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Derelict Russian cruise ship continues to float off coast of Newfoundland

The tug Charlene Hunt tows the Lyubov Orlova out of St. John's Harbour on Jan. 23.

For the past several days a derelict Russian cruise ship with a fancy name has been floating unimpeded off the coast of Newfoundland after a failed attempt to tow the vessel out of Canada was just kind of abandoned.

Understandably there has been some concern about what comes next for the floating eyesore, but less action.

According to the Canadian Press, the Lyubov Orlova is currently floating about 270 kilometres off the shore of St. John's in the vicinity of the Hibernia offshore oil platform.

Officials say the vessel is not expected to get any closer to the oil platform. Then again, it is also not supposed to be floating aimlessly through the ocean. But alas.

[ Related: Empty vessel still adrift, not expected to reach Hibernia ]

According to Transport Canada, the boat really isn't getting in anyone's way, and it isn't leaking pollutants or causing much a fuss. So for now it is best just to pretend it's not there.

How can this solution be considered flawed? After all, it is the same strategy that keeps us out of awkward conversations with overly friendly strangers.

Let's just ignore it and maybe it will go away.

According to The Telegram, The Lyubov Orlova has been adrift since last week when a towline snapped as it was pulled out of harbour en route to the Dominican Republic to be sold for scraps.

That tugboat has since been called back to St. John's due to safety concerns.

[ Related: Newfoundland is last on Fraser Institute’s healthcare rankings ]

The Lyubov Orlova has a fascinating history. The cruise ship was named after an early-1900s Russian actress and was saved by a Spanish icebreaker in 2006 after crashing in Antarctica. It more recently operated as an Alaskan cruise ship until 2010.

According to a handy backgrounder posted on the ship-watching blog, Tugfax, the Lyubov Orlova was seized in 2010 for debts to Canadian charterers. The owners skipped town without paying its Russian and Ukrainian crew members, who were left stranded in Canada until they were eventually repatriated.

Blogger Mac Mackay writes:

In January 2012 the ship was sold in Federal Court to an owner based in the British Virgin Islands.

Part of Transport Canada’s hesitancy to get involved with the Lyubov Orlova is contained within that story: jurisdiction. They finally got rid of the damn thing; it’s up to the new owner to take if from there.

And it’s a fine plan as long as the vessel doesn't float closer to the Hibernia oil platform. Or sink in a shipping lane, or turn back toward shore.