For the past week the bulk carrier Dauntless has been leaving Portimao each day and sailing up and down the coast line at a range which I estimate to be about a mile.
It appears to be empty and neither taking on nor discharging cargo !!
Anyone have ideas on what it may be doing ?

Appears it left Annaba, Algeria on 21 December with destination Portimao, ETA 30 December. Appears now to be at anchor a few of miles off so what it is doing is anyone's guess! Seems somewhat odd for such a vessel. Interested now to see where she goes.

'At Anchor'

http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/detail ... :DAUNTLESS

maybe a sign of the slowdown in global trade?

This website is where I got the information originally. It seems an unusual place to anchor a redundant vessel and wondered if it could have anything to do with the rumoured oil exploration in the area. Heaven forbid we have a coastline view of oil rigs

They must have heard you Roy. Offloaded all their illegals and on the way to Tunisia now.
Get some more!!!

They must have heard on the Kiss FM that I'd rumbled them

On the way to Tunisia eh ! - must get my Sfax right for the next stationary vessel

Never mind - it got a few more posts to keep Pato happy