The Hanjin Vienna — the container ship anchored off Victoria’s waterfront since September — is up for sale.
“The crew is fine … they are regularly supplied with provisions and crew changes are being carried out according to schedule,” said Bettina Wiebe, spokeswoman for Reederei NSB of Germany, in an email Tuesday. Reederei is managing the Vienna for its German owner.
“Owners of the vessel in the meantime have decided to sell the ship. Negotiations with potential buyers are ongoing,” Wiebe said.
For the past 5 1/2 months, the Vienna has been anchored off Victoria at Constance Bank. It has been there since the financial collapse of South Korea’s Hanjin Shipping.
Hanjin Shipping, once the world’s seventh largest shipping company, is seeing assets broken up and sold.
The Vienna is one of the two Hanjin vessels that have been in B.C. waters. The Hanjin Scarlet was also stranded by the bankruptcy and initially moored off Prince Rupert.
The Scarlet was subsequently moved south to anchor by Pender and Saturna Islands. Last month, it was believed the ship was heading home, but that did not happen. It is now moored off Cherry Point on Vancouver Island. The Scarlet is owned by the Hanjin company, which is trying to sell some of its vessels.
Each vessel has had its cargo taken off in port in Vancouver and is being operated with skeleton crews.
