Norwegian insurers involved with the Hoegh Osaka car ship containing around 1,400 vehicles that continues to be stuck in Southampton Water, are remaining tight lipped as to the huge vessel’s situation.
The ship was deliberately rammed onto a sandbank – from which it has now been towed – on 3 January after developing a severe list on departure from the south coast port – but the fate of the vehicles on board – many bound for the Middle East – and the financial implications are still unclear.
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Severe winds gusting up to 74kt are forecast for tomorrow (14 January), making a planned helicopter drop of salvers onto the vessel too hazardous, while 3,000t of water remains to be pumped out following a crack in the ship caused by moving machinery on board.
“Gard is the marine insurer for the vessel,” a Gard spokeswoman told just-auto. “Their involvement is for the insurance with liabilities from casualties and pollution – currently there has not been any – and for damage to the hull.
“We would not comment on day to day operations – we can confirm our involvement as an insurer and that is all we are willing to say at the moment.
“The cargo will be insured by a different insurance company. These are huge amounts of money – they are not taken on by any one insurer.”
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By GlobalDataBritish Secretary of State Representative (SOSREP), for Salvage and Maritime Intervention, Hugh Shaw, confirmed Norwegian insurers are discussing the Hoegh Osaka situation with the myriad players involved.
No details are yet available as to the cost of the operation to refloat the 51,000t vessel carrying 1,300 Jaguar Land Rover and BMW vehicles, as well as 105 JCB machines, but a flotilla of tugs and a helicopter is currently being requisitioned to aid the salvage effort.
JCB told just-auto ownership of its vehicles had passed to dealers in the Middle East – where the Hoegh Osaka was due to make multiple stops before developing a chronic list shortly after leaving the Port of Southampton on 3 January.
“The thing to remember is because the machines have left our factory, they become the property of their dealers and in this case, they are in the Middle East,” said a JCB spokesman.
JLR was not available to comment on its cars on board, but BMW previously told just-auto it had confirmation of its vehicles on the vessel – 65 Minis and one Rolls-Royce Wraith – but had not had further information regarding their condition. “They were all destined for customers in the Middle East,” said a BMW spokeswoman, adding the automaker had its “normal insurance.”
UK government Secretary of State Representative (SOSREP), Hugh Shaw, said with the ship currently heeling over at at 52 degree list, it was inevitable some cargo movement would have occurred, while he added insurers were involved in daily planning meetings.
“I meet on a daily basis with all the key players; the harbour masters, salvers, insurers and owners,” Shaw told just-auto from Southampton. “The insurer for the incident is a Norwegian company and [they] will be talking with all the parties involved and will be looking at the costs. We have no idea [of cost].”
Shaw added salvers, Svitzer, had managed to restart a generator to provide some lighting on board the Hoegh Osaka, while attempts were also being made to begin ballasting the giant ship.
The Hoegh Osaka is owned by Hoegh Autoliners – a specialist car shipping company that operates 60 vessels making 3,500 port calls annually.
The UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) is also examining the situation.
