Bulkcarrier aground at Linkou

The "Harvest Sky" ran aground in the morning of Oct 14, 2017, at 9.55 a.m. after unoading cargo at the Linkou coal terminal in position 25 07 121 15E 0,3 miles off the coast near Limkou port in northwest Taiwan with a crew of 21 on board. The ship became unmanoeverable after her steering gear got entangled in nearby fishing nets. Then the engine failued due to overheating, and strong ocean currents caused the ship to run aground on mud and gravel bottom. Following an emergency meeting with a representative of the ship owner, the Coast Guard, the Taoyuan County Environmental Protection Bureau, and the Maritime and Port Bureau, it was decided that the vessel would be towed to safety once the weather conditions have improved. The vessel was carrying 19,068 tons of coal and 1,590 tons of diesel when it ran aground in bad weather with wind forces of eight Beaufort and two meters wave height.