The world’s largest tall ship, Golden Horizon, has set sail again after being held in Dover.
The square rigger, operated by Tradewind Voyages, had just finished its second-ever passenger cruise when it was ‘arrested’ at the English port. I was among those who had disembarked the ship just hours earlier.
Star Clippers, which originally ordered the ship as Flying Clipper from Croatian company Brodosplit, has been locked in a long financial dispute with the yard.
In a statement issued on July 15, it said: ‘Earlier today, the English authorities have upon instruction of Star Clippers and with leave from the Admiralty Mashal arrested the vessel Golden Horizon in Dover.
‘Despite several payment demands Croatian shipyard Brodosplit refused to voluntarily discharge its outstanding financial obligations to Star Clippers which made an arrest unavoidable.
‘Star Clippers has advised Brodosplit Group that upon proper payment of the debt owed to Star Clippers the ship will be released from arrest immediately.’
One report said the amount involved was around 7million euro.
Today (July 16), Star Clippers was quoted in the Croatian press as saying: ‘As soon as we received Brodosplit’s first outstanding debt payment, Star Clippers ordered [Golden Horizon] to be released immediately.’
A spokesperson for the ship’s operator Tradewind Voyages, based in Suffolk, assured me: ‘There are no outstanding payments, everything has been settled. The ship is continuing her voyages, as planned.’
The ship is due to begin its maiden voyage on Monday.
See also:
Star Clippers ‘awarded substantial damages’ over the ship now known as Golden Horizon
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