The "Lubov Orlova" liner, which was lost during the towing in 2013, is now being searched all over the Atlantic. Some of them are attracted by the possible benefits: the cost of the ship when it is scrapped will be about 600 thousand pounds sterling. Others are afraid that the huge "ghost ship" may become a threat to shipping. And paranormal lovers are interested in other things: from a flock of cannibal rats, which are likely to be on board, to distress signals from time to time submitted by the ship.
CURSE TO THE LEAD.
In 1976, the shipyard in Kraljevica, Yugoslavia, launched a double-deck cruise ship, number 413. The customer named it "Lubov Orlova" . The great actress loved luxury, and therefore the ship that bore her name, for sure, would have liked it. The cabins were equipped with bathrooms, air conditioners, luxury beds. A restaurant, two cafes, a cinema, a dance floor - these are the wonders of luxury waiting for travelers onboard. The owner of the liner became the Far Eastern Shipping Company. To be on the ship was to demonstrate one's belonging to the then elite. Therefore, it was not easy to buy tickets, even despite their high cost.
NOT GOOD FAME.
In 1999 the liner was re-equipped and leased by Marine Expeditions. Now it was intended for tours to Antarctica. Luxury has decreased, but there appeared, for example, a helipad, which is necessary for the vessel, which can be squeezed in the ice.
And yet, despite all the technical innovations, "Lubov Orlova" had a bad reputation. Tourists and members of the team complained about the troubles that happened to them on the ship: someone will fall down and break their arm or leg, then navigation charts will disappear from the bridge, then fire alarm signals will be triggered spontaneously. And the most important thing is that there are a lot of rats aboard the liner, which could not be etched.
ORDERED TO DESTROY.
Despite the large number of tourists wishing to visit Antarctica and the good income of the company, in 2010 "Lubov Orlova" was detained in the Canadian port of St. John's for debts. The crew and passengers left the liner. Port guards only occasionally appeared on board, bypassing the port guards. They noticed that the rats had become the masters of the ship.
More than two years later, the owners of the liner were still unable to pay their creditors. In order to pay off at least part of the debt, the ship was sold for scrapping, or, to put it in a sea slang, for needles. "Lubov Orlova" was disposed of in the Dominican Republic, where large ship hull demolition plants are located. However, Port St. John's staff noted a strange feature: rats, who usually feel instinctively that the ship is going to their last berth, run away from the ship. On the same occasion, they did not leave the hold of the liner. And there was a rumor among the Canadian dockers that something was wrong.
INCREDIBLE STRANGENESS.
Towing started in January 2013 in complete silence, but the next day a storm broke out in the Atlantic. The rope on which the liner was sailing broke. Sailors tried several times to "shuffle" their wingman, but the huge waves each time reduced all efforts to "no". Eventually, when it came to the threat to the crew, the tugboat captain decided to leave "Lubov Orlova" and turned towards Canada. A few hours later, the storm subsided. The team came back, but she could not find the liner. The sailors assumed that the ship had sunk, and the ship was being radioed ashore. It would seem that this is the fate of "Lubov Orlova" can be dotted on, but no - then began a continuous mysticism.
"SAVE OUR SOULS".
On February 22, 2013, the Irish coastal stations suddenly caught a distress signal from "Lubov Orlova" . SOS did not repeat, and experts, having discussed the situation, came to the conclusion: probably, the tugboat simply could not detect the liner, it was carried by the waves about 700 kilometers to the east, and then "Lubov Orlova" went to the bottom. Seawater closed the transmitter circuits and the distress signal was automatically transmitted to the air. It would have been better to calm down, but a month later the SOS sounded again from the ship!
Since then and until now the distress signal has been heard twice more on the air. Judging by the bearing, "Lubov Orlova" has long left the waters of the Caribbean Sea and, drifting along the North Atlantic, is gradually approaching the British Isles. But all the reconnaissance flights of the Royal Air Force remained unsuccessful.
to be continued in the next part...