TAIWANESE FISHING BOAT CRASHES INTO PADANG PADANG; AUTHORITIES INVESTIGATE
CONTEST CRASHERS: Tawainese Fishing Boat Shocks Padang; Authorities Investigate
The notorious Tawainese longliner fishing boat, Ho Tsai Fa No. 18, ran aground on the reef at Padang Padang in Bali, Indonesia at 7PM on Friday night - just in time for opening day of the highly anticipated Rip Curl Padang Cup event the following morning.
Rip Curl reports that the contest is still on as scheduled, perhaps even this Friday with July's next swath of sizable goundswell. Seeing that waves were still being surfed alongside the wreck, the spot is still rideable when small. How it will break once there is a double overhead plus swell required for Padang Padang to work is anybody's guess. Some say the backwash off the boat will be a debilitating factor. Others reckon the reef might be altered, changing the wave. "We are in touch with the local authorities pushing for the vessel to be removed before it turns into a potential disaster zone when the next big swell hits on Friday," said Jeff Anderson Rip Curl South Asia's CEO.
Taiwanese authorities had been seeking assistance from the Indonesian government to find this boat well known for illegal fishing practices that's been missing since May 13, 2008. Taiwanese skipper Tsai Wen-chen and approximately 16 Indonesian crewmen were on board when it went missing.
Greenpeace has been chasing this boat for years due to its allegedly destructive over-fishing methods and a previous record of controversial landing of shark fins. The last reported sighting of the boat was in Micronesian waters on Thursday by the crew of another Taiwanese fishing vessel, but it quickly took off when the fishing boat tried to approach it. This bizarre reaction raised speculation that the boat may have been taken over by its mutinous Indonesian crew.
Prior to bottoming out on the reef, the boat had been anchored just off the coast of Padang Padang. When it ran aground Friday evening there was no crew onboard, no captain, no documents and no paperwork. According to SURFER staff photographer and Bali resident Jason Childs, "Fourteen of the crew are now under arrest with Indonesian police and two are still on the run. The whole situation got even weirder today when rumor surfaced that the captain may have been murdered by his crew."
Shortly after the vessel ran aground, its owner reportedly flew in from Taiwan and promised he will come back on July 19th to pull the boat off the reef. To complicate matters, a big swell is predicted to hit this Friday, and who knows if the boat will still be in one piece by then?
"Most of the fuel has already leaked and been pilfered out of the boat by now," said Childs. "But there is most likely still a significant amount of oil still sitting in there." Obviously the main concern right now is getting the hideous beast removed before it spews any more toxic diesel and oil all over the pristine reefs.
Stay tuned to SurferMag.com as more details become available.
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READER COMMENTS
Tue Sep23, 2008, 4:39 PM
I just would like to Thank all of the supporters who have rallied to "Save the Park." I lived in San Diego for 16 years, but have been gone since 2005, and will return in 2009. I think about surfing everyday and live vicariously through Surfer and my collection of DVD's and videos. Hopefully with all of your efforts I will be able to still enjoy this beautiful area. Strong work!!!! Peace and much love. Singin'
Tue Sep23, 2008, 4:46 PM
What a Powerful day thanks to all who came to support the saving of trestles and our State park......The Road to saving Trestles coming soon Info: at www.digitalwunderland.com
Wed Sep24, 2008, 6:15 PM
I can only hope a toll road is built along Trestles. Surfers need to respect the public need to transportation solutions. The sad fact is most surfers believe they are standing for the environment. Squawk, Squawk....
Wed Sep24, 2008, 10:59 PM
thomason, you are a complete idiot
Thu Sep25, 2008, 8:06 PM
Looks like Pezman hasn't missed too many desserts of late.
Thu Sep25, 2008, 8:08 PM
THOMASON......YOU ARE A COMPLETE BLAZING IDIOT!!! MY MOM THINKS SO TOO! SHE DON'T SURF!
Sat Sep27, 2008, 4:32 PM
No substantive remarks on here. Go ahead and burn my post. The fact is most of the surfers who get behind Trestles do little outside their own interests. This idea of being "environmental saviors" is lost in the true identities of self-interested and greedy lemmings, baked and stoned in their one dimensional lives.
Mon Sep29, 2008, 12:02 AM
I'm amazed at your remarks that surfers are "stoners and greedy lemmings." no surfer I know would claim to be an enviornmental savior and while such organizations as Surfrider do so much to help everyone ignorant people like you continue to make our arguments for us. Do you think that surfers somehow don't have to sit in the same traffic that the "public" does? The truth of the matter is that if we work together we can find an alternative solution to our common problem. I say take a look at yourself and maybe you'll see who is really lost in self interest.
Mon Oct 6, 2008, 12:38 PM
I cant believe the audacity of some people to put a stereotype on Surfers that we are all stoners and dont drive.Iam a 49 year old Surfer and I dont drink or do drugs and have a passion to surf. If more of these hard headed people took the time to find a passion other than a fricken toll road, I think they would understand.
Mon Jul 6, 2009, 9:09 PM
Fasten an empty fuel bladder to each side of the grounded ship, slowly inflate the bladders with compressed air and float/tow the ship to a scrap dealer.