SHAFTED
On Friday 26th September 1986, HM Customs & Excise boarded the MV Communicator and removed the vessels engine drive shaft bearing. Customs were acting on the authority of the Department of Transport, a spokesman said the vessel was immobilised because necessary safety work had not been carried out and it was feared the ship was about to slip away. The ships owner Ray Anderson denied this and hit out at the way the operation had been carried out, he said that thousands of pounds had been spent on necessary safety improvement and a protest had been lodged with Customs and Excise. His solicitors were threatening legal action unless the part was returned within seven days. In a press report Harwich harbourmaster Captain Ian Whale is quoted "Basically we don't like vessels immobilised in an anchorage from a safety point of view, but when it broke adrift earlier this year it was tug assistance rather than the use of her own engines which brought her back". Following an incident on October 20th, 1986 when the Communicator, dragged her anchor, and narrowly missed damaging the Sealink vessel Cambridge Ferry, the Customs and Excise returned the main engine drive shaft bearings.