Looking for help with vessel info

[Jaymax]

Hi folks - please excuse this intrusion into your forum, along with my abject knowledge of things maritime.

There's a passenger vessel, called FREEWINDS, owned by the Scientology cult. It was registered (classed?) by DNV up until recently, when she seemed to be having some trouble getting her Passenger Safety (Security?) Certificate renewed, along with a couple of other bits.

This vessel has been in the news for things like using improper methods and untrained workers to remove exposed blue asbestos, and dumping sewerage inland in Bonaire. There are a bunch of other thing as well, but more of interest to observers / critics of Scientology, than to do with the ship per se.

Anyway, point is, we've been unable to find out what classification society she is now registered with, which is making it much more difficult to keep an eye on things. I'm aware there are sites out there like http://e-ships.net/ which seem to hold this sort of info, but require a hefty subscription - too much to justify a single query!

So I'm wondering if one of you lovely maritime professionals might be able to find out and reply here?

[Marc0]

It's classed with Lloyd's Register and registered in Panama.

[Jaymax]

Thank you Marc0! Very much appreciated.

In case anyone's further interested, the vessel underwent a months-long 'top to bottom refit' in 2008, covered in MARITIME REPORTER & ENGINEERING NEWS(OCTOBER 2009) - however the primary sources for that article (Reyes, Tillburg), which states "The Freewinds hull, engines and equipment were all in excellent operational condition", were scientologists. Shortly after the re-launching, a DNV inspection found "Several bottom longitudinals, longitudinal girders and floor plates found wasted." and up until the class-transfer to Lloyds, the ship did not receive a full PSSC, and was at times sailing with passengers when it did not (according to DNV website) have any PSSC.

All of which I'm sure means more to you folk than to me! But perhaps raises concern.

Anyway, I'll keep up an email alert on this thread, just in case anyone else might have something to say at some point down the line.

(Just to be clear, this has nothing to do with attacking anyone's beliefs - but rather concerns about the activities of a cultish organisation, spoken against by many hundreds of ex-members, which has been shown both in life and in the courts to have little regard for the law, or for its indoctrinated members)

Thanks again.

[Steamer]

"Several bottom longitudinals, longitudinal girders and floor plates found wasted." and up until the class-transfer to Lloyds, the ship did not receive a full PSSC, and was at times sailing with passengers when it did not (according to DNV website) have any PSSC.

Don't need no stinkin' plates or girders and certificates, we got faith in L Ron!

BoatOfFaith_sty..jpg
"The boat of faith is kept afloat by stars above and fish below"

Stacks of cash and real estate don't hurt either.