Operation to Free Hoegh Osaka Cargo Ship Under Way

[gwillybj]

4 January 2015 Last updated at 09:38 ET
Operation to Free Hoegh Osaka Cargo Ship Under Way

A major operation is under way to free a car transporter ship that ran aground in the Solent, off the Isle of Wight.

The Hoegh Osaka was heading to Germany when it ran on to the Bramble Bank, in the entrance to Southampton Water, at about 21:30 GMT on Saturday.

The coastguard said 25 crew members were rescued from the vessel.

Hoegh Autoliners said it was "currently assessing damage and stability issues on board".

The ship's owner said one of the crew members was taken to hospital with non life-threatening injuries.

Three senior officers stayed on board but have now been taken ashore.


The ship ran aground 50 minutes after setting sail from Southampton

HM Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) Operations Centre commander Steve Carson said: "The salvage operations have commenced. Not the removal of the vessel but the plans for its removal.

"The owners have appointed salvage operators and did so quite swiftly."

Controller Andrew Jenkins said: "What they'll probably do is do some assessments of the vessel, check the hull, make sure there's no ingress of water, and the integrity of the hull is intact.

"Then they'll look at the best ways of removing the vessel, whether that's via refloating it on the next tide, or having to bring in other equipment to remove it."

The MCA said there was no reported pollution from the vessel, but that its Counter Pollution Team was monitoring the situation.

The vessel was not in a shipping channel, so there is no impact on other ships in the area, it added.

Svitzer, a salvage company, is on its way to the scene to make an initial assessment.

The MCA said it would not speculate on how the ship ran aground.

Dr Simon Boxall, an oceanographer at Southampton University, said the circumstances were unclear.

He said: "The weather conditions yesterday were very good… relatively light winds, visibility was fantastic."

Marine salvage expert John Noble said: "Clearly she left the channel. What we can't speculate on at this stage is why.

"The Bramble Bank is well known for being a difficult stretch of water so everyone is on the alert.

"Having this ship here is not at all helpful but it will remind people what the danger is.

"There's been a succession [of ships running aground], the most famous being the QE2 on her final voyage into Southampton [in 2008].

"She was fortunately refloated straight away. We haven't seen that here."


Thermal cameras captured the 45 degree list from the air

Solent Coastguard Peter Davies described the rescue as a "complex" operation and said the crew were in "definite danger".

The 180m (590ft) vessel, which was carrying a combination of vehicles, can be seen from Cowes, listing at 45 degrees.

Hampshire Constabulary said car parks along the coast by Calshot were "extremely busy" as people were keen to get a view of the stricken vessel.

"We're monitoring the traffic situation around all vantage points," a spokesman said.

In a statement, Hoegh Autoliners said the ship "suffered a heavy list earlier yesterday evening after leaving Southampton Port".

It said: "The crew have been taken to HMS Daedalus at Stubbington by helicopter [and] the Marine Accident Incident Branch (MAIB) has been informed.

"The crew confirmed the vessel was not taking in any water."

A spokesman said an operation to re-float the ship was under way and it was not "a lost cause".

Four RNLI Lifeboats as well as the Solent Coastguard helicopter were involved in the rescue.

The transporter, registered in Singapore, set sail from Southampton at about 20:20.

An annual cricket match takes place in the area where the ship ran aground as the sands are exposed in low spring tides.


The cargo ship ran aground on Bramble Bank on Saturday evening

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-hampshire-30671548

[gwillybj]

4 January 2015 Last updated at 15:43 ET
Hoegh Osaka Cargo Ship 'Grounded Deliberately' in Solent

A car transporter ship was grounded in the Solent deliberately after it began to list, its owners have said.

The Hoegh Osaka was run aground off the Isle of Wight on Saturday evening after developing problems once it had left Southampton, Ingar Skiaker, chief executive of Hoegh Autoliners said.

The ship is now listing at more than 50 degrees and a salvage operation is expected to take several days.

However, no oil is thought to have leaked from the ship.

Mr Skiaker said it was too early to speculate on the cause of the accident and thanked the rescue teams who took all 25 crew on board to safety.

He said two crew members had been taken to hospital with minor injuries.

Mr Skiaker said: "We know the vessel was leaving Southampton with some cargo on board and while navigating out of the channel she apparently had a list.

"The captain and master and the pilot on board decided jointly to put the vessel on the sandbank to avoid any more serious problems.

"I think they executed their duties based on their best judgement and we're not second-guessing their actions right now.

"There has been no leakage of any oil or any other substances and that's our primary focus obviously now going forward, that we keep it that way."

Asked whether there were too many vehicles on board, he replied: "No, the vessel was only one-third full."

He said the vessel was considered to be stable and that his company was working closely with their appointed salvage company, Svitzer, to "prepare for a safe and successful salvage of the vessel with minimal disruption to the port and it environment".



Hugh Shaw, of the Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA), also said there had been no environmental damage.

"I am confident that the vessel owners are working professionally and promptly and have appointed salvors who arrived on scene early this morning and have already started work to assess options for salvage and the removal of the vessel," he said.

"Further salvage personnel and salvage equipment is expected to arrive on scene tonight. Further assessments will be carried out over the next few days and these will assist the salvage team to formulate a suitable salvage plan."

A temporary 200m exclusion zone has been put in place. Three senior officers stayed on board but have now been taken ashore.

The MCA said the vessel was not in a shipping channel, so there was no impact on other ships in the area.

The transporter, registered in Singapore, set sail from Southampton at about 20:20 GMT on Saturday.

The 51,000-tonne ship, which was laden with 1,400 cars, had been on its way to Germany when it developed a problem.

Four RNLI Lifeboats as well as the Solent Coastguard helicopter were involved in the rescue.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-hampshire-30673439

[gwillybj]

Cargo Ship Salvage Team Faces Difficult Task
4 January 2015 Last updated at 21:13 GMT

The Hoegh Osaka was run aground off the Isle of Wight on Saturday evening after developing problems once it had left Southampton.
The ship is now listing at more than 50 degrees and the salvage operation is expected to take several days.
Captain Rich Habib, who put together the team that recovered the Costa Concordia, said that salvaging the ship will be challenging.
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-30674230

[gwillybj]

Solent Cargo Ship: Preparations Underway to Free Vessel
4 January 2015 Last updated at 22:25 GMT

A car transporter ship was grounded in the Solent deliberately after it began to list, its owners have said.
The Hoegh Osaka had just left Southampton for Germany when it hit a sandbar known as Bramble Bank.
The ship is now listing at more than 50 degrees and a salvage operation is expected to take several days.
Robert Hall reports from the Solent.
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-30673217

[gwillybj]

Hoegh Osaka: Experts Board Listing Cargo Ship
5 January 2015 Last updated at 15:57 GMT

Salvage experts have boarded a cargo ship which is stranded in the Solent after it was deliberately run aground.
The Hoegh Osaka car transporter started listing shortly after leaving the Port of Southampton on Saturday evening and was grounded off the Isle of Wight.
A team from appointed salvors Svitzer boarded the ship earlier to assess the damage and formulate a salvage plan.
Duncan Kennedy reports.
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-30684482

[gwillybj]

5 January 2015 Last updated at 11:54 ET
Hoegh Osaka: Salvage Team Boards Listing Cargo Ship

Salvage experts have boarded a cargo ship which is stranded in the Solent after it was deliberately run aground.

The Hoegh Osaka car transporter started listing shortly after leaving the Port of Southampton on Saturday evening and was grounded off the Isle of Wight.

A team from appointed salvors Svitzer boarded the ship earlier to assess the damage and formulate a salvage plan.

Experts predict the vessel, now listing at 45 degrees, could take days to right.

Associated British Ports (ABP) Southampton said a 200m-radius (656ft) exclusion zone had been established around the vessel, until the salvage operation was completed.

ABP said tugs would remain near the cargo ship until it can be moved and will illuminate it when dark.

An investigation into why the vessel began listing has been launched.

All 25 crew members were rescued from the ship by the RNLI and coastguard.


The ship left the port in Southampton and began to list soon afterwards

There are 1,400 cars and 70 to 80 pieces of construction equipment on board the Hoegh Osaka.

A spokesman for Jaguar Land Rover said roughly 1,200 were its vehicles.

There are also 65 Mini cars on board, each with an average retail price of £20,000.

Capt John Noble, a marine salvage expert, said the cargo would undoubtedly be badly damaged.

There are also 500 tonnes of fuel on board, most of which is marine diesel oil. Experts plan to leave this safely aboard this ship for the time being.

The salvage team have equipment which can be used to siphon off oil if needed.

The Daily Echo quoted an anonymous dock worker who said there were 4,600 tonnes of cargo on the ship, including JCBs and cranes, lorry trailers, stone crushers and three or four excavators.

A JCB spokesman said there were 105 of their machines on board the ship which were destined for dealers in the Middle East.

"We are awaiting further information from the shipping carrier about the current status of the machines and any plans they may have for retrieval," he said.

He added the value of the products "runs into millions of pounds".
How Do You Refloat a 51,000 Tonne Ship?

Marine salvage expert Capt John Noble said: "At the moment the door is wide open on how they will do it.

"The tidal option is no longer possible as it is clear she is hard and fast where she is.

"It won't be as complex as the Costa Concordia and they used a leverage system there, which has been used in a number of cases.

"It can't be done using ballasts due to the angle but I am sure they are exploring the dredging option.

"This could be done as long as the seabed stays where it is, but Bramble Bank may wash back and forth. That could be a high risk option.

"The priority is making sure the fuel is safe and may well be removed, but the other issue is the hull giving way as she is in a position she is not designed for."
Hoegh Osaka cargo ship
Built: 2000
Registered: Singapore
Length: 180m
Cargo capacity: 5,400 car equivalent units
Carrying: 1,400 cars, other equipment
Max speed 19.2 knots
Source: Hoegh Autoliners, news agencies
Ingar Skiaker, chief executive of Hoegh Autoliners, said: "Our vessel developed a severe list shortly after she left port and the pilot and the master took the decision to save the vessel and its crew by grounding her on the bank.

"This showed great skill and seamanship on behalf of our crew when faced with such challenging circumstances.

"At this stage it is too early to speculate on the cause of the list but we are starting an immediate investigation.

"Right now we have serious work ahead of us in order to free the vessel from the Bramble Bank without disrupting the flow of traffic in and out of the Port of Southampton.

"An investigation is ongoing as to what occurred last night and that is being conducted by the MAIB (Marine Accident Investigation Branch)."

Asked whether there were too many vehicles on board, Mr Skiaker replied: "No, the vessel was only one-third full."

Mr Skiaker also thanked everyone involved in the rescue operation.

"All crew plus one pilot, in total 25 people were evacuated from the vessel and all are safe and accounted for. Two crew members were taken to the hospital with minor injuries," he said.


The ship is at a 45 degree angle in the Solent


People gathered on the shore to see the stranded cargo ship


Plans for the salvage operation began as daylight dawned on the Solent


Many amateur photographers have been taking images of the scene



Hugh Shaw, of the Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA), said: "There has been no release of oil into the environment and we are determined to keep the situation that way - we are not looking for a quick fix here," he said.

The MCA said the vessel was not in a shipping channel, so there was no impact on other ships in the area.

Four RNLI Lifeboats, as well as the Solent Coastguard helicopter, were involved in the rescue.

One crew member is understood to have been pulled from the water during the rescue operation while the majority of the crew had made their way to the high side of the ship and were taken to safety.

Two senior officers and a pilot stayed on board before being taken ashore.

The transporter, registered in Singapore, set sail from Southampton at about 20:20 GMT on Saturday.

The 51,000-tonne ship had been on its way to Germany when it developed a problem.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-hampshire-30677320

[gwillybj]

weather.com | science
Massive Tilting Cargo Ship a Sight to Behold
By Michele Berger
Published Jan 8 2015 09:38 AM EST



What’s the best way to keep a huge tipping cargo ship from actually flipping? Run it aground. At least that was the course of action earlier this week when the Hoegh Osaka out of the United Kingdom started tilting dangerously to one side.

The plan was to then refloat the ship, before setting it upright. High tides Wednesday, however, caused it to start drifting on its own, giving salvage crews the chance to pull it to a location 2 miles east of the original grounding spot, according to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

“The refloat wasn’t due to occur today but she was very light on the bank and appears to have freed herself,” Mark Clark, of Hoegh Autoliners, told The Telegraph. “We don’t want her settling back somewhere else which could be a hindrance to shipping so the tugs will now take the opportunity to try and get her to a position of safety.”

Despite having a new location, the Hoegh Osaka stills need to be righted; the ship is currently listing at the same 45 degrees it’s been at for four days. Considering this cargo ship weighs almost 60,000 tons and is nearly 600 feet long, tilting it back to normal is no small feat. A temporary 1,000-foot exclusion zone has been set up around the ship to allow crews to assess how to next proceed.

In the days immediately following the incident, the weather was calm and didn’t pose a problem. However, the weather later this week didn’t look great. Strong winds, with possible gusts reaching up to 60 mph, concerned the salvage team, offering about a 24-hour window to refloat the ship, according to the BBC.

As of Tuesday evening, the operation team hadn’t yet settled on a refloating plan. An expert in this type of scenario, Capt John Noble, told one news service that though challenging, this operation wouldn’t pose the same difficulties as the righting of the Costa Concordia, the ship that wrecked off the coast of Italy in 2012, killing 32 people.

The Hoegh Osaka left port Saturday and almost immediately started listing. The ship’s pilot opted to ground it on a bank to prevent any loss of life or cargo and any additional harm to the ship. The Hoegh Osaka was carrying 1,400 cars, among other cargo, and more than 500 tons of fuel. Thus far, no injuries have been reported and no oil has spilled.
http://www.weather.com/science/news/photos-massive-tipping-cargo-ship-hoegh-osaka