Serpo
6th January 2015, 11:49 PM
Loose JCB 'digs hole' in side of stricken Solent ship: Vessel may have been thrown off balance by unsecured excavator on board
Excavator allegedly shifted on the sixth deck, knocking a hole in the hull
It meant the 51,000 tonne Hoegh Osaka was unbalanced when it set sail
Ship deliberately run aground on sandbank on Saturday to prevent capsize
Vessel began to list as it left port, forcing captain to take emergency action
Experts have abandoned plans to refloat the giant vessel at high tide today
By Steph Cockroft for MailOnline (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?s=&authornamef=Steph+Cockroft+for+MailOnline)
Published: 14:04 AEST, 7 January 2015 | Updated: 17:29 AEST, 7 January 2015
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Salvage experts believe that a inadequately-secured JCB could have dug a hole in the side of a ship which was deliberately grounded on a sandbank in the Solent.
The engineers say the vessel may have been thrown off balance because one of the 105 excavators broke free from its restraints as the ship began its voyage.
It comes as experts abandoned today's plans to re-float the Hoegh Osaka, after warnings that the vessel had taken on more water than previously thought.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/01/07/24741A3000000578-0-image-a-11_1420603081122.jpg
This picture shows some of the JCB vehicles on Hoegh Osaka's cargo deck before it set sail
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/01/07/247419C700000578-0-image-a-12_1420603131079.jpg
Engineers say the vessel may have been thrown off balance because one of the 105 excavators broke free from its restraints as the ship began its voyage
Bram Sperling, of salvage company Svitzer, said an excavator shifted on the sixth deck, knocking a hole in the hull of the vehicle carrier, which was quickly repaired by engineers.
Mr Sperling added that members of his 18-strong team had been on board the vessel and inspected the cargo, most of which had remained in place.
A single Rolls-Royce Wraith, estimated to be worth about £260,000, was on board, among more than 1,000 Jaguars and Land Rovers and 65 Minis.
The £35million cargo - all destined for Middle Eastern customers - could be scrapped, even if the vehicles are retrieved with little damage.
He said: 'We have not looked in detail at the cargo, we have only looked if we have some displacement of the cargo and we have seen a few vehicles, big ones, that have.'
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Salvage experts had said they planned to attempt to refloat the giant vessel at high tide today. But the Maritime and Coastguard Agency have now confirmed that plans have been delayed.
The 180m Singapore-registered ship is currently listing at 52 degrees and the salvage operation is expected to take days, possibly weeks.
A spokesman said: 'Following the completion of the salvors' calculations this evening, it has been decided that there will not be an attempt to re-float the Hoegh Osaka tomorrow.
'The salvors' calculations revealed that more water has entered the vessel than previously thought.
'The preparation for the re-float will therefore take longer than the weather window will allow tomorrow.
Investigation has begun into why car transporter ran aground
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/01/05/video-undefined-246DCB1500000578-797_638x361.jpg
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/01/07/2474418700000578-0-image-a-9_1420603060154.jpg
The Hoegh Osaka was deliberately run aground on a sandbank called the Bramble Bank between Southampton and the Isle of Wight on Saturday night to prevent it capsizing
'The alternative option of securing the Hoegh Osaka will be followed and preparations for the re-float will continue when the weather allows.'
The 51,000 tonne ship was deliberately run aground on Saturday night on a sandbank called the Bramble Bank between Southampton and the Isle of Wight to prevent it capsizing.
The vessel, which has a cargo of 1,400 cars and 80 pieces of construction equipment, began to list as it left the port, forcing the captain and the pilot to take the emergency action.
A bid to pull the ship free at high tide using four tugs failed on Monday, leaving the 180 metre long Hoegh Osaka grounded because the tides were not high enough to refloat her.
A 200m exclusion zone has been set up around the ship to prevent small vessels interfering with the tugs and other shipping.
Night-time video time-lapse of the ship which ran aground
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/01/04/video-undefined-2466F8AD00000578-242_637x361.jpg
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/01/07/24743FB600000578-0-image-a-10_1420603067273.jpg
The vessel, which has a cargo of 1,400 cars and 80 pieces of construction equipment, began to list as it left the port, forcing the captain and the pilot to take the emergency action
A massive rescue operation was launched on Saturday night involving four lifeboats and four tugs working to save the entire crew of 25, which was eventually winched off the vessel and taken to safety.
According to an RNLI spokesman, some of them had to be rescued from the water.
A helicopter and lifeboats from Calshot, Yarmouth and Cowes were scrambled to the scene.
A total of 22 crew were initially rescued from the doomed ship, leaving three senior officers aboard. However, the last three had to be winched to safety at 2am, when then the ship listed forther.
The salvors' calculations revealed that more water has entered the vessel than previously thought
Maritime and Coastguard Agency
Mark Clark, spokesman for Hoegh Autoliners which owns the vessel, said that the cause of the incident would be the subject of a marine accident investigation.
He said: the company was currently assessing damage and stability issues on board its vessel and that the primary concern had been for the crew on board.
It has been confirmed that one crew member has been injured and he was airlifted to Queen Alexander Hospital in Portsmouth with non-life threatening injuries.'
He said that salvage operators Svitzer had been appointed to carry out the salvage operation and would work closely with the Maritime Coastguard Agency and the MAIB.
One of the major problems facing salvage workers was the immense weight of the ship and its cargo.
Sources said that one way to assist in refloating the boat would be to remove the cars from its cargo hold although such as operation was expected to present an immense logistical headache.
Bramble Bank is a well-known sandbank in Southampton Water and is the scene of an annual cricket match between two yachting clubs when the sands are exposed in low spring tides.
In November 2008, the Cunard liner Queen Elizabeth 2 with 1,700 passengers on board ran aground on Bramble Bank but was able to continue its journey on the rising tide after four tugs pulled it clear.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2899967/Loose-JCB-digs-hole-stricken-Solent-ship-Vessel-thrown-balance-unsecured-excavator-board.html
Excavator allegedly shifted on the sixth deck, knocking a hole in the hull
It meant the 51,000 tonne Hoegh Osaka was unbalanced when it set sail
Ship deliberately run aground on sandbank on Saturday to prevent capsize
Vessel began to list as it left port, forcing captain to take emergency action
Experts have abandoned plans to refloat the giant vessel at high tide today
By Steph Cockroft for MailOnline (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?s=&authornamef=Steph+Cockroft+for+MailOnline)
Published: 14:04 AEST, 7 January 2015 | Updated: 17:29 AEST, 7 January 2015
7 shares
8
View comments
(http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2899967/Loose-JCB-digs-hole-stricken-Solent-ship-Vessel-thrown-balance-unsecured-excavator-board.html#comments)
Salvage experts believe that a inadequately-secured JCB could have dug a hole in the side of a ship which was deliberately grounded on a sandbank in the Solent.
The engineers say the vessel may have been thrown off balance because one of the 105 excavators broke free from its restraints as the ship began its voyage.
It comes as experts abandoned today's plans to re-float the Hoegh Osaka, after warnings that the vessel had taken on more water than previously thought.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/01/07/24741A3000000578-0-image-a-11_1420603081122.jpg
This picture shows some of the JCB vehicles on Hoegh Osaka's cargo deck before it set sail
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/01/07/247419C700000578-0-image-a-12_1420603131079.jpg
Engineers say the vessel may have been thrown off balance because one of the 105 excavators broke free from its restraints as the ship began its voyage
Bram Sperling, of salvage company Svitzer, said an excavator shifted on the sixth deck, knocking a hole in the hull of the vehicle carrier, which was quickly repaired by engineers.
Mr Sperling added that members of his 18-strong team had been on board the vessel and inspected the cargo, most of which had remained in place.
A single Rolls-Royce Wraith, estimated to be worth about £260,000, was on board, among more than 1,000 Jaguars and Land Rovers and 65 Minis.
The £35million cargo - all destined for Middle Eastern customers - could be scrapped, even if the vehicles are retrieved with little damage.
He said: 'We have not looked in detail at the cargo, we have only looked if we have some displacement of the cargo and we have seen a few vehicles, big ones, that have.'
Share
Salvage experts had said they planned to attempt to refloat the giant vessel at high tide today. But the Maritime and Coastguard Agency have now confirmed that plans have been delayed.
The 180m Singapore-registered ship is currently listing at 52 degrees and the salvage operation is expected to take days, possibly weeks.
A spokesman said: 'Following the completion of the salvors' calculations this evening, it has been decided that there will not be an attempt to re-float the Hoegh Osaka tomorrow.
'The salvors' calculations revealed that more water has entered the vessel than previously thought.
'The preparation for the re-float will therefore take longer than the weather window will allow tomorrow.
Investigation has begun into why car transporter ran aground
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/01/05/video-undefined-246DCB1500000578-797_638x361.jpg
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/01/07/2474418700000578-0-image-a-9_1420603060154.jpg
The Hoegh Osaka was deliberately run aground on a sandbank called the Bramble Bank between Southampton and the Isle of Wight on Saturday night to prevent it capsizing
'The alternative option of securing the Hoegh Osaka will be followed and preparations for the re-float will continue when the weather allows.'
The 51,000 tonne ship was deliberately run aground on Saturday night on a sandbank called the Bramble Bank between Southampton and the Isle of Wight to prevent it capsizing.
The vessel, which has a cargo of 1,400 cars and 80 pieces of construction equipment, began to list as it left the port, forcing the captain and the pilot to take the emergency action.
A bid to pull the ship free at high tide using four tugs failed on Monday, leaving the 180 metre long Hoegh Osaka grounded because the tides were not high enough to refloat her.
A 200m exclusion zone has been set up around the ship to prevent small vessels interfering with the tugs and other shipping.
Night-time video time-lapse of the ship which ran aground
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/01/04/video-undefined-2466F8AD00000578-242_637x361.jpg
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/01/07/24743FB600000578-0-image-a-10_1420603067273.jpg
The vessel, which has a cargo of 1,400 cars and 80 pieces of construction equipment, began to list as it left the port, forcing the captain and the pilot to take the emergency action
A massive rescue operation was launched on Saturday night involving four lifeboats and four tugs working to save the entire crew of 25, which was eventually winched off the vessel and taken to safety.
According to an RNLI spokesman, some of them had to be rescued from the water.
A helicopter and lifeboats from Calshot, Yarmouth and Cowes were scrambled to the scene.
A total of 22 crew were initially rescued from the doomed ship, leaving three senior officers aboard. However, the last three had to be winched to safety at 2am, when then the ship listed forther.
The salvors' calculations revealed that more water has entered the vessel than previously thought
Maritime and Coastguard Agency
Mark Clark, spokesman for Hoegh Autoliners which owns the vessel, said that the cause of the incident would be the subject of a marine accident investigation.
He said: the company was currently assessing damage and stability issues on board its vessel and that the primary concern had been for the crew on board.
It has been confirmed that one crew member has been injured and he was airlifted to Queen Alexander Hospital in Portsmouth with non-life threatening injuries.'
He said that salvage operators Svitzer had been appointed to carry out the salvage operation and would work closely with the Maritime Coastguard Agency and the MAIB.
One of the major problems facing salvage workers was the immense weight of the ship and its cargo.
Sources said that one way to assist in refloating the boat would be to remove the cars from its cargo hold although such as operation was expected to present an immense logistical headache.
Bramble Bank is a well-known sandbank in Southampton Water and is the scene of an annual cricket match between two yachting clubs when the sands are exposed in low spring tides.
In November 2008, the Cunard liner Queen Elizabeth 2 with 1,700 passengers on board ran aground on Bramble Bank but was able to continue its journey on the rising tide after four tugs pulled it clear.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2899967/Loose-JCB-digs-hole-stricken-Solent-ship-Vessel-thrown-balance-unsecured-excavator-board.html