Two mega ships run aground days apart, but refloated without incident
TWO mega ships have run aground days apart—the first near Germany's River Elbe and the second close to the UK port of Southampton.
In the first incident, the heavily-laden 19,100-TEU CSCL Indian Ocean ran grounded following a "technical failure" near Luehesand 25 kilometres downstream from Hamburg.
After attempts to refloat the vessel were unsuccessful, plans was drawn up to remove 6,500 tons of fuel oil and ballast water from the vessel and deploy dredgers to remove soil from around the vessel, reported the UK's Maritime Journal.
Several days after the initial grounding a fleet of 12 tugs eventually refloated the CSCL Indian Ocean after numerous attempts, and the vessel was towed to the Eurogate Container Terminal. No pollution or injuries were reported.
The second grounding involved the 13,892-TEU APL Vanda, which ran aground on the Bramble Bank just days after the River Elbe incident. The vessels reportedly had lost power while approaching the port of Southampton. Eight port tugs refloated the boxship just a few hours after it got stuck, on the high tide.
TWO mega ships have run aground days apart—the first near Germany's River Elbe and the second close to the UK port of Southampton.
In the first incident, the heavily-laden 19,100-TEU CSCL Indian Ocean ran grounded following a "technical failure" near Luehesand 25 kilometres downstream from Hamburg.
After attempts to refloat the vessel were unsuccessful, plans was drawn up to remove 6,500 tons of fuel oil and ballast water from the vessel and deploy dredgers to remove soil from around the vessel, reported the UK's Maritime Journal.
Several days after the initial grounding a fleet of 12 tugs eventually refloated the CSCL Indian Ocean after numerous attempts, and the vessel was towed to the Eurogate Container Terminal. No pollution or injuries were reported.
The second grounding involved the 13,892-TEU APL Vanda, which ran aground on the Bramble Bank just days after the River Elbe incident. The vessels reportedly had lost power while approaching the port of Southampton. Eight port tugs refloated the boxship just a few hours after it got stuck, on the high tide.