Malaviya Twenty finally leaves after two years of being stranded in Great Yarmouth
The former Malaviya Twenty, now Typhoon, departing Great Yarmouth. - Credit: Archant
When the Malaviya Twenty arrived in Great Yarmouth in June 2016, it was supposed to be a short stop before moving on.
But little did the crew of the Indian-owned vessel know that it was just the start of a two year ordeal.
That ordeal came to an end on Tuesday as the ship - now renamed as Typhoon - finally sailed out from harbour to start a new life, under new owners.
The saga involved the ship being detained by the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) after it was found that its medical certificate had expired, and employees' wages had gone unpaid.
The ship had already been held in Aberdeen for two months due to similar issues with unpaid wages.
The former Malaviya Twenty, now named Typhoon, leaving Great Yarmouth harbour after a two year stay. - Credit: Archant
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That led to a stalemate, with its owners GOL Offshore going into liquidation in February last year.
A settlement over outstanding wages was finally paid in November, allowing most of the crew to return home.
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However, the ship's Captain, Nikash Rastogi, and two able-bodied seamen remained on board.
Capt Rastogi said he stayed with the ship to ensure the sale was administered correctly.
His personal 17-month ordeal came to an end on September 21, when the ship was finally sold for just over £1m to a Greek shipping company.
He said at the time: 'It is like a weight being lifted because there was a point of no hope,' he said.
'There was a period where things were really bad mentally.'
The crew killed time on the ship by doing routine maintenance, performing drills and keeping in touch with family at home on WhatsApp.
Capt Rastogi said they looked out for 'markers for depression' and he read books to keep busy.
'Your mind needs to be like a shark in that sense because if you stop then you sink and you start thinking about the situation and then there's no hope.'
Asked about his plans when he returned home, he said: 'I think I'm going to have lots of Indian food.
'I'm going to start with curries from breakfast to dinner.'
The ship left with a full Russian crew and is bound for Santana in Spain.
