Salvers attempting to tow the stricken Hoegh Osaka car ship back into Southampton, are looking to bring a helicopter from Norway to drop assistance on board, but severe weather across the North Sea is frustrating rescue efforts.
The 51,000t vessel is anchored a few miles from the South Coast port after being deliberately run aground following the development of a severe list, but salvage efforts are being thwarted by extremely high winds that are forecast to only increase in intensity this week.
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The situation is being complicated by the presence of 3,000t of water which poured into the Hoegh Osaka following a crack in the hull caused by moving cargo, among which are 1,300 Jaguar Land Rover and BMW cars, as well as 105 JCB machines.
“[It] is inevitabe with a ship listing at 52 degrees, there will have been some [cargo] movement,” UK government Secretary of State Representative (SOSREP) for Salvage and Maritime Intervention, Hugh Shaw, told just-auto from Southampton.
“There are still parts of the ship it is not safe for the salvers to get to. The picture the forecasters are giving us mid-Wednesday [14 January] and Thursday morning…is 72kt winds. Today is the first day the salvers have not been able to board the vessel.
“The salvers are trying to bring in a commercial helicopter and we are hoping that will be in the area tomorrow, but obviously with the winds forecast, it would not be safe.”
Should the helicopter be able to operate once the severe weather abates, salvers will be dropped onto the Hoegh Osaka and attempts made to pump out the vast weight of water.
The helicopter is needed as once water discharge begins, it would not be safe for salvers to board using conventional access points.
The UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) said salvers briefly pumped water for between one and two hours yesterday and reported no discharge of any oil. The giant ship is carrying 500t of mixed fuel, but as yet there appears to be no threat of this leaking into the Solent stretch of water.
“At the moment, there has been no loss of oil into the environment,” said Shaw. “We made a decision it was safe to leave the fuel on board – I am satisfied the fuel is safe.
“When we right the vessel, I am asking the port, owners and ship managers to put together a plan for safe reception.”
For that to happen, the SOSREP is looking for a moderation in wind speed to gale force rather than the 72kt anticipated, to allow salvers and the helicopter access to the Hoegh Osaka, which currently has a 300m exclusion zone around it at the entrance to Southampton, the UK’s largest automotive port.
“Although still some way off, plans for the vessel’s return to dock continue, to ensure the discharge of cargo is done safely and access policed/restricted as appropriate,” added the MCA.
All 25 crew members of the vessel were rescued safely, although two required hospital treatment.
