logoalt Hacker News

nradovtoday at 6:04 AM0 repliesview on HN

It's not that simple. The stranded vessels are often not really seaworthy and can't be safely sailed to another port. They might be low on fuel with no cash to buy more (the cargo won't necessarily work as fuel). The vessel may be docked in a port already and owe fees to the local authorities who won't allow it to leave.