Dutch cargo ship detained at Las Palmas port after captain fails breathalyser test

Dutch vessel immobilised before departure

The Maritime Authority of Las Palmas, which falls under the Dirección General de la Marina Mercante, has detained the Dutch-flagged vessel Marietje Deborah after its captain tested positive in a breathalyser check carried out before the ship was due to leave the port of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. According to the Ministerio de Transportes y Movilidad Sostenible, the Maritime Administration opened a disciplinary file and ordered the vessel to be immobilised.

The incident occurred while the ship was preparing to depart from Las Palmas. It was the Dutch Maritime Administration itself — the flag state — that raised the alarm, sending an email warning that one crew member may have been under the influence of alcohol.

Breathalyser check carried out with the Guardia Civil

On receiving the alert, the maritime captain of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Ignacio Gallego, barred the ship from leaving and called on the Guardia Civil to conduct breathalyser tests on all crew members.

According to the Ministerio de Transportes, only the ship's captain exceeded the maximum limit set by national and international regulations, which stands at 0,25 milligrams of alcohol per litre of exhaled air. As a result, the Maritime Authority immediately opened a disciplinary file and ordered the vessel to be detained.

€50,000 guarantee and Paris MoU inspection

Alongside the disciplinary proceedings, the Maritime Administration has required the shipowner to lodge a guarantee of €50,000 before the vessel is permitted to put to sea again. This sum is tied to the disciplinary process and must be paid before any departure is authorised.

The vessel will remain detained while a Paris MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) inspection is completed — the port state control procedure applied to foreign-flagged ships to verify compliance with international standards on maritime safety, working conditions, pollution prevention and equipment operation. The inspection will establish whether there are any further deficiencies on board beyond those identified during the breathalyser check.

Before authorising departure, the Maritime Authority has also ordered the entire crew to undergo a further breathalyser test and return results within the permitted limits. The measure applies to all crew members, even though only the captain recorded a reading above the legal threshold in the first round of testing.

Inter-agency coordination

The operation was coordinated between the Maritime Authority of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the Guardia Civil, and the Dutch Maritime Administration, which had raised the alarm before the ship left port. Sources note that national and international regulations set alcohol limits for those performing duties related to safety, navigation and onboard operations, and that breaching those limits can impair the ability to respond to manoeuvres or emergency situations at sea.

The Marietje Deborah will not be allowed to sail until the guarantee has been lodged, the Paris MoU inspection has been completed, and all crew members have passed the new breathalyser test ordered by the maritime authority.