Deliberately Drifting: Tankship Saves Fuel

The tankship 'Nord Integrity' took advantage of favourable winds & current to drift some 280 miles on passage to the loading port in order to save fuel.

The 48,026 dwt tankship saved US$17,000 by shutting down the main engines and drifting for a few days while on passage from a bunkering call in the Canary Islands towards a loading port in Algeria, reports Bloomberg.

The voyage complied with safety regulations, and the owners made it clear that none of their ships would follow this practice if loaded with cargo. Norden spent $651 million on fuel in 2012, or 67 percent of its voyage costs.

Source: Bloomberg