sold to Breakers under Tow
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FV MA PETITECHARLIE
An unusual auction was being held on March 31, 2026, at 3.30 p.m. in Ouistreham, directly at its berth on the Quai Charcot. Bidding will also be available online. The 'Le Lucky' was to be auctioned off, which has been seized at the dock since a drug raid in April 2025. The crew was suspected of having picked up bales of cocaine off the Channel Islands. The two crew members, the skipper and his brother, have been in custody. The was is ongoing, but the trawler will be sold on behalf of AGRASC, the Agency for the Management and Recovery of Seized and Confiscated Assets. After the court deemed that the seized asset was no longer useful for establishing the truth and risks depreciating in value, they put it up for sale. The Lucky will have a starting price of €100,000, seven times less than its purchase price four years ago. Another vessel will be auctioned in Tancarville, Seine-Maritime, the same day. It is a 10-meter pleasure boat belonging to a fisherman from Le Havre, arrested during the same drug raid. The starting price is €5,000. Four fishermen – three from Ouistreham and one from Le Havre – have been charged and imprisoned in this case. The investigation, launched by the JIRS (Interregional Specialized Jurisdiction) in Rennes in early 2024, was ongoing. The cargo m/v 'Omicron', arriving from Brazil and bound for Amsterdam, had dropped bales of cocaine at sea. The cargo was recovered by the 'Le Lucky', which then transferred it to the speedboat. The fishermen were arrested upon returning to port. Filipino sailors from the cargo ship were also apprehended. In total, 630 kilos of drugs were seized. To date, about 20 people have been charged. There were still two or three of them belived to be operating in the area. Report with photo: https://www.francebleu.fr/emissions/ici-matin-info-ici-normandie/le-lucky-chalutier-saisi-lors-d-une-operation-antidrogue-vendu-aux-encheres-a-ouistreham-3153887
ROYAL IRIS
The 'Royal Iris', that crossed on the River Mersey for 66 years has set sail on its final voyage on March 29, 2026. The ferry featured in the 1965 film Ferry Cross the Mersey, starring the band Gerry and the Pacemakers, who also sang the legendary title song. It was now set to be replaced by the new £26m vessel 'Royal Daffodi', with an interim service to be run by the 'Snowdrop', a vessel nicknamed the Dazzle Ferry because of its design by Sir Peter Blake, who created the Beatles' Sgt Pepper album cover. The 'Royal Iris' was estimated to have carried more than 17 million people since 1960 between Liverpool and Wirral. The 'Royal Iris', which also sailed on the Manchester Ship Canal, featured in BBC shows Peaky Blinders and The Liver Birds. It was previously sailing as 'Mountwood' after its launch in 1959 until a major refurbishment in 2001. She received her current name on her return to service in 2002, following a major revamp. Report with photo and video: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c78le0g19vpo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKxdhnOstlo

