UK coastguards say it is unlikely the Hoegh Osaka carliner will be moved from its anchorage near the South coast port of Southampton tonight (21 January), although the severe list angle continues to be reduced.
The list has now shifted to 39° from an initial 52°, but a 15° angle is required before the leaning ship is deemed suitable for towing.
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However, adverse weather is dashing hopes the 51,000t ship carrying 1,400 Jaguar Land Rovers, JCBs, Minis and one Rolls-Royce Wraith can be moved at high-tide tonight as initially put forward, although a berth in Southampton remains available.
Thousands of tonnes of clean water are being pumped out of the vessel’s lower car decks, allowing it to slowly right, with salvers, Svitzer, accessing the Hoegh Osaka using a combination of tugs and a helicopter from nearby Royal Naval Air Station HMS Daedalus.
“The weather on scene continues to be favourable and the operation to remove clean water from the vessel’s lower car decks continues,” said a UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) spokesman.
“The vessel will stay at Alpha Anchorage until the list has been reduced to around 15º [while] some ship’s systems have been reinstated and weather conditions are suitable.
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By GlobalData“The long range weather forecast is now indicating it is unlikely the Hoegh Osaka will be moved from Alpha Anchorage to a berth at Southampton Port on Wednesday.”
A meeting between government’s agencies is currently taking place in Southampton bringing together the MCA, the Secretary of State Representative (SOSREP) for Salvage and Maritime Intervention, Svitzer and ship owners, Hoegh Autoliners.
“[Back in port], The investigation starts and [the] ship is handed back to the owners and it is not a salvage job any more,” a Svitzer spokesman told just-auto. “Everything seems to be pretty much in place.
“They have done some extra lashings on the heavy stuff. They [salvers] do all the hard graft, the dangerous stuff.”
Hoegh Autoliners is a specialist car shipping company operating 60 vessels making 3,500 port calls annually.
