is doing their best in this difficult situation. We will continue to keep you informed of all developments and of course hope that the ship can start its life-saving work as soon as possible.

The importance of this is also evident in these weeks: Due to Corona-related conditions and regulations, not a single rescue ship has been in operation in the central Mediterranean in recent weeks. This is dramatic because the situation in Libya remains unchanged.