The Joanna V was carrying 18,700 tons of oil when she was first detected by the Royal Navy's Beira Patrol.[2]:71 The Captain, Yiorgos Vardinogiannis, was warned not to proceed to Beira.[3]:71 However when the British government requested consent from the Greek government to use force, this permission was refused, although the Greek government did say they would endeavour to persuade Vardinoyannis not to do so.